When the New York Giants drafted wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson with the 43rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, many wondered how the 5-foot-11 Kentucky alum would fit on a roster with Sterling Shepard and Kadarius Toney. Just a few days into his first training camp, Robinson is already generating a lot of buzz.
Even before training camp began, there was already speculation about the rookie’s potential role this season. NJ.com’s Darryl Slater reported that New York intended to use its rookie in a fairly significant role this fall, deploying him as a gadget player.
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New York needs someone on its offense to step up. While there remains confidence that head coach Brian Daboll can get the most out of contract-year quarterback Daniel Jones, the Giants need others to step up. While some of the reports out of training camp are bleak, the rookie wideout is catching everyone’s attention thus far.
Peter King of NBC Sports attended Giants’ training camp this week and said that Robinson was the star when he was there. While New York primarily deployed him in the slot during practices, the 21-year-old was also moved around quite a bit.
- Wan’Dale Robinson college stats (2021): 1,334 receiving yards, 111 rushing yards
There’s an undeniable opportunity here for Robinson. Kenny Golladay proved to be a massive disappointment in his first season with the Giants and he only does a few specific things. Meanwhile, Shepard (Achilles) is on the PUP list to start training camp.
Dan Duggan of The Athletic went even further with his analysis of Robinson’s usage thus far during training camp. He noted that Daboll lined him up in the backfield significantly and believes New York’s player movement data “will be off the charts because of how much he’s moving before the ball is snapped.”
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The Giants’ coaching staff knows the best way to help a quarterback is with athletes around him who can turn short throws into big plays thanks to their YAC ability. It’s why New York drafted Robinson and he is quickly earning the trust of the coaching staff.
While there will be plenty of mouths to feed in the Giants’ offense, it’s evident that the coaches want Robinson to play an important role during his rookie season. If he can earn the trust of both Jones and backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, he’ll be in an excellent position to produce no matter who is under center.