Giants QB Daniel Jones praises Jalin Hyatt's improvement in specific area ahead of 2024 NFL season
Everyone wants to talk about New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers. And when you're talking about such a talented player, it's completely understandable.But as many fans would agree, the Giants need much more than a true WR1 to take the next step as a franchise. That's why even if Nabers hits the ground […]
Everyone wants to talk about New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers. And when you're talking about such a talented player, it's completely understandable.
But as many fans would agree, the Giants need much more than a true WR1 to take the next step as a franchise. That's why even if Nabers hits the ground running at the NFL level, at least another playmaker will need to become a legit weapon, especially so following Darren Waller's retirement.
That somebody might just be second-year player Jalin Hyatt, who currently projects as a backup behind Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton. In order to crack the starting lineup, Hyatt will need to show improvement in several areas. The good news is quarterback Daniel Jones believes he's doing so thus far.
"I think (Hyatt has) made a ton of improvement this offseason, and was really dialed in on some of the smaller details of route running, understanding how defenders are trying to play him and how to gain leverage and gain separation," Jones told reporters on Tuesday.
Coming out of college, Hyatt's route running was consistently pointed out as his weakness, just like his speed was listed as his biggest strength. At Tennessee, Hyatt didn't need to run a full route tree but if he's to make that sophomore jump, he'll need his hard work to pay off. So to hear Jones praise that specific area of his receiver's game is significant.
The two have spent a lot of time together this offseason working ahead of the 2024 campaign.
"He's worked tremendously hard this offseason, and I think it's shown up on the field this spring," Jones added. "It’s been really fun working with him. He’s an extremely talented guy obviously, and he's only getting better."
Hyatt, a third round draft pick in 2023, finished his rookie season with 23 catches for 373 yards. He has yet to score a touchdown in the NFL but to be fair, circumstances around the Giants offense certainly didn't help. The key number that will need to change for Hyatt is his snap count, which stood at 50% by the end of the season.
Based on Jones' comments, that should go up this year.
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