Is Darius Slayton on the Verge of Becoming Giants' Top Receiver?
Darius Slayton, Receiver
Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 191 pounds
2022 Stats: 16 games played/11 games started. 46 receptions (out of 71 targets), 724 yards, 2 touchdowns
New York Giants receiver Darius Slayton burst onto the scene in 2019 as a rookie who became the team leader in touchdown receptions (8).
Since then, however, Slayton's production has slid backward. His 2022 numbers – 46 catches for 724 yards and only two touchdowns – were similar to his previous three seasons, campaigns in which he silently dealt with lower body injuries that probably affected his speed.
Last year, it seemed all but certain the organization would be moving on from Slayton, an opinion held by many outsiders until general manager Joe Schoen put the kibosh on that thinking.
Still, it wasn't hard to see why the team might want to move on from Slayton. It had hoped for a quartet of Sterling Shepard, Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay, and rookie Wan'Dale Robinson to make up the passing game. Between that, Slayton's not being part of special teams, and his high salary cap hit at the time, the handwriting seemed to be on the wall.
But then injuries to Shepard and Robinson and poor performances by Golladay and Toney came into play. Oh, and by the way, Slayton agreed to a pay cut to remain with the team, willing to work his tail off to earn back the money he had to give up to remain on the roster.
Although he was inactive for Week 1, he kept at his game, eventually catching his first pass in Week 4, with his production gradually increasing.
At one point, Slayton produced two six-catch games and would go on to be the team leader in receiving yards. But if there was one glaring issue in Slayton's game, it was his hands--he posted a career-high eight drops.
He also hasn't been a champion when it's come to winning 50-50 balls--he has a career 38.2 percent conversion rate.
At one point following his rookie campaign, there were whispers of the fifth-round pick becoming a bonafide No.1 receiver. But to say that Slayton, at this point in his career, is a receiver who opens up the field for others because he draws special attention from defenses and a guy who can still produce against double coverage? We wouldn't say that is the case at this juncture, though who knows what the future will bring.
Best Case Scenario
Slayton has always been an underrated receiver, a guy who doesn't make many splash plays but who can help move the chains. His 34 first downs (regular and postseason) tied now-former receiver Richie James for the team lead among the receivers.
Slayton projects as one of the three receivers who will be a regular part of the team's 11-personnel package. While it's unlikely that he'll see any snaps on special teams--he hasn't played specials in two seasons--if he can provide a few snaps there, even better.
Worst Case Scenario
Slayton has $1.4 million in guaranteed money owed to him this year, but that said, he simply must reduce his dropped passes, which have risen every year since his rookie campaign.
Slayton has all the talent in the world and the deep speed to stretch defenses, but if he cranks out a dropped pass at a rate of one every other game, that won't bode well for his long-term future.
What to Expect in 2023
Slayton isn't a bad receiver, and his work ethic has impressed the coaching staff, even if he has some shortcomings in his game that need to be addressed.
But Slayton, who is one of five receivers to average at least 15 yards per catch on at least 150 receptions over the last four seasons, has value in the Giants' offense in that he's worked the longest with quarterback Daniel Jones, and that he has the deep speed that should come in handy this year as the Giants look to open up the downfield passing game some more.
- Get the latest breaking news and analysis on the New York Giants
- Follow and like us on Facebook
- Submit your questions for our mailbag
- Check out the Giants Country YouTube Channel.
- Subscribe and like the LockedOn Giants YouTube Channel
- Sign up for our FREE message board forums
- Connect with us via text alerts! Free 14 Day Trial!
