Amani Toomer

Toomer was off to a good start last season before tearing his ACL in early November. At this point in his career, the 32-year wideout is strictly a possession threat with enough size to make plays in the red zone. But with Plaxico Burress the clear No. 1 receiver on the team and tight end Jeremy Shockey Eli Manning's No. 2 option, Toomer's upside, even if healthy was limited. Add in a healthy Sinorice Moss and second-round draft pick Steve Smith, and Toomer's role is likely to shrink. Toomer's on track to be ready at some point during training camp, but it wouldn't surprise us if he returns at less than full speed.

Toomer will be the Giants' No. 2 receiver this season, providing a reliable possession target with good size and average speed. While Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey are likely to get most of the red-zone looks, Toomer was productive near the goal line last season, making some difficult catches near the sidelines. As long as Burress is healthy, there's not a ton of upside here, but in a deep three-WR league you could do worse than rostering Toomer.

With the arrival of Plaxico Burress, the 6-3, 208-pound Toomer becomes the Giants “smaller” receiver who will work the middle of the field and keep the chains moving. Toomer isn’t particularly fast, but he’s got good hands and he can make catches over smaller defensive backs. Don’t expect him to score a lot of touchdowns as Toomer has been absolutely awful in the red zone the last two seasons, converting just one of his 28 targets into a score. Moreover, Jeremy Shockey and Burress are both bigger and more reliable targets from in close, so Toomer more likely will do his damage between the 20s. With Eli Manning likely to improve in his second season and Burress, Shockey and Tiki Barber to occupy defenses, Toomer could be an effective possession option as he should have plenty of space to maneuver.

There’s too much risk given Eli Manning’s inexperience to spend more than a mid-round pick on Toomer. His upside in coach Tom Coughlin’s offense is the Jimmy Smith of old, and Smith always disappointed in the TD department. However, if Kurt Warner is the starter to open the season, you can reasonably project a few more TDs from Toomer, which bumps him up one tier.

While Toomer’s season numbers are impressive enough (82 catches, 1,343 yards, eight touchdowns), his best work came in the second half of the year. Including a three-touchdown performance against the 49ers in the playoffs, Toomer scored 10 times in his last eight games, a dominant run that should have attracted loads of fanfare, but it really didn’t. Part of it probably had to do with how the Giants lost to the 49ers, and part of it probably had to do with the traveling circus that is teammate Jeremy Shockey, but still, Toomer hasn’t gotten his due. It’s criminal that Marty Booker, a fine player but no superstar, was voted to a Pro Bowl spot over Toomer. Truth be told, we’re fine with Toomer remaining a well-kept secret, if we can take that secret to the draft table. Toomer looks like a safe bet for 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns, with a modest chance to do better than that.