The new league year is right around the corner.
The NFL calendar officially flips to 2021 on March 17, when all 2020 player contracts expire and thus free agency begins. The league has finally set the salary cap at $182.5 million, down from $198.2 million in 2020 as the league deals with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the placement of the franchise tag on Leonard Williams, the Giants now have 15 players set to become free agents next week.
In anticipation of what has already been a wild offseason for player movement, NFL.com ranked the top 101 free agents of 2021. A few players' names have been crossed off the list, as several free agents have already agreed to deals with new teams. However, other big names remain.
While we wait to see what the team does, Giants.com broke down the roster as it currently stands in the "2021 Free Agency Position Preview" series. Here you will find the Giants' current depth, the team's pending free agents, and the top players available from across the league at each position with analysis from NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal.
The other free agency previews can be found here: edge rushers, defensive tackles and linebackers, quarterbacks and running backs, defensive backs and offensive linemen.
Now let's check out the offensive playmakers.
Wide Receivers
Current depth: Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Dante Pettis, Austin Mack, David Sills V, Alex Bachman (reserve/future deal), Derrick Dillon (reserve/future deal)
Pending free agents: C.J. Board (Restricted FA)
The wide receiver corps will look a little different in 2021 after the Giants released veteran Golden Tate, who caught 84 passes for 1,064 yards (12.7-yard avg.) and eight touchdowns in two seasons with Big Blue. Sterling Shepard, meanwhile, will return as the longest-tenured Giant after being selected in the second round of the 2016 draft. He signed a contract extension prior to the 2019 season. Darius Slayton was drafted in the fifth round in 2019 and is now entering his third season with the Giants. Dante Pettis was claimed off waivers in November and played in the final two games for the Giants.
Austin Mack, who was brought on as an undrafted free agent last year, played in 11 games as a rookie. David Sills missed all of last season with a fractured foot, but he was re-signed this offseason. Alex Bachman and Derrick Dillon were both signed to reserve/future deals at the completion of the 2020 season after spending most of the year on the practice squad. C.J. Board, who was claimed off waivers at the end of training camp last year and played in 14 games for the Giants, is set to become a restricted free agent. Cody Core was released prior to the start of free agency after missing all of 2020 with a torn Achilles.
View NFL.com's updated rankings of the top 101 free agents of 2021 ahead of the new league year, which begins March 17.
No. 101 QB Mitchell Trubisky
No. 100 EDGE Everson Griffen
No. 99 DT Al-Quadin Muhammad
No. 98 CB Chidobe Awuzie (Update: The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly agreed to a deal with Awuzie.)
No. 97 EDGE Kerry Hyder
No. 96 WR Breshad Perriman
No. 95 RB James White
No. 94 DT Kawann Short
No. 93 RB James Conner
No. 92 S Kareem Jackson
No. 91 TE Dan Arnold
No. 90 DT Lawrence Guy
No. 89 WR Emmanuel Sanders
No. 88 CB Troy Hill
No. 87 S Malik Hooker
No. 86 EDGE Takkarist McKinley (The Cleveland Browns have reportedly agreed to a deal with McKinley.)
No. 85 G Kyle Long
No. 84 CB Casey Hayward Jr.
No. 83 CB Quinton Dunbar
No. 82 NT Tyson Alualu Update: The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to a deal with Alualu.)
No. 81 DE Derek Wolfe (Update: The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a three-year deal with Wolfe.)
No. 80 OT Kelvin Beachum (Update: The Arizona Cardinals have agreed to a two-year deal with Beachum).
No. 79 RB Marlon Mack
No. 78 CB Bashaud Breeland
No. 77 QB Tyrod Taylor
No. 76 EDGE Aldon Smith
No. 75 DB Desmond King II
No. 74 OT Alejandro Villanueva
No. 73 RB Duke Johnson
No. 72 TE Gerald Everett
No. 71 OT Riley Reiff
No. 70 S Keanu Neal
No. 69 DT Sheldon Rankins
No. 68 WR Cordarrelle Patterson
No. 67 C Austin Reiter
No. 66 S Xavier Woods
No. 65 LB Kyle Van Noy
No. 64 DT Ndamukong Suh
No. 63 DT Larry Ogunjobi
No. 62 CB Patrick Peterson
No. 61 RB Kenyan Drake
No. 60 CB K'Waun Williams
No. 59 S Jaquiski Tartt
No. 58 NT DaQuan Jones
No. 57 CB Janoris Jenkins
No. 56 WR Antonio Brown
No. 55 QB Jacoby Brissett
No. 54 CB Michael Davis (Update: The Los Angeles Chargers have agreed to a multi-year deal with Davis.)
No. 53 CB Xavier Rhodes
No. 52 WR Sammy Watkins
No. 51 CB Richard Sherman
No. 50 DE Denico Autry
No. 49 WR Marvin Jones (Update: The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to a deal with Jones.)
No. 48 WR John Brown
No. 47 CB Malcolm Butler
No. 46 WR Nelson Agholor (Update: The New England Patriots have reportedly agreed to a deal with Agholor.)
No. 45 TE Rob Gronkowski
No. 44 LB K.J. Wright
No. 43 OT Eric Fisher
No. 42 RB Chris Carson
No. 41 EDGE Melvin Ingram
No. 40 CB Mike Hilton (Update: The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly agreed to a deal with Hilton.)
No. 39 S Anthony Harris
No. 38 C David Andrews
No. 37 QB Andy Dalton
No. 36 CB Adoree' Jackson
No. 35 EDGE Carlos Dunlap
No. 34 WR T.Y. Hilton
No. 33 CB Ronald Darby (Update: The Denver Broncos have reportedly agreed to a deal with Darby.)
No. 32 CB Jason Verrett
No. 31 LB Jayon Brown
No. 30 EDGE Haason Reddick
No. 29 EDGE Justin Houston
No. 28 C Rodney Hudson
No. 27 DE Shelby Harris (Update: The Denver Broncos have agreed to a three-year deal with Harris.)
No. 26 OT Mitchell Schwartz
No. 25 CB William Jackson (Update: The Washington Football Team has agreed to terms with Jackson.)
No. 24 EDGE Leonard Floyd (Update: The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to a four-year deal with Floyd.)
No. 23 S John Johnson (Update: The Cleveland Browns have reportedly agreed to a deal with Johnson.)
No. 22 DL Dalvin Tomlinson (The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to a deal with Tomlinson.)
No. 21 WR Corey Davis (Update: The New York Jets have reportedly agreed to a deal with Davis.)
No. 20 EDGE Romeo Okwara (Update: The Detroit Lions have signed Okwara to a multi-year deal.)
No. 19 QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (Update: The Washington Football Team have reportedly agreed to a deal with Fitzpatrick.)
No. 18 CB Shaquill Griffin (Update: The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to a deal with Griffin.)
No. 17 TE Hunter Henry (Update: The New England Patriots have reportedly agreed to a deal with Henry.)
No. 16 TE Jonnu Smith (Update: The New England Patriots have reportedly agreed to a deal with Smith.)
No. 15 WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
No. 14 WR Curtis Samuel
No. 13 QB Jameis Winston (Update: The New Orleans Saints have agreed to a one-year contract with Winston.)
No. 12 WR Will Fuller
No. 11 EDGE Yannick Ngakoue
No. 10 C Corey Linsley
No. 9 EDGE Matt Judon (Update: The New England Patriots have reportedly agreed to a deal with Judon.)
No. 8 G Joe Thuney
No. 7 EDGE Jadeveon Clowney
No. 6 WR Kenny Golladay
No. 5 EDGE Carl Lawson (Update: The New York Jets have reportedly agreed to a deal with Lawson.)
No. 4 EDGE Trey Hendrickson (Update: The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly agreed to a deal with Hendrickson.)
No. 3 EDGE Bud Dupree
No. 2 EDGE Shaquil Barrett (Update: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed Barrett to a multi-year deal.)
No. 1 OT Trent Williams
Top wide receivers available according to NFL.com (comments from NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal):
Kenny Golladay (No. 6), Detroit Lions: "An injury-marred 2020 season won't erase memories of Golladay skying over defenders and winning 1-on-1 matches on the outside, a difficult skill set to find."
Will Fuller (No. 12), Houston Texans: "Finally healthy and on his way to a monster season, Fuller's 2020 campaign was cut short by a PED suspension that will also sideline him for Week 1 of next season. The NFL equivalent of a plus-minus NBA standout, Fuller's speedy presence on the field has proven to make everyone around him better."
Curtis Samuel (No. 14), Carolina Panthers: "It took Panthers coach Matt Rhule to show Samuel's full value, helping him to top 1,000 yards from scrimmage with a mix of route trees and surprisingly potent inside runs. He's a perfect weapon for today's wide-open offenses."
JuJu Smith-Schuster (No. 15), Pittsburgh Steelers: "He's known for his social media, yet JuJu's game is decidedly old school. A perfect No. 2 receiver who can do all the dirty work with incredible toughness over the middle."
Corey Davis (No. 21), Tennessee Titans: "Consider it a red flag the Titans thought so little of Davis a year ago that they didn't exercise his fifth-year option. After he recorded 984 yards in 14 games, they may regret that decision like they regret letting Jack Conklin walk a year ago."
T.Y. Hilton (No. 33), Indianapolis Colts: "Smaller receivers don't always age well, but Hilton's tape last year was a lot more impressive than his final numbers."
Nelson Agholor (No. 44), Las Vegas Raiders: "It's hilarious to think of Agholor's five seasons in Philadelphia, where he was used as a chain-moving slot receiver. He doubled his yards per catch in Las Vegas (18.7 in 2020; 9.3 in 2019) and probably doubled his salary."
John Brown (No. 46), Buffalo Bills: "Brown missed most of two of the last four seasons, which is why the Bills didn't keep him. He is a rare vertical difference-maker, however, every time he steps on the field."
Marvin Jones (No. 47), Detroit Lions: "Still flush with mid-air ball skills, Jones pulled off one of the toughest feats in the NFL: He made it to the very end of a five-year free agent contract! (And his 978-yard 2020 campaign could earn him one more nice payday.)"
Sammy Watkins (No. 50), Kansas City Chiefs: "Playoff heroics aside, Watkins hasn't topped 700 yards in a season since 2015. In related news, he has missed at least six games three of the last five years."
Antonio Brown (No. 54), Tampa Bay Buccaneers: "A.B. was more productive than you might remember (483 yards in eight regular-season games), but still wasn't the old Antonio Brown. The risk-reward ratio now looks out of whack unless your team employs Tom Brady at quarterback."
Cordarrelle Patterson (No. 66), Chicago Bears: "Patterson is ranked this high because he's one of the best special teams players in NFL history, not because of his efficiency as an offensive weapon (no matter how hard coaches still try)."
Emmanuel Sanders (No. 87), New Orleans Saints: "It's not a great sign that the Saints cut Sanders after one up-and-down season, but he should still be able to help a team out as a savvy No. 3 wideout."
Breshad Perriman (No. 93), New York Jets: "If you need cheap, capable speed on the outside, Perriman is your guy."
View the current depth on the roster at the wide receiver position.
Sterling Shepard
Darius Slayton
Dante Pettis
Austin Mack
David Sills V
Alex Bachman
Derrick Dillon
Sterling Shepard (87)
Sterling Shepard (87)
New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87) catches the touchdown pass with Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay (24) defending during the NFL football game, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87) catches a pass while defended by Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Avonte Maddox (29) during an NFL game, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, in East Rutherford, NJ. The Giants defeated the Eagles 27-17. (Al Tielemans via AP)
Sterling Shepard (87)
Sterling Shepard (87)
New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87) in action during the NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
New York Giants' Sterling Shepard, right, makes a catch during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87) during a week 17 regular season football game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on January 3, 2021 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Darius Slayton (86)
Darius Slayton (86)
Darius Slayton (86)
Darius Slayton (86)
Darius Slayton (86)
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (86) makes a catch during a week 15 regular season football game against the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium on December 20th, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Darius Slayton (86)
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (86) during a week 14 regular season football game against the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium on December 13th, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - JANUARY 03: The New York Giants take on the Dallas Cowboys at Metlife Stadium on January 3, 2021 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Ben Solomon/New York Giants)
Dante Pettis (13)
Dante Pettis (13)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - JANUARY 03: The New York Giants take on the Dallas Cowboys at Metlife Stadium on January 3, 2021 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Ben Solomon/New York Giants)
Dante Pettis (13)
Austin Mack (81)
Austin Mack (81)
Austin Mack (81)
Austin Mack (81)
Austin Mack (81)
New York Giants wide receiver David Sills V during a training camp practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Friday August 14, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York Giants wide receiver David Sills (84) during a training camp practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Tuesday September 1, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York Giants wide receiver David Sills (84) makes a catch during a training camp practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Sunday August 23, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Alex Bachman (80)
New York Giants wide receiver Alex Bachman (80) during a training camp practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Tuesday August 18, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Alex Bachman (80)
Alex Bachman (80)
New York Giants wide receiver Derrick Dillon (6) during a training camp practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Monday August 31, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York Giants wide receiver Derrick Dillon (6) during a training camp practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Friday August 14, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York Giants wide receiver Derrick Dillon (6) makes a catch during a training camp practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Sunday August 23, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York Giants wide receiver Derrick Dillon (6) during a training camp practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Monday August 31, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Tight Ends
Current depth: Evan Engram, Kaden Smith, Levine Toilolo, Nakia Griffin-Stewart (reserve/future deal), Rysen John (reserve/future deal), Nate Wieting (reserve/future deal)
Pending free agents: None
Evan Engram, who made his first Pro Bowl in 2020, is entering his fifth season with the Giants after being selected with the 23rd overall pick in 2017. He is joined by Kaden Smith, who has played in 24 games with the Giants over the last two seasons. Levine Toilolo signed with the Giants last offseason and played in all 16 games last year. Nakia Griffin-Stewart, Rysen John and Nate Wieting were all signed to reserve/future deals after spending parts of the 2020 season on the practice squad.
Top tight ends available according to NFL.com:
Jonnu Smith (No. 16), Tennessee Titans: "Closer to a poor man's Gronk or Delanie Walker than a Travis Kelce-type, Smith's value goes beyond the box score. He's an incredible red-zone weapon."
Hunter Henry (No. 17), Los Angeles Chargers: "It's OK if Henry doesn't ever develop into Tony Gonzalez. Putting up more than 600 yards annually with a knack for field-stretching plays up the seam is going to make Henry rich."
Rob Gronkowski (No. 43), Tampa Bay Buccaneers: "I wanted to rank Gronk lower before realizing he finished in the top 10 among tight ends in yards (623) and touchdowns (7), all while blocking well and rarely leaving the field. He will live forever."
Gerald Everett (No. 70), Los Angeles Rams: "Sean McVay could never fully unlock Everett, but the tight end has the size and speed to carve out a long NFL career."
Dan Arnold (No. 89), Arizona Cardinals: "Arnold's listed at 220 pounds, helping to explain why he's one of the most purely athletic pass-catching tight ends in football."
Jared Cook (No. 98), New Orleans Saints: "While untimely drops and/or mental mistakes are part of the Jared Cook package, he's still capable of significant production."
View the current depth on the roster at the tight end position.
Evan Engram
Kaden Smith
Levine Toilolo
Rysen John
Nakia Griffin-Stewart
Nate Wieting
Evan Engram (88)
New York Giants tight end Evan Engram (88) during a week 3 regular season football game against the San Francisco 49ers at MetLife Stadium on September 27h, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York Giants tight end Evan Engram (88) during a week 15 regular season football game against the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium on December 20th, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Evan Engram (88)
Evan Engram (88)
New York Giants tight end Evan Engram (88) during a week 14 regular season football game against the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium on December 13th, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Evan Engram (88)
New York Giants tight end Evan Engram (88) makes a catch during a week 8 regular season Monday Night football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium on November 2nd, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York Giants tight end Evan Engram (88) makes a catch for a touchdown during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Washington Football Team, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020, in Landover, Md. (Michael Owens via AP)
New York Giants tight end Kaden Smith (82) during a week 17 regular season football game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on January 3, 2021 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Kaden Smith (82)
Kaden Smith (82)
New York Giants tight end Kaden Smith (82) runs with the ball during an NFL game against the Washington Football Team, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020, in Landover, MD. The Giants defeated Washington 23-20. (Al Tielemans via AP)
Kaden Smith (82)
Kaden Smith (82)
New York Giants tight end Kaden Smith (82) during a week 17 regular season football game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on January 3, 2021 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York Giants tight end Kaden Smith (82) makes a catch during a week 6 regular season football game against the Washington Football Team at MetLife Stadium onOctober 18th, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York Giants tight end Kaden Smith (82) during a NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday Jan. 3, 2021 in East Rutherford, New Jersey (Evan Pinkus via AP)
New York Giants tight end Levine Toilolo (85) during a NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday Dec.13, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey (Evan Pinkus via AP)
Levine Toilolo (85)
New York Giants tight end Levine Toilolo (85) during a training camp scrimmage at Met Life Stadium on Friday August 28, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York Giants tight end Levine Toilolo (85) during a scrimmage at the NFL football team's training camp in East Rutherford, N.J., Friday, Aug. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Giants tight end Levine Toilolo (85) during a NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday Dec.20, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey (Evan Pinkus via AP)
Levine Toilolo (85)
New York Giants tight end Levine Toilolo is pictured during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Seattle. The Giants won 17-12. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
New York Giants tight end Levine Toilolo (85) sets up on the line during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Washington Football Team, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020, in Landover, Md. (Michael Owens via AP)
New York Giants tight end Levine Toilolo is pictured during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Seattle. The Giants won 17-12. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
New York Giants tight end Rysen John (47) during a training camp practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Sunday August 16, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York Giants' Rysen John participates in a practice at the NFL football team's training camp in East Rutherford, N.J., Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Nakia Griffin-Stewart runs a pass route during training camp Monday Aug. 24, 2020, in Eagan, Minn. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
Nakia Griffin-Stewart pulls in a pass during training camp Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Eagan, Minn. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
Nakia Griffin-Stewart catches a pass during practice Friday, Aug. 14, 2020, in Eagan, Minn. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
Nate Wieting runs up field after making a reception during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Northern Illinois, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018, in Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa won 33-7. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Nate Wieting gets pulled down during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Matthew Putney)
