One of the goals that the New York Giants set for this offseason was upgrading the weapons around quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones played at a high level in 2022, earning himself a nice contract extension from the team this offseason.
What Jones accomplished last season was impressive as the Giants’ skill positions were lacking beyond running back Saquon Barkley. The leading receiver, Darius Slayton, was nearly cut before the season before agreeing to a restructured contract. Richie James, who was a special teams player with the San Francisco 49ers, tied for the team lead in receptions with Barkley.
Looking to beef things up, Joe Schoen got to work this offseason. Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder were signed in free agency, joining Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins and Sterling Shepard, who were all re-signed. 2022 second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson will also be back at some point after tearing his ACL last season.
Tight end Darren Waller was acquired in a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders as well. But, the player who people may be most excited to see on the field is third-round pick, wide receiver Jalin Hyatt.
The Tennessee product won the Biletnikoff Award for the 2022 season as the nation’s best receiver. It was hard to argue against that as he caught 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns. His performance against Alabama, when he recorded six receptions for 207 yards and five touchdowns, put him squarely on the radar of NFL teams.
Now set to play with Big Blue, Hyatt is ready to show the fans what he is made of. He is also excited about the chance to prove himself to Jones, who he spoke very highly of and is ready to get to work with.
Hyatt brings a much-needed dimension to the Giants’ offense that has been lacking the last few years. He was a big play waiting to happen in a fast-paced, explosive Volunteers offense. On the other hand, the Giants were near the bottom, if not dead last, in almost all downfield passing stats.
Jones has had some success pushing the ball down the field, he just doesn’t do it often. Part of that was a personnel issue, which Jalin Hyatt will solve on his own. His presence will make things easier for everyone as teams will have to account for him on deep routes, taking one more player out of the box to stop Barkley and the ground game.
