Hyatt’s first two seasons have been full of hype, followed by disappointment
Russell Wilson, new starting quarterback for the New York Giants, has taken every opportunity to praise wide receiver Jalin Hyatt this offseason.
“He’s a guy that I really believe in,” Wilson said of Hyatt last week after an OTA. “I’m really excited about him and what he’s done so far.”
During his introductory Zoom call with media after signing with the Giants, Wilson referred to Hyatt as an “untapped” playmaker on offense.
Wilson, famous for his deep “moon ball” passes, showed last season that he can still deliver in that area as he led the NFL in completion percentage on passes of 20 or more yards.
Hyatt, a speedster the Giants selected in Round 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft, has yet to have the impact hoped for when the team traded up to get him.
Hyatt had just 8 receptions last season, down from 23 as a rookie. He saw his offensive snaps played drop from 557 as a rookie to 346 in 2024.
Wilson’s ability to deliver the deep ball might be the perfect elixir for whatever has held Hyatt back in his first two seasons.
This is the stuff Giants fans want to see during games that count:
Russell deep to Hyatt pic.twitter.com/cT07FSvFud
— New York Giants (@Giants) June 2, 2025
CBS Sports thinks there is a chance, naming Hyatt as a potential under-the-radar star in 2025. Garrett Podell wrote:
New York Giants 2023 third-round pick wide receiver Jalin Hyatt left college football as the 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner, which goes to college football’s top wide receiver. However, the speedster’s NFL career has been lackluster through two seasons: Hyatt has caught just 31 passes for 435 yards, and he has yet to score a receiving touchdown.
Things could be different for Hyatt in Year 3 though with the Giants moving on from Daniel Jones and bringing in three quarterbacks who love to throw deep: 10-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson, one-time Pro Bowl quarterback Jameis Winston and 2025 25th overall pick Jaxson Dart, who led college football in yards per pass attempt (10.8) in 2024. Yes, OTAs are non-contact, but Hyatt appears to be building a nice early rapport with Wilson, who is slated to begin 2025 as the Giants starting quarterback. If New York can actually find consistency throwing deep now that Jones is gone, then perhaps Hyatt could take a major leap.
Valentine’s View
I would love to see Hyatt succeed, and Wilson might be the right quarterback to maximize his downfield ability. I guess, though, I am going to be the one to throw some cold water on the hype.
As Podell mentioned, everything we have see this offseason is non-contact in shorts and t-shirts. There is no press coverage, and more often than not defensive backs are not giving full effort to break up 50-50 balls.
Hyatt was a star during training camp his rookie season. He seemed to run better routes than had been anticipated, and to be open all the time. He looked primed to be a game-changing weapon right from the start in 2023, and to justify the Giants’ excitement about being able to move up in the draft for him. It didn’t happen.
Last season, Hyatt seemed ready to supplant Darius Slayton in the lineup. Hyatt worked with the first team all spring and summer, with Slayton almost exclusively in a backup role. When the real games began, though, Slayton started and Hyatt could barely get on the field. He only played 20 or more snaps in five games.
So, here we are again with tons of Hyatt Hype for the third straight offseason. Will it turn into something real this time? Or, like it has the last two seasons, will it fade away into disappointment once the games begin?
