Saints to host top WR prospect for pre-draft visit
When a team signs a new quarterback like the New Orleans Saints did with Derek Carr it's important to surround him with as many weapons as possible.. The Saints already have Michael Thomas, a two-time All-Pro, and Chris Olave, who produced over 1,000 yards as a rookie in 2022, as threats at the wide receiver […]
When a team signs a new quarterback like the New Orleans Saints did with Derek Carr it's important to surround him with as many weapons as possible..
The Saints already have Michael Thomas, a two-time All-Pro, and Chris Olave, who produced over 1,000 yards as a rookie in 2022, as threats at the wide receiver position. The rich get richer though, and the Saints are doing their best to rake in the dollars, so to speak, as they will host 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner Jalin Hyatt from Tennessee for a pre-draft visit on Wednesday.
Hyatt started slow in his college career with just 20 receptions for 276 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman. He was expected to take his game to the next level as a sophomore in 2021, but injuries limited his playing time and he only produced 226 yards and two touchdowns on 21 catches.
The third time was the charm for Hyatt as he received first-team All-SEC and Unanimous All-American honors in 2022 after hauling in 67 receptions for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Hyatt had his best performance in one of the biggest games of the year against Alabama when they and Tennessee were undefeated. He would register six receptions for 207 yards and an unreal five touchdowns which is a Tennessee single-game record. Hyatt also became the first player with 100 receiving yards and three touchdowns against Nick Saban since he came to Alabama.
During his days at Tennessee, Hyatt lined up in the slot for 699 snaps as opposed to 84 as an outside receiver per Pro Football Focus. Naturally, teams have labeled him as a slot guy, especially since he led all college receivers with 12 touchdowns from that area last season.
Hyatt isn't one to be confined to just being able to do one thing though as he explained when asked about where he will play in the NFL.
"There is some teams that think I should just play slot, in that slot area, but I believe I can play everywhere on the field," Hyatt said. "I have some outside reps, played outside before. I know what to do on the outside. Just playing receiver comes easy to me."
Hyatt had some hamstring tightness at the NFL combine but his 4.40 was still an impressive time. He also put a 40-inch vertical jump and 11"3" in the broad jump, special numbers.
Adding Hyatt to Thomas and Olave would be a cheat code for Carr.
