Jamison Crowder needs a strong return from injury

The wide receiver position was a major liability for the New York Giants last season. Even after some additions in free agency and the draft, there will be a hodgepodge of veterans and younger players battling for roster spots throughout training camp.

Jamison Crowder is currently the most experienced receiver on the Giants, though it’s been a while since he’s made it through a full season without injury. But his last healthy year, in 2019, was arguably a better season than that of any wideout on New York’s roster. The next few months should give us a better sense of if Crowder is still a legitimate option for the Giants, or if he’s past his prime.

By the numbers

Height: 5-foot-8
Weight: 185 lbs
Age: 29
Position: Wide receiver
Experience: Nine years
Contract: One-year, $1.317 million | 2023 cap hit: $1.037 million

Career to date

Crowder has been a reliable, if never spectacular, receiver throughout his career. He spent four years with Washington after being selected in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. His best season came in 2016, when he set career highs in yards (847) and touchdowns (7).

Crowder was productive in his first season with the New York Jets in 2019, eclipsing 800 yards for the second time in his career. But that was the last time he played a full season. Starting in September 2020, he’s dealt with a string of leg injuries: hamstring strains, calf strains and, most recently, an ankle fracture that saw him carted off the field early last year, his first with the Buffalo Bills. That was the last time he saw the field, though he returned to practice in January.

He was also a strong punt returner early in his career, and returned nine punts in the four games he played with the Bills last year.

A Duke alum, Crowder has spent multiple offseasons working out with Daniel Jones, though their college careers did not overlap.

The Giants signed him to a one-year deal in March.

2023 outlook

It’s been a little while now since Crowder has seen the field, and we’ll have a better idea of what the Giants have in him once training camp begins. But as of now, Crowder’s age and injury history could exclude him from the 53-man roster.

The Giants opened last season with seven wide receivers on their roster. The number of available spots this year will depend on if Wan’Dale Robinson and Sterling Shepard are ready once Week 1 hits. Besides those two, there are four other wide receivers who are considered “locks” to make the roster. Crowder will be sitting right on the bubble.

Crowder is also in the mix as a potential punt returner.

He’ll likely compete with Jeff Smith, who offers the same special teams upside and is also coming off a season-ending leg injury, and others for one of the final wide receiver roster spots. Smith and Crowder also signed nearly identical one-year deals.

The Giants are also lacking physical size at the wide receiver position, and Crowder’s 5-foot-8 frame doesn’t help matters.