The Giants veered off course to select undersized RB/WR hybrid, Wan’Dale Robinson, with the No. 43 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft by way of trading down twice. The 21-year-old Kentucky product – who transferred from Nebraska one year ago – was the eighth receiver off the board this year.
Robinson’s positives include impressive production at the college level and above average speed. During his one and only season with Kentucky, he burst onto the scene and tallied 104 catches for 1,334 yards and seven touchdowns. Robinson performed well at the NFL Combine and recorded a 4.44-second 40-yard-dash and a 34.5-inch vertical jump.
Robinson’s glaring concern is his size.
The former Wildcat measured just 5-foot-8 and 178 pounds at the combine. His stature will do him no favors against NFL-caliber defenders, which undoubtedly limited his route tree at the college level.
Robinson lined up almost exclusively in the slot, which will likely be the case in the NFL as well. This lack of versatility could hurt his fantasy football production, especially in a crowded receiver room.
Wan'Dale Robinson Fantasy Football Outlook
Landing Spot Grade: C-
I’m not going to mince words here: This is a very peculiar move for the Giants, who are doubling down after reaching for Kadarius Toney in the first round of last year’s draft (different regime, I know), and with the quarterback position iffy at best.
I would agree that the team needs upgrades offensively after finishing second-to-last in both points per game (15.2) and passing yards per game (188). The Giants recently declined Daniel Jones’ fifth-year option, hinting that the franchise is ready to move on from their former first-round signal-caller.
Jones, 24, seems to have declined since his rookie season when he took over Eli Manning’s job. Last year, Jones completed a career-high 64.3% of his passes for 2,428 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 starts. He also rushed 62 times for 298 yards and two touchdowns.
Jones’ struggles ultimately limit the potential of any pass catchers on this depth chart.
Speaking of the depth chart, Robinson joins Toney, Kenny Golladay, Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard in the Giants’ underwhelming wide receiver clown car.
As mentioned previously, the 23-year-old Toney was drafted just one year ago, but failed to produce in his rookie campaign due in large part to injuries. He caught 39 passes for 420 yards and zero touchdowns in 10 games, and had been rumored to be on the trading block (though those rumors have since dissipated since the draft).
Golladay, 28, was a major bust for the G-Men after inking a four-year, $72 million contract during free agency last year. He caught 37-of-76 passes for a team-high 521 yards and zero touchdowns over 14 games. Slayton, 25, and Shepard, 29, have both dealt with injuries as well and combined for just 705 receiving yards last year.
Shepard and Toney both already line up in the slot, which does not leave a lot of room for Robinson’s slot-only skill set.
2022 Fantasy Potential: None
Robinson offers little upside catching passes from Jones in this abysmal – albeit crowded – offense and has a near-zero floor.
Outside of dynasty, I do not see much value in drafting Robinson this season unless Toney is traded.
