The shining spot in the New York Giants’ 31st-ranked offense in 2024 was rookie Malik Nabers, who exploded onto the scene for 1,204 receiving yards on 109 catches, both of which ranked in the top 10 across the league.
While Nabers shined, the Giants’ WR drafted in 2023 floundered, as Jalin Hyatt saw his role drastically reduced when New York turned to other weapons on a more consistent basis.
Looking to turn things around in Year 3, Hyatt spoke recently on the Giants Huddle podcast about the measures he’s taken to try to regain his footing in the receiving pecking order, most notably making a dramatic physical change.
“I played at like 170, 171 last year, I’m about 194, 195 now,” Hyatt said. “I’m telling you, that’s what darkness does to you. It changes you.”
Hyatt was drafted by the Giants in the third round in 2023 with hopes that he could use his impressive athleticism to take on a leading role in the Big Blue offense. His rookie campaign seemed to be a good start in that direction. He finished with 23 receptions for 373 yards despite the team’s chaos at quarterback.
Instead of taking a step forward in his second season, Hyatt barely saw any targets, finishing with just 62 receiving yards on eight catches (19 targets). That effort ranked him ninth on the squad in yards and receptions, a far cry from the initial hopes for the 23-year-old.
Thus, the concerted effort this offseason was to get bigger and stronger while not compromising his characteristic quickness.
“Speed will stay there, but for me it’s just learning to run at this weight, learning to play faster, play bigger, play stronger through contact,” Hyatt said. “I felt like that was one of the things that I needed to work on from last season, just felt weak. So I just had to get stronger.”
It’s not just his physique that Hyatt is looking to change this offseason, as he said he’s also had conversations with the coaching staff about moving him around more in the offensive scheme after lining up out wide on 86% of his snaps and all of his targets last season, per Next Gen Stats.
“I had good conversations with Dabes (head coach Brian Daboll) and (general manager) Joe Schoen about after last year, what we can do to have a better Year 3. And that was one of those things that I pointed out and you know, I want to move around,” Hyatt said. “Don’t want to just stay on the outside, I played slot at Tennessee, and I just want to fill that slot again and at the same time still play outside. Just move me around.”
Beyond getting stronger or lining up in different areas in 2025, Hyatt also acknowledged that a lot of the improvement will need to come in the mental aspect of the game, saying that he didn’t feel like he made the most of his opportunities when he did have them last season.
His stats back that up, as his catch percentage was down 15 points and his yards per catch went down from 16.2 to 7.8, showing a significant decrease in efficiency even without accounting for his fewer targets.
“For me it’s just consistency, being disciplined, making the plays that come to me," he said. "Once you do that, more opportunities, they come. So that’s really my mindset."
There’s still more than two months until the kickoff of the 2025 season, when Hyatt will fully put his changes to the test, hoping for success in the form of targets and subsequent production.