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NY Giants playoff hero among players dropped on cutdown day

He was always a long shot to make the 53.
Braulio Perez
Braulio Perez

GMEN HQ

Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings during the first quarter of a wild card game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

We had a feeling this was coming, but it doesn't make things any easier to accept. On cutdown day, the NY Giants have been working overtime in trying to get the roster down to 53 men. Already, we know wideout Isaiah Hodgins won't be around to take on the Minnesota Vikings.

It's a bit of a bummer, as Hodgins arrived in the fall of 2022 as a bit of a no-name player, but Giants Nation is going to remember him for quite some time due to the impact he was able to make on the team. The Giants made it back to the postseason that year for the first time in six years. Then in the Wild Card Round, Hodgins was simply brilliant.

The NY Giants cutting Isaiah Hodgins isn't much of a surprise

In that win over the Vikings on the road, Hodgins lit up the Minnesota secondary. When the final whistle blew, the young wideout had eight receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown to his name. Daniel Jones was superb in that victory, with Hodgins being his top target.

The odds were stacked against him this summer, however, as the Giants finally have some depth at wideout. With Hodgins not being a special teams playmaker either, it made sense to let him go. The same was the case for Allen Robinson, who was also released by Brian Daboll.

This campaign, the Giants wide receivers room is going to be led by No. 6 overall pick Malik Nabers, Jalin Hyatt, Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson. Slayton has led the G-Men in receiving yards in four of the past five seasons, while Nabers is being looked at as the WR1 this team has been needing since Odell Beckham Jr. left town.

All in all, things are looking up on offense, but Hodgins isn't going to be a part of things. There's a small chance he ends up back on NY's practice squad. If he clears waivers, might a team look to sign him to their 53-man roster? Who knows, but if that doesn't happen, then maybe he'll be open to a PS spot in East Rutherford. Regardless of how things turn out there, Big Blue supporters will always be grateful for that Wild Card Round showing vs. the Vikes - it surely was a special one.

Braulio Perez

Braulio Perez

Braulio Perez is an NCAA Content Director for FanSided, joining Minute Media in 2017 after 2.5 years at the Newark Star-Ledger as a high school sports reporter and 2.5 years at the Lynden Tribune as sports editor. While with the Lynden Tribune, Perez was named the Sports Writer of the Year in 2012 for his division by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. At the Star-Ledger, he also assisted in coverage of college football recruiting. Perez's focus has been on college football recruiting, high school sports, the NFL, NCAA and English Premier League. He is also a regular contributor for 247Sports' Cougfan.com.