The New York Giants are going for it in a suddenly interesting NFC East Division race. With their future depending on the performance of Daniel Jones, the Giants went out and signed Kenny Golladay. Last season, the Giants were in dire need of an X receiver. Whether it was the absence of star running back, Saquon Barkley, or a lack of playmakers in the passing game, the offense STRUGGLED in 2020. We all agree to blame Jason Garrett, right? Right.
The 2020 season doesn’t count for Golladay. Just forget that it ever happened.
Golladay struggled to stay healthy all season and hardly saw the field. In 2019, Golladay’s best season, he led the NFL with 11 receiving touchdowns and 65 receptions for 1,190 yards. In that season, Golladay dominated opposing corners, ranking seventh in the NFL in contested catch rate, catching 54.2 percent of his 24 contested targets.
.@PFF tracks contested catches and contested targets. Here are the NFL leaders in contested catches from 2018-2019.
Julio Jones: 44 on 91 targets
Kenny Golladay: 43 on 79 targets
Allen Robinson: 40 on 77 targets
Michael Thomas: 39 on 70 targets
DeAndre Hopkins: 39 on 77 targets— John Schmeelk (@Schmeelk) March 22, 2021
According to Matthew Berry, since 2018 Golladay ranks third in deep receptions per game, seventh in air yards per target, and ninth in receiving yards per game. So how will he fare with Daniel Jones instead of one of one of the league’s top gunslingers? That’s the million-dollar question everyone wants to know.
Over Jones’ last two seasons, he’s ranked fourth in the league in deep pass target rate. Additionally, Giants’ beat writer John Schmeelk pointed out that Golladay trailed only Tyreek Hill in receiving yards when targeted over 20 yards downfield. Long story short, Golladay is among the best in the business as a field-stretching X receiver and Jones boasts a quality deep ball.
So, why isn’t this a slam dunk? Well, for starters, Jones’ most endearing attribute is his deep ball and he leaves much to be desired elsewhere.
Daniel Jones was the QB12 w/ over 20 FPPG as a rookie. He was atrocious as the QB31 w/ under 16 as a sophomore.
Is there any hope for a rebound with Kenny Golladay now in NY? Or is hope lost with The Clapper still on the sidelines?https://t.co/6Sk2YBDxmn
— Wolf of Roto Street (@RotoStreetWolf) March 25, 2021
Golladay is joining a crowded Giants’ receiving core built up of Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, and Darius Slayton, with Garrett calling the plays… and Jones is still throwing them the ball. Not to mention, Barkley is a very talented pass catcher in his own right. However, Garrett’s offenses have thrived in the past with an alpha WR1 to funnel the passing game through, such as Terrell Owens, Dez Bryant, and Miles Austin.
Yet, that’s a laundry list of weapons hankering for a slice of the Giants aerial pie. By comparison, Golladay averaged just over seven targets per game in 2019 with Stafford, which is good for about a 21 percent target share.
Golladay might see seven targets per game again, and he will certainly have some boom weeks. But with an obvious downgrade in quarterback play, Golladay’s 2021 fantasy value will likely take a significant hit.
Golladay checks in at WR22 (-5 vs ECR) on The Wolf’s 2021 Fantasy Rankings and Big Board.
