The New York Giants are still waiting for Jalin Hyatt to break out. After trading up to select him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Hyatt showed flashes as a rookie, but ultimately faltered in his second season.
Now, entering year three of his career, there is buzz once again surrounding the 23 year old following several big plays made during OTAs.
If the Giants want to spark Hyatt’s breakout, they should consider making one key change to his usage.
Jalin Hyatt has a better track record in the slot than out wide
Through the first two seasons of his career, the Giants have primarily used Hyatt as an outside receiver.
In 2024, Hyatt aligned out wide on 300 snaps compared to just 37 in the slot. He had 494 snaps wide and 63 in the slot as a rookie.
Hyatt has the speed to burn defenses and the height to compete on the outside.
However, Hyatt ultimately lacks the physicality and strength needed to compete on the outside. For this reason, he rarely aligned out wide during his collate career.
In 2022, Hyatt won the Fred Biletnikoff Award, naming him college football’s best wide receiver. That season, he was explosive, going for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The key to Hyatt’s monster 2022 campaign? His alignment in the slot. Hyatt lined up in the slot on 624 snaps compared to just 92 out wide that season (PFF).
Tennessee understood that Hyatt’s skill set would be best utilized inside and that his biggest weaknesses would be on display out wide. For whatever reason, the Giants have missed this memo.
Could the Giants convert Hyatt to a slot receiver?
Aligning in the slot should lend itself to Hyatt’s skill set. In the slot, he won’t face press coverage, lessening the impact of his lack of physicality.
Instead, Hyatt will receive free runs off the line of scrimmage, as he did in college. This will allow him a head start to quicker acceleration to put his 4.4 speed to work.
With Wan’Dale Robinson entering a contract year, the Giants should be extra motivated to put Hyatt in the slot and see if he can be a long term answer at that position.
His speed, explosiveness, and deep receiving abilities could all be maximized from the slot. However, Hyatt will need to improve his route running and ability to make contested catches if he wants to succeed on the inside.
Currently, there is no indication that the Giants plan any such role change for Hyatt. But if they want to spark a potential breakout, they should consider this option.
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