Giants could look to reel in wide receiver with No. 5 pick in the NFL draft

The Giants’ young playmakers on offense have quickly made fans in New York and beyond. Jaxson Dart has been treated like a franchise quarterback following his rookie year. Malik Nabers is already one of the NFL’s top young receivers.

Add running backs Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy and the future is promising. Even prospects at the NFL Combine gave praise while envisioning how they might fit in.

“Those guys are young guys and they’re great players,” receiver Makai Lemon told reporters Friday. “So to be alongside with them, it would be cool.”

Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award last season at USC as college football’s top receiver. The Giants need help at that position and adding another young target could speed up Dart’s development.

Other targets include Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson. Those three are seen as the best of this year’s receiving crop and Tate made it plain what he tells teams in interviews.

“If you want a game-changer, you got one right here,” said Tate, who had 875 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

Whether or not the Giants use the No. 5 pick on a receiver, it’s a key area to address by the draft in April or this offseason. Dart’s 162.3 passing yards per game last season ranked 37th among quarterbacks and fourth behind fellow rookies Cam Ward, Spencer Rattler and Shedeur Sanders.

Much of that came with Nabers sidelined from a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee. Nabers is recovering and general manager Joe Schoen has said he’ll be healthy for training camp but that could change.

In the meantime, Dart’s receiving corps is thin. Wan’Dale Robinson could leave in free agency. Darius Slayton regressed last season with drops. Jalin Hyatt couldn’t be moved at the deadline and is all but out of the team plans.

In short, Dart needs more help. Nabers could regain his form but he can’t be the only trusted threat. Time is a factor with Dart on his rookie contract and John Harbaugh hired as head coach to deliver instant improvements.

Both Lemon and Tate said they met with the Giants at the combine. Tyson isn’t working out due to recovering from a hamstring injury last season.

Tate said he’d have no problem being alongside Nabers since he shared the spotlight at Ohio State with All-American receiver Jeremiah Smith.

“I came from playing with (Smith) so to go out there and play along (Nabers) would be a great opportunity, especially playing in New York,” Tate said. “Big showcase and I’d love to go out there and play in New York.”

Lemon emphasized his toughness, a quality Harbaugh said he covets in his type of players. He’s not the tallest receiver at 5-foot-11 but his fearlessness, and his route running, separate him from his peers.

“Things don’t go right in the road, I ain’t never going to back down, tuck my tail,” Lemon said. “I’m gonna problem solve. I’m gonna get through it.”

Those are attitudes the Giants and Harbaugh could use. The question is deciding which receiver fits the need the team’s next young playmaker alongside Dart and his crew.

By Evan Barnes

evan.barnes@newsday.comevan_b

Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.