Former NFL Pro Bowler compares Jalin Hyatt to one of the best players in the NFL
Former NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Victor Cruz had some pretty high praise for New York Giants rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt this week. Cruz told Fan Buzz that Hyatt, who won the Biletnikoff Award last year after his standout junior season with the Tennessee Vols, reminds him of Minnesota Vikings […]
Former NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Victor Cruz had some pretty high praise for New York Giants rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt this week.
Cruz told Fan Buzz that Hyatt, who won the Biletnikoff Award last year after his standout junior season with the Tennessee Vols, reminds him of Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
"He reminds me of Justin Jefferson in his abilities," said Cruz. "There's always a maturation process to understanding the game, easing him into the game, but I think he's going to be a really good player for the Giants for years to come."
Some folks might scoff at that comment from Cruz. After all, Jefferson has been one of the best players in the NFL since recording 1,400 receiving yards as a rookie in 2020. Hyatt, meanwhile, is just getting started in the NFL. And it's bit early to make any kind of broad statements about his future as an NFL player (it'll play out how it plays out).
But the comparison to Jefferson might not be as far-fetched as some might think.
Jefferson dealt with a lot of the same pre-draft criticisms in 2020 that Hyatt dealt with earlier this year.
When Jefferson was coming out of LSU in 2020, the narrative was that he wasn't a good route runner and he could only play in the slot.
One unnamed talent evaluator told The Athletic in 2020 that there was concern that Jefferson was "running free" too often on his routes at LSU (which is exactly what was said about Hyatt by numerous "scouts" ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft). They also suggested that Jefferson could struggle with press coverage (also something that was said about Hyatt).
Hyatt has two catches for 89 yards so far this season for the Giants.
There are several reasons why he hasn't put up bigger numbers through three games. For starters, the Giants aren't playing him a lot just yet (Hyatt played only 16 snaps in the Giants' loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3 on Thursday Night Football). And when Hyatt is on the field, quarterback Daniel Jones doesn't usually have enough time to get the ball down the field before he's facing pressure.
New York wants the deep shots to be a big part of their offense, but the protection up front will have to improve before those opportunities are available more consistently.
Of course, Hyatt isn't just a deep threat. And considering his elite speed, finding a way to get the ball in his hands, whether that's via end-arounds, screen passes, etc, should be a priority for the Giants moving forward — especially since New York's offense has been a bit stagnant to start the season (outside of the second half against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2, which is when Hyatt was more involved in the offense).
Jalin Hyatt explains why his 40 time wasn’t as fast as some expected at the NFL Draft combine
Former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Jalin Hyatt didn’t run the 40 yard dash at his pro day after running at the draft combine in early March
Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
