Giants WR Rueben Randle has been given an enormous opportunity with Hakeem Nicks sidelined by an injured groin, taking almost all the snaps with the first team in team drills. And he’s taken advantage with a sometimes spectacular performance. He’s flashed his speed and a quickness that wasn’t always evident last year. Judging by the number of times he’s caught passes he seems to have a better grasp of the offense than he did last season, and is clearly more confident in his role. And he’s shown a knack for getting open, even in double coverage, finding just enough room for Eli Manning to hit him. That’s huge, and not just because of Nicks’ health. With Nicks and Victor Cruz the Giants already have a terrific 1-2 punch at receiver. If Randle can emerge they suddenly have a very dangerous Big 3.
Randle only had 32 targets last season, but he turned that usage into 19 catches for 298 yards and three TDs to post the #6 FP/T among all receivers with at least 30 targets. With Domenik Hixon gone, Randle has a stranglehold on the Giants' WR3 job, and he may move up a notch depending on Nicks's shaky knees. Randle drew praise from OC Kevin Gilbride for his play in minicamp, so he has nice upside considering his late-round ADP.
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