Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants
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Wan'Dale Robinson #17 of the New York Giants walks off the field after the loss to the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium.
After the New York Giants lost Wan’Dale Robinson to the Tennessee Titans on Monday afternoon, the team had no choice but to make a corresponding move.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the Giants re-signed veteran wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins to a one-year deal. A familiar face in New York will be sticking around.
With Robinson gone, the Giants’ receiving core took a relatively deep blow. They needed to add somebody with some prior experience catching passes from second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.
They land on Hodgins, who will be playing for John Harbaugh for the first time, but his fifth season in New York.
State of the Giants Wide Receiver Room
The New York Giants’ wide receiver core has seen some better days, to say the least.
There’s one thing you can (somewhat) hang your hat on, and that’s third-year wideout, Malik Nabers. The LSU product is a rising star in the NFL and was on track for an incredible follow-up season to his Pro Bowl rookie year.
Unfortunately, a brutal knee injury robbed him of incredibly important chemistry building with Dart, and it remains unclear how his knee will affect him entering the offseason program, and maybe even the start of the 2026 season.
Because of that, the Giants need to be aggressive in adding new weapons to their arsenal this offseason, and they’ve already started with the reported addition of former Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely.
But Likely isn’t a wide receiver, and isn’t going to be the focal point of every single passing play. Sure, he’ll split out wide from time to time, but New York needs consistent weapons for Dart to throw to.
Losing Robinson stinks, but the Giants were unlikely to match the offer of the cash-flushed Tennessee Titans anyway. General manager Joe Schoen and Harbaugh must have a contingency plan.
If Nabers’ injury lingers into the regular season, they can’t have Dart’s No. 1 receiving threat be Darius Slayton. Hodgins is a nice complementary piece, but he’s best utilized as a WR4/5.
If they can’t find a reasonable option on the free agent market, it may force the team into making a selection out of necessity in the NFL Draft.
Will the Giants be Forced into WR at No. 5?
With the New York Giants wide receiver room lacking a legitimate threat opposite Nabers, they may have no choice but to select a wideout with the No. 5 overall pick.
That isn’t to say they still can’t add someone in free agency. Plenty of affordable veteran options remain on the market, including Christian Kirk, Deebo Samuel, Darnell Mooney, and Jauan Jennings.
But if New York doesn’t want to spend big and bet on a blue-chip prospect, Ohio State’s Carnell Tate may become less of a luxury with their first-round pick and turn into a necessity.
Tate is widely regarded as the best wide receiver prospect in the upcoming NFL Draft, and for good reason.
ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has Tate as the seventh-best prospect in the 2026 class, thanks to both his physical skillset and character traits.
“Tate produced big plays on a regular basis, averaging 17.2 yards per catch last season. He is a precise route runner, has great hands and displays outstanding body control. And he’ll also happily block for ball carriers, which NFL coaches love to see,” wrote Kiper Jr.
If the Giants aren’t keen on signing a veteran to market value, they may be forced to take Tate with the No. 5 overall pick.
It certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing, but I’m sure Giants brass would prefer to keep their options open heading into April.