Instant analysis: Jalin Hyatt adds explosive element to the Giants’ offense
Hyatt #Hyatt
The New York Giants ranked last in the NFL in total explosive plays last season, and it wasn’t particularly close. Who better to rectify that than a receiver who caught six balls on eight targets for 207 yards and five touchdowns against a Nick Saban-coached defense in 2022?
Jalin Hyatt recorded 1,267 yards on 67 catches – an 18.9 yards per catch rate – with 15 touchdowns for Tennessee last season. He played in Josh Huepel’s air-raid spread attack, where he aligned in the slot 87.3% of the time.
However, the slot in Huepel’s offense was still, at times, aligned outside the numbers. There will be a transition for Hyatt coming from Huepel’s offense, but it’s hard to not get excited about the value of this type of athlete at pick No. 73:
Here’s my scouting report on Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt:
A former four-star recruit from Dutch Fork High School in Irmo, S.C., where he was the third-ranked recruit from South Carolina and the 33rd overall WR prospect in the 2020 recruiting cycle. Fun fact: current Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass also attended Dutch Fork high school. Initially committed to Virginia Tech before choosing Tennessee under previous head coach Jeremy Pruitt.
The 2022 Biletnikoff Award Winner and consensus, unanimous, First-Team All-American burst onto the scene as the most explosive playmaker in college football. Hyatt caught five touchdown passes against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tennessee’s upset victory over Nick Saban’s team.
Hyatt finished 2022 with 67 catches on 89 targets for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns; he averaged 18.9 yards per catch. Hyatt played 88.7% of his snaps in the slot. He finished his time in Tennessee with 151 targets, 108 catches, 1,769 yards, and 19 total touchdowns.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Jalin Hyatt is an elite athlete who is an excellent vertical threat and an explosive play-making talent. The 2022 Biletnikoff Award Winner combines elite separation skills with excellent competitive toughness as a blocker; he also tracks the football well with good overall hands. He’s not the most complete wide receiver – there are areas of improvement needed, and he’s not the biggest guy in the world; despite those facts, his elite speed is difference-making.
The NFL is predicated on creating explosive plays, and Hyatt will be able to do that in the NFL. His field stretching ability will force defenses to play his team in a specific manner, which could open up several opportunities for his offense. I don’t think he’s a pure one-trick pony, but he’s not complete as a receiver. Still, the “one-trick” he possesses is so impactful that it can change the team that decides to select him.
The Giants wanted, and needed, an explosive wide receiver like Jalin Hyatt. Many projected Hyatt to go late in Round 1 or early in Round 2; trading a fourth-round pick to jump from pick No. 89 to pick No. 73 isn’t a steep price to pay for a receiver who can add a different element to this offense.
Brian Daboll, Mike Kafka, and Mike Groh are the perfect coaches to maximize this athlete. He may not be the most polished right now, but he will draw defensive attention and give Daniel Jones a young deep-threat to stretch defenses, which will open up the intermediate parts of the field off play-action, and on traditional passing downs. So far, Joe Schoen and the Giants are doing an excellent job.