Southern California Trojans wide receiver Jordan Addison. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

How Giants can solve their WR problem in NFL Draft

By Anthony Rivardo | Last updated 2/14/23

The New York Giants clearly must upgrade a receiving corps that didn't have a wideout top 724 yards in 2022. The NFL Draft is filled with top-tier options at WR for New York, which has the 25th overall pick.

TCU's Quentin Johnston is the consensus top prospect, but he probably will be gone when the Giants select in the first round.

Johnston possesses a rare blend of size (6-foot-4, 216 pounds), speed and strength. The Draft Network described him as "a dangerous player on all levels of the football field." In 14 games in 2022, he had 60 catches, 1,069 receiving yards and six TD catches.

Despite the Giants draft position, Eric Edholm of NFL.com had New York taking Johnston in his most recent mock draft.

USC's Jordan Addison is a popular pick for the Giants in other mock drafts. In 2021 at Pitt, he won the the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver. During an injury-marred season at USC in 2022, he had 59 catches for 875 yards and eight touchdown catches.

Addison burst onto the scene as a sophomore at Pittsburgh, totaling 100 receptions for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com described Addison as "the best route-runner in the 2023 draft."

This ROUTE by Jordan Addison

Several scouts believe the USC WR will be the first WR off the board at the NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/wxhm2eUzVy
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) February 11, 2023

Entering 2022, Jaxon Smith-Njigba was expected to lead Ohio State's loaded group of wide receivers. Smith-Njigba totaled 1,606 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2021 despite playing alongside two future NFL first-round picks (Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave).

"Jaxon is a cold-blooded man, man," Wilson told the Columbus Dispatch. "That boy is...'The Natural.' He's got hands, he's got feet that will throw you by, make you miss. He'll do the laundry for you. Jaxon's cold, man. I'm confident that wherever he goes, he's going to make a big impact early."

After establishing himself as C.J. Stroud's favorite target during his sophomore season, Smith-Njigba missed most of 2022 because of a hamstring injury.

Any of these options could dramatically improve the passing attack in New York.

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