You could make the argument that New York Giants‘ fifth-round pick Darius Slayton broke out in 2019, but the reality is, he has a long way to go before he reaches his overall potential.
Leading the team with 740 yards and eight touchdown catches is a fantastic way to start his young career, but it also sets the stage for the future. Now that Slayton has established a bench-mark for his sophomore campaign, we should expect him to break out in an even bigger way than he did in year one.
With fellow rookie, Daniel Jones, enduring his first season as a professional in 2019, now has a year of experience under his belt, which should increase his production and efficiency in year two.
How did Darius Slayton manage to explode onto the scene for the New York Giants?
When Slayton initially joined the team for rookie mini-camp, he couldn’t catch a ball to save his life. The young pass-catcher quickly developed his hands and earned a 57.1% catch rate, which was 1.5% better than Odell Beckham Jr.’s. In fact, he doubled Beckham’s touchdown totals last season, proving he can be a red-zone threat and deep-ball receiver.
Slayton’s 6-1 frame gives him the height to contest jump balls and reach the point of attack over smaller corners. This physcial advantage gave him leverage over defenders, and that statement proved true as he snagged three jump balls for touchdowns in his rookie year.
Peter Schrager of NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, stated:
“I think Daniel Jones and Darius Slayton quietly in a lost season for the Giants gave a lot of promise. I’m going to say both these guys make the leap in 2020.â€
Schrager hit it on the head with this one, both Jones and Slayton were overshadowed by another failure of a season and should be held in high regard moving forward. It’s exciting to see such promise in young players, especially on a team that has worked its way through three different head coaches in five years.