Giants Receiver Jalin Hyatt Sets Lofty Goal
With his impressive speed and ability to take the top off defenses, New York Giants receiver Jalin Hyatt is already showing everyone what he can do.
Hyatt, the Biletnikoff Award winner in 2022, surprised many by lasting until the third round of the draft, at which point the Giants traded up to get him. And now the rookie has his mind set on proving the Giants right.
“I belong here. I think for me, just coming in the draft process, they took a chance on me. The Giants took a chance on me in the third round. I just want to make the most of it. I want to show them why they drafted me. I want to show why (General Manager) Joe (Schoen) decided to get me and trade up for me. So, I take that as big respect, and that's what I want to give to them.”
Hyatt had 67 catches for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns last season at Tennessee. He also had an impressive 18.9 yards per catch. Hyatt’s blazing speed and ability to easily run past defenders set him apart from the rest of the pack. However, that was a knock on him during the draft process. Analysts believed all Hyatt could do was fun fast, and that was it. Many mentioned his route running needed work and that his game wouldn’t translate well to the NFL.
Hyatt proved those notions wrong during the first week and a half of training camp. He’s been making splash plays both deep and in the intermediate game. Of course, he can run fades, posts, and corners, but he’s also seen success running out routes and digs. Most importantly, he’s also getting open. Hitting on those plays during camp is a big step forward for Hyatt as the regular season draws closer.
“I think I can do everything. I want to be a complete receiver. I think that's the biggest thing for me, and that's going to be day by day. Just getting more comfortable in the league, how defenders are, and how they cover; everything is more in tight space, so just getting open quicker. But that's what I want to show, that I’m a complete receiver.”
The other knock on Hyatt’s game coming out of college was that he did not see much press coverage. Combined with the fact that he took most snaps out of the slot, many didn’t believe Hyatt could succeed at the next level. He also proved that wrong, successfully fighting off jams at the start of his route and winning on the outside.
“Even though I didn't see a lot of press in actual games in college, I always worked on it. I always wanted to be an outside receiver, even though Tennessee had me in the slot most of the time. So, coming up here and being an outside receiver makes it easier for me because I like them closer because you can get off the line quicker. I can use my quickness and lateral speed and just get open when I need to.”
Being a complete receiver is something the Giants haven’t had in a while. They’ve had speedsters, contested catch guys, and others with various skill sets. However, they haven’t had one that could put everything together and emerge as a legitimate threat to defenses. Hyatt could become what they’re looking for, and he’s gaining momentum quickly.
“I think for me, it's just what can you do with contested catches, can you make 50/50 balls, and when you are getting covered, and you're not in the spot you want to be in, can you make a play? That’s really what I want to show Daniel and Coach (Brian) Daboll, really everybody on our team. I just want to show respect for them.”
The one player Hyatt is showing his ability to is Daniel Jones. Jones and Hyatt are building chemistry quickly, with the veteran quarterback delivering on those deep passes to the rookie wideout. Jones has worked with speedy receivers before, but Hyatt’s quickness is something he’ll need to adjust to.
“The only thing I want to show is to (quarterback) Daniel Jones and (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor), the quarterbacks for us. I just want to get comfortable with them, making sure they understand my speed and I understand how they throw the ball. So, I think that’s the biggest thing I’m trying to get out of this camp.”
Building trust with the quarterback is the best thing a rookie wide receiver can do. Luckily, Hyatt and Jones have been able to connect off the field as much as they’ve been on it. Hyatt was there when Jones held his annual throwing camp with the offensive skill players. He built that relationship with Jones now so they could benefit from it later.
“I think it started in the offseason. When we got done with OTAs, we all got together, made sure we had a trip and just got comfortable with each other. Outside of football, even with football, just understanding him, what he likes, what reads he likes, whatever the defense is, whatever coverage is in. So, I think that's the biggest thing I want to get out of this camp. Make sure he can trust me and just make plays for him.”
Another player Hyatt is trying to make life easier for is star running back Saquon Barkley. Along with Hyatt, the Giants also added Darren Waller and Parris Campbell, two more speed guys to take attention away from Barkley. It was clear that the Giants wanted to add speed to their arsenal of pass catchers, and Hyatt knows that would only benefit everyone going forward.
“What we want to do, we want to make it easier for (running back) Saquon (Barkley). We don’t want them loading the box where now they have to respect us. I think that’s what we want to get out of this, just make it easier for our running backs. That’s why I’m here.”
Many third-round rookies don’t have extremely high goals as a first-rounder would. Not Hyatt, whose rookie season goals should excite his peers and fans.
“I want to be Offensive Rookie of the Year," he said.
Hyatt winning Offensive Rookie of the Year would be a monumental feat for the young wideout, who would become the first Giants receiver to win the award since Odell Beckham Jr if he indeed takes home the trophy.
However, there is a lot of time between now and the NFL Awards in February and a long way to go for Hyatt, who knows what he has to do if he wants to achieve that goal.
"It’s going to be day by day, we’re going to stack days, and even if it’s a good day or a bad day, we’re going to learn from it and get better,” he said.
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