New York Giants: John Ross can revive his career in 2021
The New York Giants took a calculated risk on free agent WR John Ross III. Can he revive his career in 2021 with the Giants?
The New York Giants, at least on paper, have maybe the most intriguing group of offensive skill players in the NFL. If this entire offense could stay healthy, they would be incredibly difficult to defend on a week-to-week basis.
Understanding the reality of the NFL, the New York Giants are obviously hedging their bets and making sure they have plenty of depth across the board offensively so that, if injuries do occur, they will have plenty of players to pick up the slack.
The loss of Saquon Barkley last year to injury was a killer for the young Giants offense, especially for quarterback Daniel Jones who was in his second season on the job as a starter.
The Giants are expecting Jones to take another major step forward in year three with the team and the evidence of that expectation is in the moves this team made over the course of the 2021 offseason.
New York Giants: John Ross can revive his career in blue
The New York Giants made some huge moves on offense at the skill positions in 2021. They signed wide receiver Kenny Golladay in free agency as well as tight end Kyle Rudolph and running back Devontae Booker.
Perhaps the most underrated move the New York Giants made?
Signing former first-round receiver John Ross III.
Everyone knows John Ross for his blazing 4.22 in the 40-yard dash at the 2017 Scouting Combine. In addition to his 4.22 (which always translated on the field at Washington), Ross had an outstanding 37-inch vertical jump and 133-inch broad jump. His 40-time and broad jump placed him in the top four percent all-time at the wide receiver position.
Since coming into the NFL as a first-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals, though Ross has not been able to get things going.
Injuries have limited Ross to just over 1,100 snaps and only 59 total touches on offense. His most healthy stretch came from 2018-19 when he played in 21 total games and was targeted 114 times. Ross was only able to reel in 49 of those 114 targets, not quite a 43 percent catch rate.
Still, despite such a low catch rate, Ross scored 10 touchdowns on just 49 catches in that timeframe. That is a pretty ridiculous percentage in itself.
One out of every five receptions a touchdown?
In 2019, Ross averaged over 18 yards per reception. His potential as a big-play threat has always been there and despite his injury history, it hasn’t vaporized as Ross is still just 25 years old.
There may be a lot of mouths to feed in New York with Golladay in the fold, Evan Engram still around, Rudolph being brought in, and then players like Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard obviously still having significant roles in the offense.
This may just be the ideal scenario for Ross to come in and change the narrative on his low catch percentage rate and really be a weapon that exploits single coverage as often as he is physically able to.
Although Ross couldn’t cash in big in a contract year in 2020, he might be able to do so in New York with the Giants in 2021.