The New York Giants have a glaring lack of reliable and productive wide receivers, and barring a surprising signing of free agent DeAndre Hopkins, they need a number of players to step up this fall.
One of them is Sterling Shepard, who tore his ACL in Week 3 of last season.
He says he is “right on schedule” with his rehab and that he’s aiming to be ready for the start of the 2023 season, per Jordan Raanan.
https://twitter.com/JordanRaanan/status/1668666597605617700
Shepard’s torn ACL is the second major injury he has suffered recently, as he tore his Achilles in Week 15 of the 2021 campaign.
The Giants have certainly missed him while he has been recuperating from both injuries.
In 2020, his last relatively healthy season, Shepard had 656 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games, and two years prior to that he put up 872 yards and four touchdowns.
In 2022, New York’s most productive receiver was Darius Slayton, who registered 724 yards and two touchdowns.
They’re hoping the acquisition of tight end Darren Waller, a former Pro Bowler, will help at least somewhat with their passing game woes.
The need for productive receivers is even more pronounced when one considers the fact that quarterback Daniel Jones still has to improve as a passer and that such players would greatly help with his development.
The Giants surprised many people last season by winning six of their first seven games, then upsetting the 13-4 Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
A healthy and spry Shepard is absolutely imperative to their chances of building on that success.
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