First off, yes, DeSean Jackson is wildly overrated. Second, you can show me the stats all you want and I can show you similar numbers of other players that never could match that one great year.
Cruz is a great inside route runner for the giants. Don't take it that I think it is a bad player, i just feel he has gotten way more credit than he deserves.
I live in Philadelphia, we get most of the Giants games here, so when I'm not watching my Eagles, I'll watch my rival teams (...keep your enemies closer). I saw at least 10 giants games last year. What I saw from Cruz didn't match with what I have to hear about Cruz.
Here's what I saw, a guy that worked his butt off to earn a roster spot and was put in a great position. He was a product of a couple things... A) Eli's major improvement this season, esspecially with ball security. B) he was placed in the slot, replacing Steve Smith and taking over a role that Eli has shown comfort in throwing to over the years. C) The increased attention to the true great receiver that the giants have, Nicks, greatly helped Cruz take advantage in the middle. D) Benefitted from poor defensive play around the league all season. Let me clarify, the big plays he made this year that I saw, the majority were long runs after the catch due to poor tackling or bad angles by the defense.
Now what I have to hear about Cruz is that he is a top 15-20 receiver in the league. That is one of the most "exciting" players to watch. That defenses can't stop him. This is why I define him as overrated.
He is a good player in a system that is perfect for him. That being said, as defensive play is expected to improve this year with a full offseason and the likely additions to the Giants offense through the draft, I would be shocked to see him come close to that production next season.
So you guys can all say I'm a bitter fan or that I don't know football (both of which are far from the case) but when I see that Cruz is a 2 seed and Calvin is a 6 seed in this silly vote, I find it hard to believe he isn't overrated.
[edit] let me throw a different name at you, Laurent Robinson. He played the same role in Dallas that Cruz does in New York. He had 2 more touchdowns in 50 less targets than Cruz. The slot isn't relied upon as much for the Cowboys as it is for the Giants. My point is that these players had similar break-out seasons. One is being hailed as a star, the other has been criticized as being overpayed in Jacksonville before ever playing a snap.
Success leads to players being built up as something they are not. It happened with Jackson and Vick in Philly. It doesn't mean they are bad players, just not quite what the general public perceives. The giants, just coming off a Super Bowl victory, have a number of players that are talked up more than their play. It's to be expected. Again, Cruz is a good, not great, player that will do good things in that offense. Just keep it in perspective.