The Emergence of Isaiah Hodgins
Photo by Stephen Maturen / Getty Images
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (PSF) - Before being claimed by the Giants in November and catching the eyes of many around the league with his play, not many people knew about Isaiah Hodgins. This past weekend, Hodgins was instrumental in helping to lead the New York Giants to their playoff upset win over the Minnesota Vikings. Hodgins led the Giants with eight receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown, some very impressive stats for the third-year receiver’s playoff debut. This was Hodgins’ best career game to date, all while battling through an injured ankle to just be able to play versus the Vikings.
But how has the young receiver gotten to this point? Hodgins went to Oregon State and was selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. This was the same draft class in which the Bills also selected Central Florida wide receiver Gabe Davis in the fourth round. Davis is now one of Josh Allen’s top targets for the Bills, but after that draft, many in and around the Bills organization were enamored by Hodgins even more so than Davis and thought he had the tools to become a great receiver. The two were similar in being tall receivers with the ability to go up and catch balls in addition to being a deep threat with their speed and route running.
So what happened to Hodgins in his first two and a half years in the league? As a member of the Buffalo Bills, Hodgins struggled with injuries which hurt his development in adapting to the NFL level. He remained on the Bills practice squad and injured reserve for almost all of his first two seasons. This year he started on the Buffalo Bills practice squad, even though some Bills fans wanted and believed Hodgins should get a spot on the roster. But for Buffalo, the receiving room was deep and they opted to instead give veteran Jake Kumerow the final roster spot at receiver. Kumerow doesn’t play much at receiver and has battled injuries this year, but he’s a terrific special teams player for the Bills. Hodgins was one of the first players to miss out on an initial roster spot.
Hodgins finally got his opportunity with the Bills when they signed him to the active roster and played him in Week 5 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hodgins got to see snaps due to several injuries to Bills receivers, and he caught 4 passes for 41 yards in that game. But just a few weeks later, the Bills got healthier and decided to waive Hodgins in hope of getting him back to their practice squad. However, when a player gets waived like this in an attempt to get them back on the practice squad, other NFL teams have an opportunity to sign them as long as they’re activated directly to that team’s active roster. The New York Giants, led by Head Coach and former Bills Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll as well as General Manager and former Assistant General Manager of the Bills Joe Schoen, decided that the player and person they knew from their time in Buffalo would be a much needed addition to their receiving core.
Hodgins catches a pass for the Bills against the Steelers earlier in the season. (Photo by Shawn Dowd / USA TODAY NETWORK)
Hodgins was actually in the Buffalo Bills training facility ready to sign back to the practice squad when he got a call from the Giants. The Bills always liked Hodgins and his potential as a player and that’s why they kept him within the organization for his first three years, but they had more confidence in the receivers ahead of him on the depth chart, and moves had to be made in the best interest of the team. Hodgins got an opportunity for a larger role with the New York Giants, and he has certainly taken advantage of it. Since being claimed by the Giants, he has 41 catches for 456 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Did the Bills make a mistake by not securing Hodgins for the future? Time will tell, but in his short time of just nine games with the Giants this season, the young receiver looks to have a bright future. Hodgins has proven to be one of if not the most consistent and reliable option for the team at receiver. He has promising potential with plenty of room to improve, so he just might develop into another top receiver in the NFL. He will continue to be a player to watch and to see how he can further improve his game. Hodgins will look to continue his impressive play in the playoffs, as the Giants take on the Eagles in the Divisional Round on Saturday at 8:15 PM.
