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The New York Giants have several young, unheralded wide receivers competing for spots at the end of the roster. One who did not receive much attention during the spring is former Minnesota Golden Gopher K.J. Maye. Let's take a closer look at Maye as we continue our series of player-by-player profiles of the 90-man roster.
2015 Season in Review
Maye emerged as an outstanding underneath receiver in 2015, catching 73 passes for 773 yards (10.6 per catch) and five touchdowns.
2016 Season Outlook
NFL.com compared Maye to Cole Beasley of the Dallas Cowboys:
Maye might be short, but he's not small. With a compact build and above average play strength for his size, he isnt easily pushed around within his routes or before the catch. Maye has two traits that teams like in slot corners -- an ability to uncover quickly and a hyper-competitive demeanor. While his production only spanned a single season, Maye looks the part of an NFL slot who could see action sooner rather than later.
In his 2016 NFL Draft Guide, Dane Brugler of CBS Sports had this to say:
A high school quarterback, he didn't play the wide receiver position until college, but developed savvy as an underneath route runner and reliable catch-and-go target. Although he doesn't look like much and has a minimal catch radius, Maye is highly competitive with the body control and toughness needed for the slot - projects as a quicker-than-fast slot target who has the make-up for special teams.
The problem for the 5-foot-8, 194-pound Maye is that the Giants look stacked when it comes to slot receivers. Impressive second-round pick Sterling Shepard can play outside, but may be best-suited to the slot role. Victor Cruz is on the comeback trail. Dwayne Harris can play both the slot and outside spots. Some guy named Odell Beckham Jr. slides into the slot on occasion. Myles White can also play the slot.
The undrafted wide receivers with the best chance to stick appear to be the bigger targets, guys like Roger Lewis, Darius Powe and maybe Anthony Dable. Perhaps Maye can do enough to earn a spot on the practice squad, but it might take an unfortunate string of events for him to find his way to the 53-man roster.