Hakeem Nicks Injury: 8 Giants Who Need to Step Up in Place of Injured WR

The news that New York Giants wide receiver and top playmaker Hakeem Nicks is being evaluated for an as-yet-unknown knee injury could not come at a worse time for the team.

They are coming off of a Week 1 28-14 loss to the Washington Redskins, and are the most injury-plagued team in the league.

While most of those injuries have befallen their defense, this injury to Nicks, their star receiver and best offensive talent, is a major blow to a Giants team that needs all the weapons in their arsenal to pull off a dominant year in a difficult NFC East division.

In the following five slides, we will detail eight Giants players that will need to step up should the team lose Nicks for any period of time.

WR Mario Manningham

Clearly, the New York Giants' No. 2 wide receiver, Mario Manningham, will be the first who needs to step up and claim the role vacated by the injured Nicks should he miss time.

Manningham, a favored target of quarterback Eli Manning, had just four receptions for 49 yards in Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins, compared to the seven receptions for 122 yards of Nicks.

Were Nicks to miss time, it is certain that Manningham would absorb most of Nicks' targets, but if he's going to be a worthwhile replacement, he needs to increase his yards after the catch, which were on average more than five yards less than Nicks' yesterday.

Manningham is a talent in his own right, and there's little doubt he has the talent and skills necessary to handle the pressure of being Manning's go-to receiver.

If he works a bit harder on the field, Manningham could step in and save the day for the Giants' passing game.

WRs Victor Cruz and Jerrel Jernigan

Of course, Mario Manningham won't be able to catch every pass that Eli Manning wants to throw if Hakeem Nicks misses time with his injury.

Backups Victor Cruz and Jerrel Jernigan will need to step in and provide passing alternatives so that the Giants' aerial attack can avoid becoming one-dimensional.

The second-year player Cruz did have an appearance in Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins, but had zero targets, while the rookie Jernigan dressed but did not play.

Without Nicks in the fold, both players will be called upon to step in an assist starter Mario Manningham and quarterback Eli Manning advance the Giants' passing efforts.

It's a tall order for two young receivers, but their participation—and prowess—will be necessary to the team if Nicks misses significant time.

TE Jake Ballard

Another asset for the New York Giants' passing game comes in the form of rookie tight end Jake Ballard, who takes over for Kevin Boss, lost to the Oakland Raiders in free agency.

In Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins, Ballard had two receptions for 59 yards. If wide receiver Hakeem Nicks cannot play due to his knee injury, Ballard's role will necessarily increase.

While it is yet to be known if Ballard can fill the void left by Boss, Sunday's performance has him off to a good start.

With two young and untested receivers behind Mario Manningham, Ballard will need to step up and become a go-to option for quarterback Eli Manning if they are to replace Nicks' yards and catches with any success.

RBs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs

Aside from having a solid passing attack, the New York Giants also boast one of the most consistent running back tandems in the league, Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs.

Both had limited yardage in Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins; Jacobs had just six carries for 29 yards, and Bradshaw had 13 for 44 yards but managed to score a touchdown.

If wide receiver Hakeem Nicks misses significant time with his knee injury, then the running game will have to provide extra support for Eli Manning, et al. if they have any hopes of gaining meaningful yardage and scoring points.

Filling Nicks' hole goes well beyond the passing game; that is certain.

DEs Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul

If the New York Giants struggle to compensate for losing their primary offensive weapon, wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, they have one final line of defense to help salvage games: their defensive line, anchored on the right by Jason Pierre-Paul and on the left by Justin Tuck.

If the Giants find themselves not producing in the air, they can at least attempt to keep their opponents' aerial attacks in check in the form of the pass rush, the only solid defense against the pass they have left after injuries decimated their secondary in camp and the preseason.

Tuck and Pierre-Paul will need to get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks and try to force a shut-out, especially if the Giants offense is having difficulty scoring.

This is nothing new, of course, but the need for a brutal pass rush increases significantly if they must try to win games without Nicks catching Eli Manning's passes.

If the other six players mentioned here cannot fill Nicks' void, then the defensive line is all the Giants have left.