The New York Giants’ offense is being powered by rookie sensation Malik Nabers. He is quickly establishing himself as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and giving the team a heartbeat every week. However, outside of Nabers, the Giants have struggled to get their other playmakers involved.
Darius Slayton has struggled to produce this season
Veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton has struggled to get going this season. Despite being one of the Giants’ best playmakers over the past five years, year six has been underwhelming so far for Slayton.
Through the first four games of the season, Slayton has only hauled in 10 receptions on 15 targets for 122 yards. He has not scored a touchdown and has made a few critical errors in big moments.
Slayton has dropped three passes in the last two games, per Pro Football Focus. But one of his more crucial drops this season came against the Washington Commanders in Week 2.
The drop doesn’t show up on the stat sheet because it occurred on a two-point conversion, but he had an opportunity to catch the ball in the end zone and give Big Blue an increased chance of winning the game. After he dropped that, the offense had to continue playing from behind and ultimately lost the game:
Could the Giants start giving Slayton’s playing time to Jalin Hyatt?
In Week 4, the Giants again were in a tight contest but fell short. Slayton dropped two passes that could have altered the course of the game. His struggles this season are more apparent when considering the fact that Slayton is taking playing time from another young talent.
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Second-year wide receiver Jalin Hyatt has been waiting for an opportunity. With Slayton failing to capitalize on his opportunities, it’s only a matter of time before the Giants turn to see if Hyatt could convert these plays.
Slayton has been the Giants’ leading receiver in four of the last five seasons. That trend will come to an end this season barring anything tragic and unforeseen. Currently, Slayton is struggling to pull his weight and has been an unreliable receiving option. The Giants might need to see who else could produce in his role.
