Former Vikings WR Picks the Giants
Ex-Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette will remain with the New York Giants, his 2024 employer.
Former Vikings WR Picks the Giants
The 25-year-old Super Bowl Champion (Kansas City Chiefs, 2022) filled a special teams role with the Giants last season, and he’ll hope to take on a sequel in 2025 if he earns a roster spot.
Giants.com’s Dan Salomone wrote last week, “The New York Giants re-signed wide receiver/return specialist Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league began at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 12.”
So, it’s Year No. 2 in The Big Apple for Smith-Marsette.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette’s Role with Giants
With Smith-Marsette, New York will employ these wide receivers in 2025, at least as of March 18th:
- Malik Nabers
- Darius Slayton
- Wan’Dale Robinson
- Jalin Hyatt
- Ihmir Smith-Marsette
- Bryce Ford-Wheaton
- Montrell Washington
The Giants own the third overall pick in April’s draft, which is not expected to be used on a wide receiver and, instead, could be spent on a quarterback like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
Here’s Smith-Marsette’s NFL resume since 2021:
- Minnesota Vikings (2021)
- Chicago Bears (2022)
- Kansas City Chiefs (2022)
- Carolina Panthers (2023)
- New York Giants (2024–present)
Smith-Marsette will compete for a WR4 or WR5 gig in 2025 while hoping to return kicks, his claim to fame.
Salomone added about Smith-Marsette, “Smith-Marsette also accounted for all but one of the Giants’ 30 punt returns in 2024, which he returned for 228 yards (7.9-yard average) with a long of 25 yards. Smith-Marsette grew up in Newark, N.J., and attended Weequahic High School, located just 15 miles from MetLife Stadium.”
Smith-Marsette’s Bio
Back in 2021, fans labeled Smith-Marsette as a possible breakout candidate. He fired up flashes of promise in his rookie season, and many tabbed the young wideout as the club’s presumptive WR4 for 2022.
But that forecast was fan-driven, as Smith-Marsette struggled mightily in his next adventure with the Chicago Bears. His tenure in Chicago lasted about seven weeks in 2022. The Bears said sayonara to the 23-year-old in October after a series of bloopers, as Smith-Marsette encountered drops, penalties, fumbles, and generalized futility with the Bears, so the relationship was short-lived.
Soon after, he signed with the Chiefs and won the Super Bowl for his troubles, although he participated in just 13 plays as a Chief. Kansas City didn’t keep him on the roster beyond 2022, sending him to Carolina via trade.
Minnesota selected Smith-Marsette in the 5th Round of the 2021 NFL Draft, but like much of that draft class, he was chopped by Minnesota’s new leadership regime in 2022. Ninety-one percent of the Vikings 2021 draft class now plays elsewhere or is out of the league.
As a rookie in 2021, Smith-Marsette caught 5 passes for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns. His career seemed to trend upward in Minnesota then but never really took off.
The Giants Offense
New York’s offense ranked 28th per DVOA in 2024, a terrible mark that the franchise will hope to improve with fresh quarterbacking.
The aforementioned Sanders could turn blue in late April, or the Giants could explore later-round passers like Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), Jalen Milroe (Alabama), or Quinn Ewers (Texas).
New York has plenty of draft picks, and a wide receiver after Round 1 could be on the menu to help the new quarterback, whatever his identity may be.
Giants’ Free Agency & Offseason to Date
New York has added several free agents within the last eight days, including Paulson Adebo (CB, Saints), Chauncey Golston (EDGE, Cowboys), Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (S, 49ers), Stone Forsythe (OT, Seahawks), Jevon Holland (S, Dolphins), James Hudson (OT, Browns), and Roy Robertson-Harris (DT, Seahawks).
The Giants have notably retained about 10 in-house free agents, including Smith-Marsette.
Smith-Marsette will turn 26 this summer.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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