NFL.com Names Surprising Choice as NY Giants' 2025 Underrated Impact Player

"Collins might have a paltry stat line (one catch, though it went for 80 yards), but the 6-3, 206-pounder's spectacular play throughout offseason workouts and training camp has suggested he could develop into a key contributor down the road."

"As a big-bodied pass catcher with natural playmaking ability, the ex-Clemson and Notre Dame standout possesses the size and strength to carve out a spot as a special teams player until he earns a role as a WR3/WR4."

Collins was one of six wide receivers selected to fill the position group at the end of the summer in a decision that was ranked among the biggest surprises of roster cutdown day by Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll.

We figured earlier in the offseason that the Giants would likely hang onto seven players in the receiving corps for the sake of having quality depth, which was lacking during the 2024 season, but that wasn't the case as they cast a couple notable names to the practice squad or the open waiver wire.

The Giants could have gone with other pass catchers who were much more productive in the team's three preseason matchups but seemed to latch onto Collins for his favorable set of traits that flashed more within the walls of Quest Diagnostics Training Center than they did during the exhibition contests, where he only touched the ball once on that classic Wilson moonball that nearly went the distance.

Given his physical frame and contested catch ability, it's puzzling that the Giants kept Collins on the roster, focusing him solely on special teams from the start.

He has the acumen to serve well as a gunner on both coverage units, but much remains to be seen from the Giants' receivers beyond Malik Nabers' outstanding, record-shattering debut.

The team will be looking for bounce-back campaigns from veterans Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson, who ranked second and third on the leaderboard yet were only responsible for 1,272 yards and five touchdowns combined.

A lot of uncertainty remains with Jalin Hyatt as well, who managed four catches for 59 yards and one touchdown in the preseason and is still yearning for an identity within the offensive system.

All of this means there truly isn't a pecking order in terms of opportunities to get onto the field and make big plays happen with the ball in Collins' hands.

The undrafted rookie should expect to see some reps sprinkled into their aerial attack early on as the Giants seek to find out who will be the main ballhawks they can trust beyond the proven gloves of Nabers.

If Collins can take advantage of that, building upon his eye-popping plays from camp and showing that the one big haul he connected with Wilson in the preseason wasn't just a flash in the pan, he could become a more serious threat this season and establish himself as a higher-up man on the depth chart as Brooks envisions in his analysis.

The Giants have a history of turning former overlooked prospects into special competitors that alter the course of the organization for the long term, and it'll be an intriguing storyline to watch whether Collins can be the latest candidate to fulfill the prophecy being handed down to him.

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