In his first season with the New York Giants, wide receiver Golden Tate was among the best when lining up in the slot in 2019.
According to Pro Football Focus, Tate’s grade of 94.5 was the tied for the second best in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks’ Tyler Lockett. Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Chris Godwin earned a higher grade.
Highest-graded WRs when lined up in the slot in 2019:
1. Chris Godwin – 96.5
2. Tyler Lockett – 94.5
2. Golden Tate – 94.5
4. Jamison Crowder – 93.7 pic.twitter.com/it5nMA2a6S— PFF (@PFF) June 27, 2020
Having a good slot receiver like Tate is important in today’s NFL, especially when developing a young quarterback. Having a reliable outlet in the short passing game and over the middle of the field can be a safety blanket and make a signal-caller’s life easier.
The veteran missed five games in 2019, four of which were the result of a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. He also missed the Week 13 contest against the Green Bay Packers due to a concussion.
Tate was still able to produce solid numbers, though. He finished second on the team in receiving yards (676) and touchdowns (six), and third in receptions (49). If you take his 61.5 receiving yards per game, he would have totaled just shy of 1,000 yards (984) in a full 16-game season.
If Tate can stay healthy, combined with more familiarity with Daniel Jones, the veteran should be able to eclipse that mark in 2020.
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