Should the Giants Let Their 2023 Third-Round Pick Go?
The New York Football Giants may be looking to make a trade before the draft weekend at the end of the month. They may be looking to hand one of their wide receivers over to their stadium neighbors, the New York Jets. Jalin Hyatt may be the guy that gets traded over. Hyatt saw many of his targets get reduced last season, and it is causing a lot of long-term questions about his future with the Giants.
Hyatt was picked in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and it has been rough to try and figure him out. This wide receiver came out of the University of Tennessee, and he seemed very promising at the start. The now 23-year-old wide receiver was a promising rookie when he first entered the NFL. In 2023, Hyatt caught 23 out of 40 pass targets for 373 yards. In his rookie season, Hyatt showed hints of having some speed. However, as of last season, there was a lot that was decreased from the player that he was. Hyatt wasn’t making all of the plays that needed to be made for the Giants to move forward.
Hyatt also competed with Darius Slayton for the position of being the second wide receiver during the 2024 Giants’ training camps. He only played in 16 games, in all of those games, and only had three starts for the Giants last season. Hyatt was targeted 19 times, catching eight balls for 62 yards. To top things off, Hyatt has never scored any touchdowns in the first two seasons that he has played in the NFL.
The Giants have a lot of wide receivers as it is. They have Malik Nabers and Slayton, both starters who have made the effort to prove that they can make things happen on the field. So, the Giants currently believe it won’t hurt them if they decide to give one of them up. The 23-year-old receiver hasn’t quite been pulling his weight with the team for a while now, and it’s starting to show.
Hyatt has expressed his frustration with the way he has been playing. He has been patient and waiting for opportunities. However, all have gone elsewhere to the other members of the offense on the team. The Giants have already signed other receivers, too, Zach Pascal and Lil’Jordan Humphrey. That said, these may all factor into Hyatt getting traded during the draft weekend. To make things worse, if the Giants do draft Colorado’s receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, that may be the end of his time with Big Blue.
It wouldn’t be a bad thing if the Giants traded him. They can’t keep a player who can’t keep up with the other players in his position. The reality of him getting traded is a strong possibility. He’s had chances over and over again but he has proven that he can’t be the main guy on the field. It would be best for the Giants and Jets to set something up at this point and let him go.
