The New York Giants made it a priority to add speed to their offense this offseason. GM Joe Schoen brought in dynamic talents with elite speed like TE Darren Waller and WRs Parris Campbell and rookie Jalin Hyatt.
Big Blue landed Hyatt in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft despite often being projected as a first-round pick. Hyatt was known for being an absolute burner during his collegiate career at Tennessee and posted a 4.40s 40-yard dash at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
While Hyatt’s 40-time may be impressive, most scouts anticipated a faster time out of Tennessee product. He is often described as having 4.3 “game speed,” moving faster in pads than he did in underwear at the Combine. Hyatt’s former Tennessee QB Joe Milton took it a step further, recently describing Hyatt as the fastest player in the NFL.
Joe Milton: Giants’ Jalin Hyatt the fastest player in the NFL
In a recent appearance on Good Morning Football, Tennessee QB Joe Milton discussed his former teammate and now New York Giants WR Jalin Hyatt. When asked what the NFL can expect out of Hyatt, Milton made some bold claims about the receiver’s speed.
“All I can say is (that) Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle aren’t the fastest in the NFL no more,” Milton said. “That guy is running.”
Hill and Waddle, a pair of blazing-fast Miami Dolphins wide receivers, are both known as two of the fastest receivers in the league. At his Pro Day in 2016, Hill ran a 4.29s 40-yard dash. Waddle never officially ran the 40, however, many expect he would have been sub-4.3.
While Hyatt may not have cracked 4.3 at the Combine, his game speed is unquestioned. Hyatt routinely took the top off of defenses in the SEC throughout the 2022 season in which he won the Fred Biletnikoff Award presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in American college football.
Hyatt put up 1,267 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in 2022 en route to winning the prestigious award. Those stats included a monstrous, 207-yard, five-touchdown performance against Alabama. Giants GM Joe Schoen was in attendance for Hyatt’s record-breaking game against the Crimson Tide and was blown away by the Vols wideout’s speed.
“He can roll,” Schoen said during his post-draft presser. “I was at that Alabama game. I can’t remember why I came in late, but I was a little bit late. But I was on the field for the first half. I was coming from another game, landed there, and first half I was on the field, and you could really feel his speed. It’s legit 4.3.”
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Expectations are high for Hyatt entering his rookie season. Despite being drafted in the third round, Hyatt has the potential to make an instant impact on the Giants’ offense. His elite speed and big-play ability should afford Hyatt plenty of opportunities to take the top off of opposing defenses in his rookie season.