The New York Giants made a pair of wide receiver signings in free agency Thursday, bringing back Darius Slayton on a two-year deal and adding Parris Campbell on a one-year deal. The two join a crowded Giants receiver room, but both bring fantasy value in 2023: Slayton as a downfield threat, and Campbell working as a primary threat out of the slot.
There are a few NFL teams that need to address the wide receiver position this offseason. The Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears and others could look to add additional weapons to their offense.
Jarvis Landry is a great player. Obviously, he had a horrific year (career lows of 25 receptions, 272 yards and one TD) and suffered tons of injuries, but he’s a veteran who, when available and healthy, can produce. He’s a great slot, a possession receiver who has strong hands, is a really good route runner and understands how to get open and make tough, contested catches. That’s what you need in a locker room.
Noah Brown had a really good season (career highs of 43 receptions, 555 yards and three TDs) filling in for the Dallas Cowboys. None of us knew who he was, but in key moments he made some big catches, and he asserted himself as a target Dak Prescott could trust. He’s a reliable guy who can catch, run routes and stretch the field.
Mecole Hardman is another guy who suffered injuries this past season, so we didn’t get to see him perform his best. But we know what he can provide. Hardman had 10 touchdowns in his first two seasons and career highs of 59 catches and 693 yards in 2021. He provides a tremendous amount of speed and is kind of a gadget player, but he can stretch the field. We’ve seen him be special with Patrick Mahomes. If he’s in the right system, Hardman can be a great addition.
Marvin Jones is a bigger receiver who had a down year, but we’ve seen him thrive when he was featured as a No. 1, 1B kind of guy with the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars started to get a lot of different guys so he kind of fell to the back in Jacksonville, but he’s still a player who can high-point and track the ball well. I like Jones as a veteran guy entering a locker room. You know what you’re going to get: No issues off the field and one of the better guys in the league at his position. He’s surpassed 800 yards receiving five times and has 58 career touchdowns.
We talked all season long about how the New York Giants needed receivers, which they do. Darius Slayton emerged as one of those guys that Daniel Jones could trust. Slayton inserted himself into this conversation of being a guy you might want to target in free agency. He’s not a big numbers guy or a No. 1 guy who will command top dollar, but he’s proven he can get it done if you give him opportunities, as his 46 catches for 724 yards attest.
Parris Campbell is the most intriguing receiver on this list because of his youth (he turns 26 in July). He’s been underutilized and didn’t pan out the way the Indianapolis Colts thought he would after they drafted him in the second round in 2019, but the potential is there. That’s all coaches look for — can I find a guy that can fill a void, add to what we do, and we can feature his skillset? Campbell has the speed, he’s a gadget guy, and can make things happen once the ball is in his hands. This past season was his best statistically; he had 57 receptions for 581 yards and three scores.
DJ Chark is a tall receiver (6-foot-4) that can stretch the field. We’ve seen his body of work, he’s a veteran guy who can be a good additional piece alongside a No. 1 guy. Chark, who has a 1,000-yard season to his credit, is a complimentary receiver who can run routes, high-point the ball, track throws down the field. He can be a huge threat in the red zone for a team looking for a bigger target for a quarterback in the red zone.
We’ve seen Allen Lazard do pretty much anything that was required and necessary for the Green Bay Packers. Obviously, his quarterback Aaron Rodgers is going to make him look good, but I believe he’s a well-rounded wide receiver. Lazard is somebody who is going to have high character, is going to understand the playbook, be reliable and deliver. He’s a smart guy, can almost play that hybrid tight end position, and we know what he can do as a run blocker. Lazard, who had 14 touchdown catches the past two seasons, can be a threat catching the 50/50 balls. He can play in the slot or on the outside. I think he will be a good addition to some team this off-season if the Packers don’t re-sign him.
JuJu Smith-Schuster‘s stock rose in the postseason, particularly in the second half of the Super Bowl. He wasn’t a No. 1 or 2 guy, but he was someone who was relied upon when needed. And that’s what you need, a veteran guy who can come in and be assignment-sound. He’s a big-body receiver who can make contested catches. He emerged as a featured receiver at times when Travis Kelce was taken away, and he has seasons of 111 and 97 catches on his resume, in addition to 78 this past season. Smith-Schuster is not going to be a No. 1 guy, but he can be a great complement to what you already have on your roster.
I like a lot of what Jakobi Meyers does; he’s very talented. A lot of what he did was limited because he was in that New England offense with inconsistent quarterback play. The revolving door under center makes it hard for any receiver, but Meyers always found a way to make plays. I’m pretty sure he’s worn out his welcome when it comes to the Patriots, but he can be a great addition for a team in need of a veteran guy who has gotten it done in this league year after year, making plays down the field, in the quick game, and getting yards after the catch. He has topped 800 yards the past two seasons, and he added six touchdowns in 2022.
Greg Jennings is a former NFL wide receiver who played for the Packers, Vikings and Dolphins. A two-time Pro Bowl player, Jennings was a member of the Packers’ Super Bowl XLV championship team and is inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame. Follow him on Twitter @GregJennings.
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