Giants’ David Sills still trying to prove he belongs

It seems like David Sills has been hanging around with the New York Giants forever. The wide receiver has, in fact, been a Giant since 2019 — which means he is now on his third Giants head coach.

Sills, a superstar high school quarterback turned wide receiver due to an unfortunate hand injury, is an easy player to root for and has become a fan favorite. Still, in all the time he has been a Giant the four games he appeared in last season were the only ones he has played in.

Can Sills be more than a “just in case” practice squad body? Let’s talk about the 26-year-old as we continue our player-by-player profiles of the Giants’ 90-man roster.

By the numbers

Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 211
Age: 26
Position: Wide receiver
Experience: 3
Contract: One-year, $825,000 | 2022 cap hit: $825,000

Career to date

After a good college career at West Virginia, Sills signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent. The Giants added him to their practice squad after Buffalo let him go in final cuts to the 53-man roster.

Sills has been a Giant ever since.

Sills did get promoted to the 53-man roster late in the 2019 season, but did not appear in a game. After an impressive 2020 training camp, Sills spent the year on injured reserve with a fractured foot.

Sills made the Giants’ practice again last season, and ended up appearing in four games — starting one — as injuries ravaged the position. He played 98 snaps on offense with two receptions for 17 yards on six targets. He had one drop. Sills also played 23 special teams snaps.

2022 outlook

Pretty much the same as it always seems to be for Sills. He is hanging around the periphery of the roster. He might make the 53-man roster depending on his performance, injuries and what the Giants want from their depth players. He might — again — land on the practice squad. He might need to find a new employer.

Sills does have some advantages.

He is a comfortable target for Daniel Jones, having trailed the quarterback around the country the past couple of offseasons to work out.

Both GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll were in Buffalo when the Bills brought him in as an undrafted free agent. So, there was something they liked. Of course, Schoen and Daboll were also part of the organization that cut him.

Sills is part of a group that includes Darius Slayton, Richie James, C.J. Board, Collin Johnson and Robert — all of whom have more impressive NFL resumes — competing for the final couple of wide receiver roster spots.

Sills has some disadvantages.

Those resumes I mentioned is one.

The fact that Schoen and Daboll did not bring him to the Giants. They did bring in James, Foster, Keelan Doss and Austin Proehl, along with drafting Wan’Dale Robinson. That means they have more personal investment in those players.

Special teams. While he did play 23 special teams snaps last season, the Giants really struggled to find a useful special teams role for him. That, likely, is one of the reasons he did not make the initial 53-man roster a year ago.