Hitting the deep ball has been an immense challenge for the New York Giants over the last six years. They have done everything they can, adding speedy wideouts who possess the ability to take the top off opposing defenses.
But it hasn’t worked.
The real chains holding back the Giants’ offense have been under center. Entering the 2025 season, the Giants have revamped their quarterback room. For former third-round pick Jalin Hyatt, this upgrade presents a unique opportunity.
The Giants traded up to land Hyatt in the 2023 NFL Draft. He entered the NFL with high expectations, but has not been able to live up to the hype or come close to realizing his potential. That narrative might change in 2025.
Russell Wilson’s deep passing will be a major upgrade for the Giants
If there’s one thing Russell Wilson can do, it’s throw the deep ball.
If there is one thing Daniel Jones was never able to do, it’s throw the deep ball.
Hyatt, unfortunately, has not had much to offer outside of threatening defenses with his speed downfield. But that skill has not been maximized due to the team’s shortcomings at the quarterback position.
In 2024, Wilson was remarkable when throwing the deep ball. He was Pro Football Focus’s highest-graded passer on 20+ yard throws, earning a 97.3 Deep Passing Grade. He threw 50 passes 20+ yards downfield in only 11 starts, completing 27 of those attempts (54.0%) for 851 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions. PFF credited him with 21 Big Time Throws and only one Turnover Worthy Play on his 50 deep passing attempts.
Comparatively, Jones threw the ball 20+ yards downfield only 31 times in 10 starts, completing eight of those attempts (25.8%) for 266 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. PFF credited him with seven Big Time Throws and three Turnover Worthy Plays.
Even Jones’s best season throwing the deep ball was a far cry from Wilson’s 2024 season (which is far from the best outing of his career). In 2020 (yes, five years ago), Jones had his best season throwing downfield, completing 20 passes on 43 attempts in 14 starts and totaling 652 yards and six touchdowns.
In sum, the deep passing attack has been absent from the Giants’ offense for years. It was never a strength for Jones. Wilson should be able to step in and spark a new level of explosion for the Giants’ offense that they have not experienced since the days of Eli Manning.
It’s time for Jalin Hyatt to break out
Hyatt had one calling card coming out of college: his speed. He was college football’s most elite deep receiving threat.
In his final collegiate season in 2022, Hyatt was named an All-American and won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best wide receiver, totaling 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns.
During that season, Hyatt hauled in 14 deep receptions for 677 yards (the most in that draft class). According to PFF, Hyatt also finished first in deep touchdowns (eight), deep YAC (166), yards per route run on deep passes (28.21), and tied with Quentin Johnston of the Los Angeles Chargers for the deepest average depth of target (35.5 yards) on deep balls.
Through the first two seasons of his NFL career, Hyatt has only been targeted on 20+ yard passes 26 times. He has hauled in just six of those targets (he went 0-8 in 2024) for 234 yards.
If there is ever going to be a time for Hyatt to break out, it will be this season with Wilson under center.
Throughout his career, Wilson has been among the best deep passers in the NFL. The future Hall of Famer has expressed his confidence in Hyatt, saying that he feels like the young wideout has “untapped” potential.
Entering a decisive third season, it’s time for Hyatt to put up or shut up. Go deep and get yourself into the end zone, young man.