It has been a disappointing start to Hyatt's NFL career after he won the Biletnikoff and the Giants traded multiple picks to move up and draft him in 2023. However, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel for Hyatt in Year 3. Right after signing with the Giants, Russell Wilson name-dropped Hyatt and they have since worked together this offseason outside of team-organized OTAs. Wilson was the most efficient deep-ball passer in 2024 and that's where Hyatt wins. This role may not be worth much in redraft leagues unless Darius Slayton or Malik Nabers get injured, but Hyatt could have some Best Ball appeal in deeper leagues.
Hyatt caught three of six targets for 36 yards and a touchdown in Thursday's 42-10 preseason win over the Patriots.
Hyatt had a solid stat line but also let two downfield passes slip through his hands, perhaps showing why he's struggled to earn regular-season snaps and targets since the Giants made him a third-round pick in 2023. There have even been whispers about the roster bubble this summer, and Hyatt will likely just be fourth or fifth on the depth chart even if it turns out his job is safe.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Nabs one catch in preseason debut
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Hyatt caught one of two targets for 21 yards in a 31-12 exhibition win over the Jets on Saturday.
Hyatt sat out New York's preseason opener last Saturday while dealing with an undisclosed issue, but he was able to suit up and log 11 offensive snaps against the Jets. His catch was a 21-yard connection with Russell Wilson on the Giants' first drive of the second quarter. The upcoming season could be a crucial one for Hyatt, as he'll have the opportunity to work with a more stable set of quarterbacks in Wilson, Jameis Winston and Jaxson Dart following two disappointing campaigns to begin his NFL career. However, Hyatt is behind each of Malik Nabers (toe/shoulder/back), Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson on the depth chart, making his path to production tricky.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Set for action Saturday
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Hyatt (undisclosed) is warming up Saturday and appears set to suit up for the Giants' preseason game against the Jets, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.
Hyatt wasn't able to suit up for New York's preseason opener against Buffalo and had recently been limited to individual drills, but the 2023 third-round pick now looks back to full health. A strong showing versus the Jets could assist Hyatt in his goal of securing the No. 4 wide receiver role behind Malik Nabers (toe/shoulder), Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton (undisclosed). Hyatt has reportedly bulked up to around 190 pounds after playing last season at 172.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Back at practice Wednesday
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Hyatt (undisclosed) is practicing on a side field Wednesday, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Hyatt was held out of Saturday's preseason win over Buffalo despite taking part in each of the Giants' previous six practices, per Dan Duggan and Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic, and the reason for his absence wasn't disclosed. The wideout had missed some practices earlier in training camp due to lower-body tightness, but it's unclear if his absence Saturday was related to that. Whatever the case may be, it's promising for Hyatt's status moving forward that he was able to return to practice Wednesday after sitting out Tuesday, though Duggan notes the receiver did work on the side rather than taking team reps. As such, it bears monitoring how long Hyatt will be limited to side work.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Doesn't travel with team Saturday
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Head coach Brian Daboll said Saturday that Hyatt is working through an undisclosed injury and did not travel with the team for Saturday's preseason game against the Bills, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports.
The nature and severity of Hyatt's injury is unknown, but it prevented the 2023 third-rounder from travelling with the team for Saturday's exhibition contest. The Giants' next preseason game takes place Saturday, Aug. 16 against the Jets, and Hyatt will need to return to practice this upcoming week in order to have a chance at playing. With Hyatt, Darius Slayton (undisclosed) and Malik Nabers (shoulder) all sidelined, there are opportunities for Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Zach Pascal and Montrell Washington to get more reps with the first-team offense alongside Wan'Dale Robinson.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Up to 190 pounds
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Hyatt said Friday that he currently weighs 189-190 pounds, after playing last season at around 172, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Bulk and strength have been major concerns dating back to the pre-draft process in 2023 when Hyatt checked in at 6-foot, 176 pounds. He apparently played his second NFL season at an even lighter weight, catching just eight passes across 346 snaps in 16 games. He hopes the extra pounds will help him with blocking and contested catches, but the 2023 third-round pick may nonetheless find himself on the roster bubble this summer.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Back at practice Sunday
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Hyatt (lower body) is practicing Sunday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.
Hyatt was held out of practice Friday due to cramping/tightness in his lower body. Though he's participating in practice Sunday, he's slated to be eased back, per Evan Barnes of Newsday. It's an important training camp for Hyatt, as he's trying to cement his place as New York's fourth wideout.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Absent from Friday's practice
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Hyatt did not participate in Friday's practice due to cramping and tightness in his lower body, Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press reports.
Hyatt appears to be past a leg injury that he suffered during mandatory minicamp in June. The 2023 third-rounder is working through some lingering issues early in training camp, but that shouldn't impact his availability for preseason games. Hyatt needs all the reps he can get during training camp, as he's competing for the WR4 job against Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Zach Pascal, among others.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Exits practice with injury
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Hyatt departed Tuesday's mandatory minicamp practice early due to an apparent left leg injury, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.
Hyatt had his left leg stretched by a trainer after exiting a practice drill early. The 2023 third-round pick has gotten extra first-team reps with new quarterback Russell Wilson to start minicamp, as Malik Nabers (toe) is still limited, but he'll need to stay healthy to continue benefitting from the opportunity. Across 33 career NFL regular-season games, Hyatt has 31 catches for 435 yards and zero touchdowns on 59 targets.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Regresses in second NFL campaign
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Hyatt caught eight of 19 targets for 62 yards over 16 regular-season games in 2024.
Though he struggled to produce as a rookie in 2023, Hyatt at least showed some flashes of potential. That wasn't really the case in 2024, as more than half of his season yardage total came in a Week 10 game against Carolina in which he posted a modest 39 receiving yards, and he didn't reach double-digit yards in any of his other 15 appearances. While the Giants didn't have a prolific passing game, it's illogical to attribute Hyatt's lack of growth entirely to the team's QB situation, as rookie sensation Malik Nabers managed 109 catches for 1,204 yards in the same offense. New York will likely have a new starting signal-caller in 2025, and veteran wideout Darius Slayton may not be back, which could improve Hyatt's outlook to some extent. However, Nabers will likely command a huge target share again in his sophomore campaign while Wan'Dale Robinson is set to return as the team's No. 2 receiver, which would leave Hyatt -- who will be in the third year of his rookie contract -- battling for looks as the third or fourth option in the WR pecking order.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Tallies two catches Thursday
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Hyatt recorded two catches (on two targets) for eight yards against the Cowboys in Thursday's Week 13 loss.
Hyatt, Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson each finished with two catches for New York, and none of them had more than eight receiving yards. Only Malik Nabers, who posted eight catches (on 13 targets) for 69 yards, was able to put up substantial numbers among the team's wideout corps. Hyatt's paltry reception and yardage totals were his second-highest of the season, which highlights how unproductive he's been this year.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Has best game of season in Week 10
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Hyatt totaled four catches (on four targets) for 39 yards in Sunday's overtime loss to Carolina in Germany.
Coming into Sunday, Hyatt had managed just one catch (on eight targets) for six yards on the campaign. The second-year wideout finally put together some meaningful production against the Panthers, ranking third on the Giants in receiving yards while tying for third in receptions. Nearly half of Hyatt's yardage came on a 19-yard deep catch down the middle in the second quarter, though he also drew a pass-interference penalty in the first quarter that netted New York 43 yards. It's also worth noting that quarterback Daniel Jones turned to Hyatt three times with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth, and Hyatt caught all three of his targets on that drive to help set up a game-tying Graham Gano field goal. Hyatt's performance could lead to more looks in the passing game following the team's Week 11 bye, but he probably isn't going to reach the 73 percent offensive snap share he logged Sunday if all three of the receivers above him in the pecking order -- Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton (who was sidelined against Carolina due to a concussion) and Wan'Dale Robinson -- are healthy.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Gathers first catch of campaign
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Hyatt caught one of four targets for six yards in Sunday's Week 6 loss to Cincinnati.
For the second straight week, Hyatt logged a healthy offensive snap count (81 percent Sunday after 68 percent Week 5) with Malik Nabers (concussion) unable to suit up. The increased opportunities haven't amounted to much production, however. After failing to get even a target last week, Hyatt got only four against the Bengals and made just one catch for a small gain. It's clear at this point that the second-year wideout isn't in sync with QB Daniel Jones or New York's offensive game plan as a whole even when he's on the field, and Hyatt could fall back to a minimal snap count Week 7 versus Philadelphia if Nabers is able to return.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Logs 48 snaps without target
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Hyatt did not receive a target or carry in Sunday's 29-20 Week 5 win over Seattle.
With Malik Nabers (concussion) unable to suit up for the contest, it was expected that Hyatt would get more of an opportunity to produce after topping out at just 15 offensive snaps over his first four games. That opportunity did come to pass -- Hyatt was on the field for 48 of New York's 72 offensive snaps -- but production did not follow, as he wasn't targeted for the second time this season. Hyatt was selected in the third round of the 2023 Draft to help boost what was then an unexciting receiving corps, but he caught just 23 passes (on 40 targets) over 17 regular-season games as a rookie and now appears to be almost completely an afterthought in the Giants' passing game. Given his performance Sunday, there's little reason for fantasy managers to consider starting him Week 6 against Cincinnati even if Nabers is held out again.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: One target in Week 4
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Hyatt failed to catch his only target in Thursday's 20-15 loss to the Cowboys.
Hyatt remained a non-factor for the Giants in Week 4, playing just 13 of the team's 69 offensive snaps. The wide receiver's lack of production against Dallas is rather disheartening knowing that Daniel Jones attempted 40 passes in the contest. Hyatt appears to be an afterthought in New York's offense early in 2024, buried beneath Malik Nabers (concussion), Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton at wide receiver.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Requested trade during summer
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Hyatt requested a trade from the Giants during the summer, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
As Raanan tells it, Hyatt was unhappy with his standing on the depth chart and said during a practice late in the summer that if the team wasn't going to use him, they should trade him. Through two games, Hyatt has ran just 14 pass routes -- seventh-most on the team -- and appears buried just one year after the team used the 73rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the wideout. Coach Brian Daboll has stressed to Hyatt that his time is coming, but he's running as the distant fourth receiver behind Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton and slot man Wan'Dale Robinson. It wouldn't be a shock to see Hyatt supplant Slayton in the near future, but it's clear Hyatt is frustrated at the moment.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Minimal action in preseason opener
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Hyatt caught his only target for no gain in Thursday's 14-3 preseason win over the Lions.
Hyatt's lone target came from Drew Lock (hip) on the opening drive. Rookie sixth overall pick Malik Nabers wasn't targeted at all on his 12 snaps in the game, so neither of the young speedsters made much of an impact Thursday. Hyatt's coming off a 373-yard rookie season, and the 2023 third-round draft pick is trying to carve out a larger role in 2024. The Giants' second preseason game will be next Saturday in Houston.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Bumps down depth chart
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Hyatt is expected to be the Giants' top backup wide receiver in 2024 following the team's selection of Malik Nabers with the No. 6 overall pick in last week's draft, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.
Hyatt injured his hamstring in the season finale against the Eagles, but he's presumably made a full recovery by now. He's coming off a rookie season in which he secured 23 of 40 targets for 373 scoreless yards over 17 games. He averaged a strong 16.2 yards per catch, but the number of catchable passes thrown his way were few and far between as a downfield threat. Darius Slayton is expected to open the season as a starter opposite Nabers, with Wan'Dale Robinson in the slot. The Giants would likely prefer to see Hyatt push Slayton for snaps.
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Giants' Jalin Hyatt: Injures hamstring Sunday
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Hyatt (hamstring) won't return to Sunday's game against the Eagles, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.
Hyatt sustained a hamstring injury on a five-yard catch in the first half and will not return to Sunday's contest. He will finish his rookie season with 23 catches for 373 yards over 17 games.
Hyatt caught three of four targets for 25 yards in Sunday's loss to the Rams.
After being shut out each of the past two weeks, Hyatt bounced back to some extent with his highest receiving yardage total since he exploded for 109 yards against New England in Week 12. It was still a modest performance for the rookie wideout, as he tied for fifth on the team in catches and ranked fifth in receiving yards. Hyatt will have a chance to put a positive final spin on his first NFL campaign next week in a home matchup against the Eagles.
