New York Giants 2024 Training Camp Preview: WR Jalin Hyatt
The New York Giants spent their third-round pick in 2023 on speedy Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt to add a more vertical presence to their offense.
Hyatt burst onto the scene for the Volunteers during the 2022 season with Hendon Hooker as his quarterback en route to a near-1,300-yard season with 15 total touchdowns.
A breakout October game against the Alabama Crimson Tide with 207 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns had Hyatt’s name thrown into the early draft conversation and led some people to think he could be a first-round pick.
That season would end with Hyatt being a unanimous All-American, first-team All-SEC, and winning the Biletnikoff Award given to the top wide receiver in college football.
Hyatt has always reminded me of DeSean Jackson (sorry to bring up an Eagle) with his explosive vertical ability, which is less about winning with pure speed and more about exploding out of a break on a post or corner or stacking a cornerback and then accelerating past him.
I think Hyatt can have an early career trajectory similar to Jackson's, who broke out in his second season with the Eagles in 2009.
The explosive field-stretching receivers have usually operated with a steeper learning curve than other receivers, given the more physical nature of NFL cornerbacks and the evolution of NFL offenses.
That second part should ring especially true for Hyatt, who is still adjusting to the Briles spread offense that Josh Huepel runs at Tennessee. This type of receiver tends to take a longer time to adjust to the pro level.
Jalin Hyatt, WR
Height: 6-0
Weight: 185
EXP: 2 Years
School: Tennessee
How Acquired: D3-23
2023 in Review
It was tough for any skill position player to find success for the Giants in 2023 given how hamstrung that offense was for the vast majority of the season. The offensive line was the worst in the NFL by just about every metric, measurement, and film study you can find.
In addition to the offensive line performance, Daniel Jones's missing time due to a neck injury and then tearing his ACL in his return meant that the Giants were left with Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito starting the majority of games last season.
There was no path to success for Hyatt in 2023, considering the struggles of key parts of the offense surrounding him. With quarterbacks constantly cycling, it was impossible for any quarterback to develop chemistry with Hyatt or any receiver on the roster.
Hyatt showed glimpses of what he could become against the Cardinals in week two with a 58-yard catch, against the Commanders with a 42-yard catch, and against the Patriots with his first career 100-yard game - but nothing came to fruition in terms of consistency.
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Contract/Cap Info
Barring something off the field taking place that would void Hyatt’s guarantees, there’s no reason for him to be released any time soon. Hyatt was a third-round pick just last offseason and signed a standard four-year contract worth $5,625,316 with $1,091,140 fully guaranteed.
Those guarantees are spread out evenly at $272,785 annually for the duration of the contract meaning that if he were to be cut, that’s how much money he would be owed per season through 2026.
Hyatt is taking up just .49% of the Giants cap space this season and is currently the 117th-highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL this year.
2024 Preview
Few players will benefit more this season from the improvements made to the offensive line and the return of a healthy Jones at quarterback.
I’ve been one of Jones’ biggest critics to this point in his career, but he’s shown more willingness to let the deep ball go when he’s got time. With Hyatt’s speed and vertical route-running ability, he won’t need too much time to be able to let it fly.
I think the Giants have done everything in their power to indicate that they want to become more aggressive throwers of the deep ball this year and beyond.
With the investments made to improve the offensive line not just for starters but also depth to give the quarterback more time, drafting Hyatt in the third round last year, taking Malik Nabers sixth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, adding Drew Lock as a Jones challenger at quarterback, it’s clear that Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka think the offense needs to be able to challenge vertically more often.
With a full year of NFL coaching helping him to develop as a route-runner and get more acclimated to the NFL level, expectations for Hyatt are high in 2024. Even if the production doesn’t follow, the film should be significantly improved.
BRANDON OLSEN
Brandon Olsen is the founder of Whole Nine Sports, specializing in NFL Draft coverage, and is the host of the Locked On Gators Podcast.