Rob Wheelwright Signs with New York Giants

Former Wisconsin Badger WR Rob Wheelwright signs as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants

ex-Wisconsin Badger WR Rob Wheelwright will have his work cut out for him to find a place on a crowded WR depth chart of the New York Giants.  Wheelwright was not selected in the 2017 NFL Draft but signed as an UFA with the Giants.

Wheelwright finished as the third leading WR on the Badger roster during the 2016 season with 34 catches, 448 yards, and one TD.  He was a distant second in receiving for Wisconsin in 2015 (behind Alex Erickson) with 32 catches, 416 yards, and four TDs.

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The NYG have invested a lot in its WR group making it a tough place to get many bites of the apple.  This year, the NYG drafted TE (but really WR) Evan Engram in the first round and signed Brandon Marshall in free agency.  In 2016, the GMen spent a 2nd round pick on slot WR Sterling Shepard and drafted TE Jerrell Adams in the 6th round.

Of course, the NYG are led by Odell Beckham who finished 3rd in receptions, yards, and 2nd in targets during the 2016 season.  Over the last three seasons, the Giants have finished 8th, 6th, and 9th in pass attempts.  The NYG have eight WR on its roster and only two reach some form of free agency by 2018 while Marshall and Beckham hit free agency in 2019 (no chance the Giants let Beckham walk).

Wheelwright does a decent Beckham impression on occasion.

Wheelwright has good size and his athletic profile from the UW Pro Day was impressive.  He wasn’t at the NFL Combine, but his 3-cone (6.68) would have tied for seventh among all participants and his 60-Yard shuttle (11.14) would have tied for third.  His 38″ vertical jump would have tied for 14th.

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Wheelwright clearly has the size and athletic traits to compete at the NFL level.  But the NYG are not a great destination for an UFA.  They have enough mouths to feed as is without depending on an UFA to emerge.  Hopefully Wheelwright can make a few plays in preseason action to make personnel decisions more difficult for the Giants.  That, or just become bffs with Davis Webb, the QB the NYG drafted in the 3rd round as the heir apparent to Eli Manning.  But truly, if Wheelwright can make it there, he can make it anywhere.