New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt is facing a make-or-break season this year. Luke Johnson-Imagn Images

Jalin Hyatt, Dane Belton Early OTA Standouts for Giants

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Patricia Traina | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 5:00 PM ET

There’s nothing like a little competition to bring out the best in an athlete, and for two members of the New York Giants in particular, who are facing make-or-break seasons, it's fair to say that it's been so far, so good.

The first is third-year receiver Jalin Hyatt. Hyatt, who last year saw his game reps cut in half, which led to some year-end frustration, has been an early standout on offense for the Giants this spring.

In the practice open to the media last week, Hyatt, who received some extra reps with Malik Nabers (toe) sidelined, ran his routes well and didn’t have any dropped passes. He hauled in a touchdown pass from rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.

In OTA No. 4, held on Monday, which was not open to the media but which the team’s in-house media reported on, Hyatt continued his strong spring, bringing in one of quarterback Russell Wilson’s famous moon balls for a 40-yard touchdown reception.

Russell deep to Hyatt pic.twitter.com/cT07FSvFud
— New York Giants (@Giants) June 2, 2025

https://twitter.com/Giants/status/1929600012163465721

Wilson, you might recall, was very generous with the praise of Hyatt when the quarterback first spoke with the media shortly after signing his contract in March.

“He's a guy that's been untapped in terms of what knows he's capable of,” Wilson said of the former Tennessee receiver. “ It's just been a really good process.”

Last summer, Hyatt competed with receiver Darius Slayton for the WR2 spot but was unable to secure the role. The team then brought back Slayton, who had become an unrestricted free agent, on a three-year three-year, $36 million deal.

Meanwhile, on defense, fourth-year safety Dane Belton, who is entering a contract year, continued his strong spring performance as he rotated in on snaps at safety.

Belton, who had a pick-6 in OTA No. 2 (the first for the defense in team drills this spring), recorded another one in OTA No. 4 when he jumped the route and snagged the pigskin for the score.

Belton, who was a ballhawk at the University of Iowa, has posted five interceptions in his three seasons in the league, four of them coming in his first season. Belton’s most productive stint in that area came in 2023 when two of his picks went for 22 yards.

Belton, who last year started six games, including the final four games of the season after second-round draft pick Tyler Nubin went on injured reserve, also has four career fumble recoveries, having shown a knack for being around the ball.

Like Hyatt, Belton was in direct competition for a starting role on defense, with his competition now being the now-former safety Jason Pinnock. But Belton was unable to wrestle the starting job away from Pinnock and instead served in sub packages for the defense.

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