Giants’ WR Travis Rudolph facing lots of competition for roster spot

The New York Giants have several players competing for the final two or three wide receiver roster spots. One of those is Travis Rudolph, the easy-to-for player who had a spectacular 2017 preseason.

Can Rudolph earn a roster spot this time around? Let’s look at that question as we continue our player-by-player profiles of the Giants’ 90-man roster.

The basics

Height: 6-feet
Weight: 190
Position: Wide receiver
Experience: 1

2017 season in review

Rudolph captured the imaginations of Giants fans looking for the next Victor Cruz by having an excellent preseason. He caught a team-leading 9 passes for 157 yards (17.4 yards per catch), returned 3 punts for 2.7 yards per attempt and 3 kickoffs for 22.0 yards per return. He did not have that kind of regular-season impact. He began the season on the practice squad, was promoted when injuries decimated the wide receiver spot, played in seven games and caught just 8 passes for 101 yards (12.6 yards per catch) in 21 targets.

2018 outlook

Rudolph is in the mix with guys like Hunter Sharp, Kalif Raymond, Russell Shepard, Roger Lewis Jr., Marquis Bundy and Amba Etta-Tawo competing for spots as a reserve.

Reprising his 2017 preseason success would help, but whether or not he can do that is anyone’s guess. Rudolph does not possess elite athleticism for the receiver position, so he has to make up for that deficiency with route-running, reliability and special teams work.

Rudolph is an easy guy to root for, but probably has an uphill climb to earn anything more than a practice squad spot.