Can the Giants keep veteran WR in the fold?
Darius Slayton is not the longest-tenured member of the New York Giants. That, though, is only because Dexter Lawrence was drafted in Round 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft, nearly two full days before the Giants selected Slayton in the fifth round.
After six seasons, during which he was the best receiver on the team in four of them, has Slayton’s time with the Giants come to an end?
It certainly seemed that way toward the end of the year. Slayton seemed tired, worn down by the years of losing near the end of a 3-14 season. He made reference to his time with the Giants having been a long six years.
Slayton won the Giants’ Media Good Guy Award, voted on by members of the media who cover the team on a regular basis. In truth, Slayton could have won it in any of his six seasons. Giving it to him now felt like making sure he got his name on the plaque before it was too late. When we presented it to him, he even jokingly said it felt like a lifetime achievement award.
Reasons to keep Slayton
Slayton was still the Giants’ No. 2 wide receiver in 2024. Malik Nabers is No. 1, and is the type of star Slayton never was and never will be. Wan’Dale Robinson had 93 catches, but he averaged just 7.5 yards a catch. Until he proves otherwise, Robinson isn’t dynamic enough to be Robin to Nabers’ Batman.
Slayton caught only 39 passes, second-lowest total of his career. That, though, had more to do with quarterback play and the dysfunction of an offense heavily slanted toward making sure Nabers got enough opportunities than it was about any decline in Slayton’s ability.
There is no obvious replacement on the roster. Jalin Hyatt hasn’t shown enough to be counted on as a full-time No. 2, and there really is no one else. Losing Slayton would be creating another hole the Giants would need to try and fill.
There is one other reason — veteran locker room leadership. There has been a great deal of talk about how much of that the Giants have let walk out the door the last two offseasons. Losing Slayton would be letting more of it leave. Nabers has talked recently about how critical Slayton has been in both helping him learn how to build a routine to take care of his body during the season and helping him learn the tendencies of defensive backs the Giants were facing.
Reasons to let him go
There really isn’t a good reason to let him go. Unless Slayton simply wants to try something different, or if the price just gets beyond what seems prudent.
The verdict
Keep Slayton, if you can. Pro Football Focus has him ranked as its No. 38 2025 free agent and estimates that he could receive a three-year, $37.5 million deal ($12.5 million annually), with $25 million guaranteed on the open market.
That feels a little rich, though the two-year, $12 million deal ($4.5 million guaranteed) he just completed might have been an underpay.
