Writing On the Wall for Young Giants Receiver

The New York Giants drafted receiver Jalin Hyatt in the third round with the hopes of turning his elite speed into a formidable downfield threat, part of head coach Brian Daboll’s long-held preference to stretch the field and be aggressive in the passing game.

Simply put, through two seasons that has not come to fruition. Hyatt had an underwhelming rookie season, curtailed in part by poor quarterback play.

In 2024, those quarterbacking woes continued, but his production fell to borderline unrosterable depths.

He was targeted just 19 times in 16 games, logging eight catches for 62 yards. He struggled to separate, win at the catch point, and take attention away from rookie receiver Malik Nabers, whose immediate impact has earned him superstar recognition.

To some extent, Hyatt can chalk inconsistent opportunities up to his role. As a field-stretching fourth receiver, he needed veteran Darius Slayton to miss time if real playing time was going to open up. Slayton dealt with a flurry of minor injuries—and Hyatt did look better than when he was spelling Nabers underneath—but he continued to remain a non-factor.

Hyatt couldn’t push Slayton for playing time when both were healthy, even when the Giants had every reason to not play the veteran.

With Slayton in the building, there simply isn’t a role for Hyatt.

General manager Joe Schoen spoke on the situation shortly after the season.

“Yeah, I'd heard that,” Schoen began. “So I called him and… He had to get something done so we weren't able to talk to him yet. So, I asked him about that and his take on it was there was a question about (wide receiver) Darius (Slayton). If Darius (Slayton) wasn't here, I think that was the, 'We'll see,' comment, if Darius Slayton wasn't here.

“But, I still got a lot of confidence in Jalin. Some of it comes down to his skill set, utilizing his skill set. He's a vertical guy that can take the top off and can run. He's an explosive playmaker. So, part of it starts with getting somebody in here that can hopefully utilize his skill set.”

An upgrade at quarterback could facilitate some of that growth, but Slayton’s free agency was a quick one. In signing a three-year, $36 million deal, he’s entrenched as a starter for the next two seasons at least, further hurting Hyatt’s chances at success.

Subsequently, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Hyatt as a part of a draft-day deal or some other minor transaction. New York chose to bring back Slayton, a decision that’s hard to read as anything other than writing on the wall for the 2023 Day 2 pick.