Giants Face New Competition for Popular WR Target Amid Jalin Hyatt Hype

The New York Giants have been connected to free agent wide receiver Gabe Davis a lot as possible veteran competition for 2023 third-rounder Jalin Hyatt at OTAs, but a new Davis suitor is now emerging on June 3.

“Sources: Former [Buffalo] Bills and [Jacksonville] Jaguars WR Gabe Davis is scheduled to travel to Pittsburgh on Wednesday to visit with the Steelers on Thursday,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday morning.

He added that “Pittsburgh has been seeking additional receiving help and has inquired about, but is not expected to trade for, Miami TE Jonnu Smith.”

Jalin Hyatt’s Hot Start at Giants OTAs Could Eliminate Gabe Davis Need at WR

Hyatt has been an early standout at Giants OTAs, and if that continues, there’s really no need for head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen to reunite with their former Bills draft pick, Davis.

On the June 2 edition of the “Big Blue Kickoff Live” podcast with John Schmeelk and Paul Dottino, the two Giants media members talked about Hyatt’s hot start in more detail.

“Second pass of practice, I believe, Russell Wilson [throws a] deep post [to] Jalin Hyatt,” Schmeelk noted on the podcast. Relaying that Hyatt then made a “leaping catch” where he “high-pointed” the football.

Schmeelk called this the “biggest” offensive play during the Giants’ most recent OTAs practice on Monday, June 2, and Dottino concurred.

“Folks, I don’t want to get your hopes up, but this spring, Jalin Hyatt has gotten an awful lot of attention,” Dottino voiced. “The quarterbacks talk about him a lot. When they throw around the ball at practice, he’s getting a lot of action [and] he’s getting a lot of targets.”

Granted, as Schmeelk pointed out, this is mostly without Malik Nabers (injured) and Darius Slayton (missed the past couple of practices) on the field, so there’s less competition for Hyatt than usual.

But as Dottino reiterated: “The good news is, however much you can take advantage of this very limited scenario [of extra playing time], [Hyatt has] done it.”

Hyatt Looks Like He’s Added Positive Weight at Giants Camp

Schmeelk and Dottino went on to talk about Hyatt’s physical appearance on June 2.

“He looks a little bit bigger in the upper body,” Schmeelk relayed, to which Dottino responded that Hyatt’s “legs look a little bigger too.”

Hyatt’s skinny frame was one of the more questionable aspects of his game as a draft prospect entering the NFL. So, it’s nice to hear that Hyatt has bulked up a bit heading into year three, putting on “good weight.”

Schmeelk and Dottino aren’t the only ones who have highlighted Hyatt so far at Giants OTAs. Last week, on May 28, SNY insider Connor Hughes wrote that “it seems like [Jalin Hyatt is] in a much better headspace” this spring after a season where he was often found riding the bench.

Hughes concluded that Hyatt “has speed you can’t coach and can absolutely be a weapon as a deep threat if utilized correctly.”

The harsh truth is that Jalin Hyatt is headed into a make-or-break season in 2025, and the presence of Davis would only further cloud his path to playing time. Perhaps, it’s for the best if the Steelers swipe the veteran free agent away from the cap-strapped Giants in the coming days.