How will Jalin Hyatt’s added weight help him?

Third-year wide receiver says he added at least 23 pounds this offseason

Jalin Hyatt’s bigger, more muscular frame was not hard to see during spring practices. How much weight/muscle did the formerly rail-thin New York Giants wide receiver add this offseason?

Hyatt admitted to John Schmeelk on the Big Blue Huddle podcast that he is 23 to 25 pounds heavier than he was last season.

“I played at like 170, 171 last year. About 194, 195 now,” Hyatt said. “I’m telling you, that’s what darkness does to you.”

The 2024 season was a dark one for Hyatt. After showing some promise as a rookie in 2023, though perhaps not being the game-changer the Giants hoped for when they traded up to select him in Round 3 of the NFL Draft, Hyatt disappeared from the Giants’ offense last season.

Hyatt did not have a reception until Week 6. He finished the year with only eight catches on 19 targets. There were also reports that a frustrated Hyatt fought with coaches and the front office about his limited (almost non-existent?) role.

Hyatt did acknowledge having conversations with the team about his future.

“I had good conversations with Dabs and Joe Schoen after last year about what we can do to have a better year three,” Hyatt said. “One of the things I pointed out was I want to move around. I don’t want to just stay on the outside. I played slot at Tennessee and I want to fill that slot again and at the same time still play outside. Just move me around so you can get in the game, feel the game.”

How will the weight help him?

Wide receivers coach Mike Groh was asked that question during mandatory minicamp.

“It’s a physical game, right? It’s a grown man’s game. The stronger you can be then those things would tend to benefit your performance,” Groh said. “He did a really good job of maximizing his time away before he came back in April.”

Hyatt admitted to Schmeelk that he “felt weak” at times last season.

“Speed will stay there,” Hyatt said. “For me it’s just learning to run at this weight, learning to play faster, play bigger, play stronger through contact.

“I felt like that was one of the things that I needed to work on from last season. Just felt weak, so I just had to get stronger.”

Hyatt still showed the ability to make plays deep down the field during the spring, but also occasionally caught some passes across the middle.

Of course, spring workouts are non-contact without pads. Also, Hyatt has been impressive during the spring and summer in each of the past two years, but that has not translated to regular season production.

“This really isn’t the real thing yet,” Hyatt said. “When training camp comes that’s when things start really kicking in, and preseason and obviously the season. That’s what I’m really looking forward to.”

The Russell Wilson factor

There is curiosity about how much Wilson, still perhaps the best deep-ball thrower in the NFL, can lift Hyatt’s game. Wilson often praised Hyatt throughout the spring, and team drills showed flashes of the potential of Wilson’s deep ball combined with Hyatt’s speed.

“Russell, he’s a true, true pro,” Hyatt said. “How he goes about his business, how he goes about his day. For me, just being around that. Trying to see his consistency, see how he works every day, and change myself and change how I think and my mentality when I step on that field.”