Anonymous GM compares Vols WR Jalin Hyatt to superstar NFL WR
An anonymous NFL general manager recently compared Tennessee Vols wide receiver Jalin Hyatt to one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. ESPN put out an article last week that gives some insight from NFL scouts and front-office executives into the 2023 wide receiver draft class. And one of those general managers sees a […]
An anonymous NFL general manager recently compared Tennessee Vols wide receiver Jalin Hyatt to one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
ESPN put out an article last week that gives some insight from NFL scouts and front-office executives into the 2023 wide receiver draft class.
And one of those general managers sees a hint of superstardom in Hyatt.
The anonymous general manager told ESPN that Hyatt reminds him of Miami Dolphins superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
The general manager pointed out that Hyatt can turn a short screen pass into a touchdown just like Hill often does. He also noted Hyatt will be a "nightmare" on vertical routes.
The 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner and a unanimous All-American, Hyatt jumped onto the scene for Tennessee this season while many were expecting Cedric Tillman or Bru McCoy to become the team's star receiver. Hyatt's rise impressed scouts who saw him in person.
"Hyatt can fly! And guys like that usually jump up the board when it's all said and done. Will Fuller did it. Corey Coleman. … Jahan Dotson did. Fast guys go early, and he's a legit 4.3 guy," said one NFL area scout who visited Tennessee this season.
Hyatt isn't like a lot of smaller, fast receivers with a 6-foot, 185-pound frame. "I hate comparing people to Tyreek [Hill], but he has that Tyreek ability to turn a screen into a score. And he'll be a nightmare on vertical routes," said one NFL general manager.
Not everyone feels the same about Hyatt. There are already plenty of questions about the "route tree" that he ran at Tennessee and whether or not it translates to the NFL.
"He ran like two routes there: go and screen," said an evaluator to ESPN. "I think he could struggle to get onto the field depending on where he's drafted."
I understand that concern, but I don't think it should keep Hyatt out of the first round. Hyatt could be a fantastic route runner — we just didn't see him asked to run a complex route tree at Tennessee. So there's a lot of speculation happening when it comes to Hyatt's route-running abilities.
Some of that speculation should've died down after A to Z Sports Film Room's James Foster pointed out recently that Hyatt is much more of a technician than many folks realize.
Despite the route running concerns, ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller, one of the best in the business, still feels like Hyatt is a "solid first-round prospect" who will "put on a show at the combine".
Miller pointed out the Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, and the New York Giants as the best fits for Hyatt in the NFL.
Featured image via Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
