As a replacement for goblins, I think it would eventually end up in the same place.
Gnolls are basically in this design space already, they are living fiends that basically only have the humanoid type so you can cast "X person" spells on them and can't use protection from evil to stop them. They have no cultures but destruction, aren't even born of natural means, and exist to basically be Chaotic Evil: The Monster and WotC is having to back away from that due to outcry over always Evil outcries.
I'm sure any monster positioned to be a goblin replacement would, given enough time, see the same trend toward humanizing that has turned goblins into an adorable not-evil PC race.