The wide receiver market has exploded over the years, but that shouldn't be the case with New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton.
It has nothing to do with the talented receiver's skillset or anything like that, either. It's mostly due to the fact he's had to deal with Daniel Jones at quarterback and a consistently-defunct Giants offense for the vast majority of his career. If it's not Jones, it's been Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito, Colt McCoy, Davis Webb, Mike Glennon or Tyrod Taylor. He's also had to deal with the yearly mess that is the Giants offensive line.
Yea, I'm not entirely sure Justin Jefferson or Ja'Marr Chase could overcome those obstacles. With all due respect, of course.
Either way, Slayton is 35th in receiving yards, with 3,987, since coming into the NFL in 2019. He averages a robust 15.0 yards per catch and has at least 700 receiving yards in four of six seasons. He's also added 21 touchdowns during that span.
What's most impressive is Slayton has managed all this as a deep threat, mainly. He's managed to pull all of the above off while boasting an average target depth of 13.1 yards per pass attempt. He's just one of four receivers to record over 3,000 receiving yards with an ADOT of 13.1 since 2019 - Mike Evans, Calvin Ridley, and Mike Williams are the only guys who have produced more.
Shaky quarterback and offensive line play arguably limited Slayton’s production during his time with the Giants, which is unfortunate for a player who is a threat to break off an explosive play at any moment. The former fifth-round steal nonetheless had four seasons of at least 700 receiving yards on 15 yards per reception over his first five years in the league, which is harder to do when the quarterback has little time to wait for longer-developing routes downfield. Slayton is also the Giants’ 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, showing he’d be an asset to any locker room. - Pro Football Focus
Slayton has done pretty well over the course of his career, despite the circumstances. Just imagine if he were to join a team with even an average quarterback and good offense? Well, the good news is he should have plenty of options when looking at his projected price tag.
Slayton's projected market value is all over the place, but he should settle in either right at $9-$11 million per year or a little less
Spotrac currently has Slayton's average annual value at $15.8 million per year, which is not going to happen. Even if outside circumstances have limited his production before promoting it - that number isn't feasible for what he's done and what he can do. NFL contract analysts Josh Queipo and Kyle DeDiminicantanio have him at $3.25 million per year, which is way too low, in my opinion. Finally, Pro Football Focus has him at $12.5 million a year, which is more the appropriate temperature, even if that's a bit high.
Personally, I think anywhere in-between the $9-$11 million AAV range makes sense. $12.5 is as high as I'd go and that may a bit of an overpay. Two good comps to Slayton are Darnell Mooney and Gabe Davis, who each received a contract worth $13 million per year during the 2024 offseason.
Slayton's numbers are pretty similar to theirs through the first four years of each respective career. Slayton averaged 43.3 receiving yards per game and caught 15 touchdowns passes during that span. Mooney averaged 43.2 yards per game and caught 11 touchdowns; Davis averaged 42.7 yards per game and caught 27 touchdowns. Either way, $9-$12.5 for an explosive WR2 is a good deal.
There are a few key differences between the three: Mooney had a 1,000-yard season in 2021, Davis was a very crucial red zone threat, and both are a couple of years younger than Slayton.
Still, Slayton is entering his age-28 season, so there are still a couple of years left in his prime. That, along with his projected price tag and the fact he can break off a big play at any moment, easily make him the league's best value at wide receiver.
Prediction
I'd honestly be floored if Slayton stays in New York. Why wouldn't he want a fresh start somewhere else in a place where he knows he can actually win games on a consistent basis?
Teams like the Commanders, Chargers, Bills, and the Chiefs all make a lot of sense. They won't be the only teams taking a look at the talented deep threat, either. Not only is Slayton about to escape New York, but his new home should be a spot where he can both experience a break out and win a lot of games.
