Former Vols WR Jalin Hyatt was close to landing with another NFL team in the draft
Former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Jalin Hyatt landed with the New York Giants in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Giants selected Hyatt with the No. 73 overall pick (round three). Hyatt was expected to go earlier in the draft — perhaps in the first round — and if one NFL owner had a say, that […]
Former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Jalin Hyatt landed with the New York Giants in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Giants selected Hyatt with the No. 73 overall pick (round three).
Hyatt was expected to go earlier in the draft — perhaps in the first round — and if one NFL owner had a say, that might've happened.
NBC Sports' Peter King detailed this week the chaotic moments inside the Las Vegas Raiders' draft room.
According to King, when Hyatt was still available late in the first round, Raiders owner Mark Davis took notice.
The son of Al Davis, however, deferred to his general manager and head coach. And since wide receiver wasn't one of the Raiders' top needs, they passed on Hyatt (Raiders discussed trading back into the first round)
From NBC Sports: when he looked up and saw speedy Jalin Hyatt, the wide receiver, still on the board with a high Raider grade, Davis said to McDaniels: “Too bad we don’t have a need at receiver. Can he run?”
“Like the wind,” McDaniels said.
Davis started laughing, like he could sense Ziegler and McDaniels did not want him to start lobbying for the best speed receiver in the draft. “It’s part of my DNA,” Davis said. “I see a fast receiver, I want him. I can’t help it.” Spoken like his father’s son.
King expounded on the Raiders' decision to pass on Hyatt at No. 35 and No. 70 even though the former Tennessee wide receiver was one of the highest-rated players left on their draft board.
From NBC Sports: At the end of the first round, Tennessee receiver Jalin Hyatt was one of the two or three highest-rated players left for the Raiders. But they didn’t have a receiver need, and so even meat-and-potatoes football guys like GM Dave Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels didn’t take Hyatt at 35 or 70 when they had the chance. They picked for need, filling holes at tight end and defensive tackle. I just don’t believe it anymore when GMs say they’ll take the best player available, regardless of position.
Hyatt is happy to be in New York, even telling reporters that he felt like he was going to end up being drafted by the Giants, but I'm sure there's a small part of him that would've liked to have been picked in the first round or early in the second round.
Instead, he'll remain on the East Coast where he gets to play in The Big Apple for the foreseeable future.
