Former Auburn wide receiver [autotag]Darius Slayton[/autotag] has turned himself into a reliable NFL pass-catching option since being drafted by the New York Giants in 2019. Although Slayton has consistently stayed on the field and provided downfield fireworks for quarterback Daniel Jones, the 27-year-old has yet to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark at any point throughout his career.
That could change this season, as Monday night’s four-catch, 108-yard outing pushed Slayton up to No. 22 among receiving yards leaders in the NFL. His 420 yards through the air after eight contests have Slayton on pace to finish just short of 900 yards this season, which would out-due his career-high mark of 770 handedly.
The former fourth-round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft still has plenty of work to do if he hopes to capture his first 1,000-yard season of his career, but Slayton has shown a level of per-game consistency that could get him to the century mark. The Auburn alumni has secured at least 3 receptions in all but 2 of his 8 games this season. He has racked up at least 50 yards in 4 of his last 5 games, something the 27-year-old had never done in his career prior.
Whereas Slayton was somewhat forced into the top receiver role during his early career in New York, he now has former SEC standout Malik Nabers along with young players such as Wan’Dale Robinson and Tyrone Tracy to help share the load on the offensive end. If Slayton can continue to take advantage of softer coverage and more opportunities, he would become the first former Tiger to post a 1,000-receiving-yard season since Frank Sanders in 1998.
Only two other former Tigers have reached the century mark in an NFL season, Red Phillips (1961) and Lionel James (1985). The latter was listed as a running back at the time, as he added a career-high 516 yards on the ground as well.
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