New York Giants countdown to camp: Challenges for WR corps

Need a star

So the best Big Blue has on the roster performed at a slightly over average level last season. There are no stars. What they need is for one of the receivers to step up and make defenses scheme against him. Because if opponents don’t have to double any receiver, that’s one more defender to roam free in the secondary to disrupt things, or an extra body to send at Manning.

That player will more than likely be Golden Tate, but very rarely over his career has he had to be the main man. Whether it be Doug Baldwin, Calvin Johnson, Marvin Jones, or Zach Ertz the former Golden Domer had help. He won’t have that luxury this year. Additionally, at 31-years-old, Tate’s best days are probably behind him.

Sterling Shepard signed a new four year, $41M contract in April. He’s never excelled when asked to be the number one for a prolonged period. When OBJ missed the majority of 2017, the best Shepard could do was 59 receptions for 731 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He had more receptions and TD grabs in each of 2016 and 2018 when Beckham was on the field for at least 10 games.

That leaves Latimer. The five year NFL veteran has never caught more than 19 passes in a season. Then again he’s played more than 12 games in any single season once, which was 14 with Denver in 2015. Counting on Latimer to become a legitimate receiving threat is a longshot, at best.