New York Giants' wide receiver Jalin Hyatt could be primed for a breakout season.
The New York Giants took wide receiver Jalin Hyatt with the No. 73 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. The former third-round selection has struggled to earn consistent playing time, logging just 435 yards in his career, without a touchdown.
Meanwhile …
The Giants' offense should have a bit of a different look this season. While Brian Daboll is still at the helm as the head coach, the Giants added three new quarterbacks this offseason, led by Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson.
The quarterback room isn't the only thing that looks different for the Giants this year. Hyatt does, too.
Hyatt has generated some buzz among fans and analysts over a remodeled body. He is up between 15 and 20 points from his previous listed weight of 185 pounds. Fellow Giants wideout Darius Slayton said Wyatt "swelled up."
A to Z Sports' Kyle Crabbs is hopeful that the added weight can lead to the long-awaited breakout of Hyatt, who hasn't lived up to the potential he showed at the University of Tennessee.
"The hope for New York here should be that a more filled-out and powerful frame can help Hyatt win through contact more consistently." Crabbs wrote. "Further complicating matters was a slender frame that lacked great length — Hyatt measured in at 176 pounds at the NFL Combine in 2023, which is fifth-percentile for NFL wide receivers since 2000.
“He's been on the roster at approximately 185 pounds, meaning Hyatt is potentially pushing 200 pounds this summer."
The idea of Hyatt is that he can be a deep ball threat. So …
If the added weight doesn't limit the burst and speed that had the Giants' war room salivating, he could be in for a good campaign, especially with Wilson's mindset of looking down the field for a deep ball before settling for a check down. Hyatt not being the No. 1 option is also good news for him, according to Crabbs.
"The best news of all for New York is that Hyatt is a complementary talent amid the presence of Slayton and second-year star Malik Nabers in the wide receiver room." Crabbs wrote. "He isn't likely to be a high-volume passing target, which is just fine. But if he can find his footing well enough to be a solid downfield counterpunch when teams cheat their coverage to Nabers, Hyatt make finally take those first steps to living up to his draft pedigree."
