The New York Giants are aiming to put a more explosive offense on the field in 2025. Hitting more deep shots and maximizing the downfield passing attack will be crucial in achieving this goal. Third-year wide receiver Jalin Hyatt has been overlooked so far in his NFL career but could finally reach his potential this season.
Russell Wilson shared excitement over playing with Jalin Hyatt
During his introductory press conference, new Giants QB Russell Wilson told the media that he spoke with Hyatt and views the former third-round pick as a player with untapped potential:
“I think I talked to Jalin Hyatt today a little bit too,” Wilson said. “He’s a guy that’s been untapped in terms of what knows he’s capable of. It’s just been a really good process.”
The Giants are hoping Wilson can maximize that potential and spark growth from Hyatt going forward. So far, the 23-year-old has amassed just 435 receiving yards and 35 receptions in 33 career games. He has yet to score the first touchdown of his professional career.
The Giants could utilize Hyatt’s big-play abilities this season
Scoring touchdowns was no big deal for Hyatt during his collegiate career. Now, it seems like a foreign concept. The Tennessee product was a big-play machine during his three seasons with the Volunteers. 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.
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Wilson could be the key to unlocking Hyatt’s potential. The 36-year-old graded out as Pro Football Focus’s top downfield passer in 2024, recording a 97.3 Deep Passing Grade. Despite making only 11 starts, Wilson threw 50 passes 20+ yards downfield. He completed 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.
With Wilson under center and Hyatt out wide, Big Blue might finally be able to generate the explosive passing attack it dreams of. However, Hyatt will need to fight for playing time this season with Darius Slayton extended and still placed firmly ahead of him on the depth chart. This will be a crucial season for Hyatt as he hopes his untapped potential can be realized with Wilson as his quarterback.