Get all three of them out there, healthy, running free and easy, two split wide, another in the slot, Eli Manning taking the snap and scanning the field as he would a menu, choosing from an appetizing feast consisting of Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle.
The Giants will take their chances with that scenario, week after week, as long as Randle holds up his end and hits the accelerator on his development.
“It can be great,’’ Randle told The Post. “It’s going to be hard for defenses to deal with. We all out there healthy, playing up to our capabilities I can’t see any team really stopping us.’’
That’s the plan. Randle is one of the young, talented players the Giants are counting on this season. He is just 22 years old, the same age as running back David Wilson, and both high draft picks (Wilson first round, Randle second round) had flashes as rookies but also plenty of struggles.
Wilson is set to step into Ahmad Bradshaw’s vacated starting role. Randle doesn’t have to make such a quantum leap, but he certainly appears ready for ascension, as after nearly a week of camp he has been a breakout star.
“He seems to be more serious, more intent,’’ coach Tom Coughiln said. “He had a lot to learn in that first year, and it looks like some of the messages are getting through.’’
Nicks, slowed by a strained groin in camp and also coming off knee surgery, must prove he can get his body in good working order to once again join Cruz in a receiving tandem that was dominant during the run to Super Bowl XLVI. Randle has all the skills to crash the party and become a No. 3 target as effective as Mario Manningham was, perhaps even more so. Randle does not possess Manningham’s speed and zigzag ability, but he is bigger and could be more consistent. He also has a rare ability to leap and get the ball at its highest point.
Each afternoon, Randle has done something to endear himself to the coaching staff. Tuesday, he ran past cornerback Aaron Ross in a 7-on-7 drill to haul in a long pass from Manning. In the team period he skied over the reach of Corey Webster for a leaping grab. If you didn’t know any better, Randle looks like the top receiver on the team.
“He’s made tremendous strides, his focus is on a whole new level, he’s playing very, very well right now,’’ Cruz said. “He just looks comfortable, he understands what’s expected of him, he understands what he has to do, and he’s out there executing. It’s really good to see.”
Coughlin said he has noticed Randle (listed at 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds) has come in leaner. There’s no doubt Randle has come in hungrier. He endured typical first-year growing pains and, at times, did not appear to be busting it on a regular basis.
Randle said his coaches did not harp on his effort, but he heard the talk and made an adjustment.
“I just take what the coaches are giving off to me, if they’re not saying anything about it I don’t feel like I’m doing anything wrong,’’ Randle said. “So [the criticism] kind of caught me by surprise. It made me work harder, I have to say that, because I didn’t want to give anybody any reason to talk about me that way. I tried to build on it and leave it on the past.’’
Early in camp, Randle is getting first crack as the punt returner, a spot he averaged 7.2 yards on 15 returns as a rookie. He is remarkably sure-handed but is not the prototype smaller, quicker punt returner. Coughlin, however, favors ball security over flash.
Randle said he is eager to leave his rookie season in the past. He played in all 16 games and came away with 19 receptions for 298 yards and three touchdowns. In his only start, he subbed for Nicks and caught two scoring passes in the season finale against the Eagles. The Giants envision Randle as a future starter and, though they certainly want to keep Nicks after this season, the level of play Randle displays will enter in the decision-making process.