New York Giants: Josh Doctson an intriguing option

After losing Rueben Randle to the rival Eagles, the New York Giants have a glaring hole at wide receiver opposite of Odell Beckham Jr. Would TCU’s Josh Doctson be a good fit for the Giants?

The New York Giants entered 2015 with the hope that the trio of Odell Beckham Jr., Rueben Randle and Victor Cruz would light the league on fire.

It didn’t pan out the way the team envisioned, as Cruz missed the entire season and Randle once again under-performed.

Randle went the Steve Smith route by signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, which now leaves the Giants very weak at the wide receiver position. As much as Giants fans may hate to admit it, losing Randle hurts the team.

OBJ is phenomenal, and arguably the best receiver in the NFC. But he can’t do it all, and the Giants simply can’t rely on the health of Cruz.

Dwayne Harris showed flashes last year, but he’s much better suited as fourth, or third at most, receiver.

Most of the top wide receivers in free agency have been signed, leaving the Giants in a pickle. The team could theoretically sign veterans Marques Colston or Anquan Boldin, but at the time of this article, New York has expressed no interest.

With the No. 10 pick in the draft, some analysts have mocked a wide receiver to the Giants. Laquon Treadwell and Corey Coleman have both been linked to the G-Men by major outlets, including Jared Dubin of CBS Sports and Cris Collinsworth. However, this journalist has been one of the only people to consider TCU’s Josh Doctson.

I’ll say it right off the bat: I think Doctson is the receiver with the highest upside in this draft. Doctson, while flying a bit under the radar, may turn out to be an absolute steal, and taking him would make a lot of sense for the Giants.

The TCU standout established himself as one of the nation’s top receivers last year, and he would give the Giants the second receiver they desperately need.

He has smooth, crisp route-running abilities, although he isn’t going to burst in-and-out of his cuts. He excels at running deep routes, hitting defensive backs with subtle shiftiness which helps him create separation down the field.

The former TCU Horned Frog has elite hands, as well, and I don’t think it’s crazy at all to suggest Doctson has the best hands in this WR class.

Sep 12, 2015; Fort Worth, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Josh Doctson (9) and Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks defensive back Demundre Freeman (26) in game action during the game at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

Doctson is a bigger receiver at 6-2, and he’s good after the catch. Despite his sub-200 lb. frame, he doesn’t shy away from contact, either. He has the ability to bounce of would-be tacklers en route to extra yards.

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What I believe separates Doctson from the other receivers in this class is his catch radius. His ability to track the ball in the air and high point it is exceptional, and it’s by far his best trait. Doctson has a sublime ability to adjust his body mid-air, helping him locate the ball and make a play.

His leaping ability and natural athleticism helps contribute to his ability to win jump-balls. The Giants offense is known for incorporating the fade route near the goal line, and having Doctson line up opposite OBJ would be dangerous.

So Doctson may not be a premiere No. 1 receiver in the NFL. But guess what? The Giants don’t need one of those, because they’ve already got Beckham. Drafting Doctson would give the Giants the perfect complement to Beckham.

Part of me wants to say Doctson reminds me of the since-departed Randle, but Doctson is so much more consistent and has much better hands. They have similar frames and skill sets, though. I guess the best comparison for Doctson would be a best-case-scenario version of Randle. Whatever that means.

There’s two scenarios I can envision happening in which Doctson lands with the Giants: A) The Giants take Doctson at No. 10, much to the chagrin of Giants fans who are unaware of Doctson’s talents. B) The Giants either take a defensive player or Ezekiel Elliott with their first-round pick. But with Doctson still hovering around in the mid-20s, the team trades back into the first to nab Doctson, a la Minnesota with Teddy Bridgewater. This scenario is a bit far-fetched as the Giants don’t typically trade back into the first round. But hey, they traded up to the 33rd pick in last year’s draft, and Doctson is an incredibly talented player.

Eli Manning is a quarterback who is fearless and has faith in his receivers. He gives his playmakers a chance to well, make a ply. So he would surely love to have another receiver capable of winning jump-ball situations.

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Adding Doctson would give the Giants insurance in case Cruz can’t recover fully from his injury. Worst-case scenario, the G-Men would run with OBJ and Doctson as the lead receivers, with Dwayne Harris in the slot. It’s basically the same situation as last year, except Doctson will be a big upgrade over Randle.

Although at the moment, Josh Doctson remains very much an under-the-radar target for the Giants, don’t be shocked if you begin to hear his name be associated more with Big Blue as the draft approaches.

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