A week from today, Joe Schoen will have the 2022 New York Giants roster down to 53 players. Tough decisions loom for the Giants’ new lead decision maker, as is the case with every NFL team.
One of those players who will likely make for a hard call is fourth-year Giant wide receiver Darius Slayton.
Following what was an impressive rookie year as a late fifth-round pick in 2019, Slayton has not made quite the same impact on the Giants’ offense.
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In 2021, Slayton played in 13 games and was targeted 58 times, catching just 26 passes, making for an extraordinary low catch rate of 44.8%. His yards per catch dipped as well. After at least 15 yards a catch in his first two years, Slayton averaged just 13 last year en route to 339 receiving yards in year three.
Slayton’s decreasing roster chances:
Now, in the final year of his rookie contract, with a new regime and infused depth creating competition at the receiver position, Slayton’s final 53 chances look to be dwindling. He’s set to earn about $2.5 million this season, money the Giants can save by cutting him and reallocating.
When looking at the group as a whole, the roster locks are Kadarius Toney, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Kenny Golladay. When he gets back healthy, Sterling Shepard will join.
From there, the Giants will have two or three roster spots up for grabs between a multitude of receivers. That group competing with Slayton consists of Richie James, Collin Johnson, David Sills, and Alex Bachman. It makes for an uphill battle, to say the least.
With strong showings this summer from players like Johnson, and Bachman, among others, ultimately, Slatyon’s run with the Giants seems to have run its course.