An unnamed NFL executive and assistant coach aren’t exactly high on one of the New York Giants’ most notable 2023 first-round draft picks.
Second-year GM Joe Schoen used his first-round selection (24th overall) on Maryland cornerback Deonte Bank. In the second round (57th overall) the Giants selected Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz.
Many praised the Giants for landing Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt with the No. 73 overall pick in round three. Hyatt was projected by many to be a late first or early second-round draft choice.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan spoke to an anonymous NFL executive and an assistant coach for their takes on the Giants’ 2023 draft pick. The executive was, let’s just say, not exactly high on the Hyatt selection
“Talented athlete, obviously elite speed. Questions are going to be the strength, and the kid is interesting. He’s just young, little squirrelly, maybe a little naïve. I don’t know if he totally gets it as far as being a pro…
He was a one-year producer for a reason. He struggled to make an impact until this last season…
He’s kind of a loose, rangy, fluid athlete. I think he can get in and out of breaks, and I think he has the speed to threaten your vertically. It’s just there’s a lack of play strength there. And then can you always play that fast in terms of converting your routes, reading coverage pre- and post-snap, being on the same page with the quarterback.”
Needless to say, the assistant coach that spoke to The Athletic also critiqued the Hyatt pick:
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“We had kind of mixed reviews on him. I wasn’t overly high on him, but I think he’s got a skill set to work with…
There’s a lot of people who don’t think the guy is a great route runner. There’s a lot of people who are kind of up and down on him…He’s got some arrogance to him, like ‘I’ve got all the answers.”
As is the case with every other NFL draft pick, only time will tell if the Giants were right or not. There was a pressing need at wide receiver heading into this offseason, and Hyatt will get every chance to emerge as Daniel Jones’ go-to pass-catcher.
In his final year at college, Hyatt racked up 1,267 yards on 67 receptions and 15 touchdowns. Darius Slayton was the Giants’ leading receiver with just 724 yards and running back Saquon Barkley tied Richie Games for the team lead in receptions with 57.
The Giants signed former Indianapolis Colt Parris Campbell and traded for ex-Las Vegas Raiders’ Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller. With Hyatt now in the fold, the pieces are there for Jones to have his best season yet.
