With such a deep stable at wide receiver, the New York Giants will need a small handful of those to contribute on special teams in 2023. That includes rookie third-round pick Jalin Hyatt.
Some may immediately scoff at that notion in the aftermath of Adoree’ Jackson’s knee injury a season ago, but there are only so many rosters spots. And if the Giants end up with seven wide receivers on their 53-man roster, they’ll need to produce elsewhere.
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With Richie James Jr. now in Kansas City, that leaves an opening at punt returner.
“We’ve got a lot of guys on the roster that can field punts. We’ll see how that goes,” head coach Brian Daboll said during rookie minicamp.
Enter Hyatt, whose speed and shiftiness make him an ideal candidate.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Daboll said when asked if Hyatt could be given a look at punt returner. “We’ll put as many guys back there as we can to figure that one out. But again, it’s a ways away.”
While Hyatt played very limited special teams at Tennessee, it’s something the Giants can work in this summer. And you better believe the versatility would be a welcomed sight for special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, who ran low on bodies a season ago.
There’s no guarantee Hyatt will secure the role in the end, but it’s not an error in judgment for the Giants to at least consider it.
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