The New York Giants have struggled to get second-year wide receiver Jalin Hyatt involved this season. As a result, some speculation has begun to swirl surrounding the possibility of the team trading Hyatt before the mid-season deadline.
The Giants have not gotten the production they desire from Jalin Hyatt
So far this season, Hyatt has yet to record a single reception in four games. He has been on the field for only 51 snaps through those four contests, receiving three targets with zero receptions including one drop. Hyatt entered the season with the hopes of emerging as a consistent weapon and deep-receiving threat for the Giants’ offense but that has not come to fruition.
Darius Slayton has been keeping Hyatt off the field
Hyatt’s lack of playing time this season is directly related to the increase in usage for veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton. During the summer, it seemed as though the Giants would attempt to split the WR2 playing time more equally between Slayton and Hyatt. However, so far, it has been Slayton consistently working in the starting lineup with Hyatt only seeing playing time in small dosages.
Slayton has been one of the Giants’ most reliable playmakers over the last five years. He has totaled at least 700 receiving and led the Giants in receiving yards in four of the last five seasons. Slayton’s experience, summer performances, and prior production have kept him on the field and, as a result, kept Hyatt primarily on the sideline.
Trade rumors have swirled around Slayton, too, however, as teams might be more attracted to an established starter rather than a younger developmental piece in Hyatt. But there could be an incentive for the Giants to trade Hyatt.
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Could the Giants choose to trade Hyatt instead of Slayton?
Rather than trading the veteran Slayton, the Giants may opt to keep him for his consistency and cost-effective contract. He has been their most productive playmaker for the last half-of-a-decade and, while he hasn’t played his best through the first four weeks of the season, his chemistry with Daniel Jones is undeniable.
Hyatt, meanwhile, showed flashes in his rookie season with a few downfield grabs but has struggled to consistently get open, especially on underneath routes. He might benefit from playing in an offense with a more explosive passing attack that would utilize his speed and pair it with a quarterback who throws the ball well 20+ yards downfield.
Unfortunately for the Giants, Daniel Jones is not one of those quarterbacks, as he has gone just 3-of-15 passing on 20+ yard attempts this season. Slayton is more reliable on routes between 0-19 yards, making him a more reliable target for Jones. Hyatt, on the other hand, does have serious potential to be an explosive playmaker.
A team like the Kansas City Chiefs or the Buffalo Bills might be intrigued by the idea of adding an explosive 23-year-old in Hyatt. In just his second season, Hyatt has likely only scratched the surface of his potential. Teams might be eager to take a chance at cracking that potential and willing to send the Giants a draft pick to acquire his talent.
