Tag: Jalin Hyatt

Giants-Lions preseason Week 1: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

The New York Giants won their Week 1 preseason game against the Lions. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The New York Giants capped off a week of intense joint practices with a preseason-opening 14-3 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium.

It was a well-rounded performance by the Giants with a few exceptions. Special teams struggled to adjust to the new kickoff rule, while overall team discipline was lacking.

The few issues aside, it was an encouraging first step for head coach Brian Daboll and his Giants. Perhaps most notably, the team appears to have much more solid depth than they did just a year ago.

Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ Week 1 preseason victory.

Offensive snaps: 58
Defensive snaps: 70
Special teams snaps: 22

Although pregame reports were suggesting wide receivers Malik Nabers and Jalin Hyatt would be inactive, each player talked their way onto the field. They took a combined 23 snaps but saw just one total target (Hyatt).

What running back Eric Gray was able to accomplish on just 15 snaps is extremely impressive.

Defensively, safety Alex Johnson, who has impressed at times in training camp, received the bulk of the load and got the longest look with 52 snaps. Linebacker Azeez Ojulari also saw extended field time, taking 50 percent of the defensive snaps.

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Giants’ Jalin Hyatt expresses pride in Daniel Jones, Malik Nabers

New York Giants WR Jalin Hyatt is proud of both QB Daniel Jones and WR Malik Nabers, and praises their confidence.

New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt is entering his sophomore season in the NFL, and he’s already feeling more confident.

“Feeling confident in myself,” Hyatt told reporters on Friday. “When I’m out there on the field, knowing the offense, knowing where the ball is going, in and out the huddle quicker, seeing defenses, knowing their coverages. A lot of things that I’ve worked on that I still need to improve on. But we’re getting there.”

That confidence extends beyond himself, though. After practice on Friday, Hyatt was asked what he’s seen out of quarterback Daniel Jones that strikes him.

“He looks confident. Just to see him running, I’m just so proud of him. I’ve seen what he went through last year. All the injuries and what he’s done this offseason,” Hyatt said. “I’m just proud of what he has done and I can’t wait to watch him play. . . I’m proud of what he has done so far.”

Hyatt’s sentiments about confidence echoed further when he was asked about rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers. What does Nabers do that helps him get open so consistently?

“He’s confident, he’s confident in his work. He has great hands, explosive, not only that, he can run routes. and he’s big, physical. Run after catch. He can do all of it. What he has done is raise that receiver room. Proud that we got him in the draft,” Hyatt said.

As a rookie, Hyatt caught 23 passes for 373 yards earning 11 first downs and fumbling the ball once. He is responsible for the second-longest pass play of 2023 at 58 yards.

A year of experience under his belt will go a long way toward his success this season, and if Mike Kafka and Daniel Jones can make use of the speed of the receivers, this season just might be better than last season.

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Which 2 under-the-radar players could shape Giants’ 2024 season?

These two New York Giants have been named under-the-radar players who could help shape the 2024 regular season.

The New York Giants will enter the regular season hopeful that a revamped offensive line and talented skill position players will finally unlock quarterback Daniel Jones.

Early in training camp, it’s been evident that rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers will have a significant impact. His presence will allow more one-on-one matchups for his fellow receivers, likely helping to boost their production as well.

Two of those receivers, both youthful and athletic, were recently named under-the-radar players who could help shape the 2024 season by CBS Sports.

14. Wan’Dale Robinson and 15. Jalin Hyatt, Giants: The Giants selected Malik Nabers sixth overall, continuing to pour resources into wide receiver. Wan’Dale Robinson was a second-round pick two years ago, and Jalin Hyatt was a third-rounder just last year. Even if things go sideways for New York and Daniel Jones (who I considered too “on-the-radar” for this list), it would be nice to see Robinson and/or Hyatt emerge as legitimate young pieces. Robinson can do good things with the ball in his hands, but has missed a lot of time. Hyatt didn’t do much as a rookie.

Robinson has shown flashes of dynamic, game-changing talent early in his career. He has the potential to be a true impact player so long as the team remains healthy along the offensive line and at quarterback. He, too, has to stay on the field.

Meanwhile, Hyatt’s lackluster rookie campaign suffered for largely the same reason. The quarterbacks were given no time or space to throw, essentially limiting his field-stretching ability.

Robinson and Hyatt are undeniably talented and improving, but they’ve been held back because of the issues around them. If that changes in 2024, expect both to put up impressive numbers.

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Giants’ Jalin Hyatt: Malik Nabers will help all of our receivers

Jalin Hyatt believes the presence of rookie Malik Nabers will help all of the New York Giants wide receivers step up their game.

The New York Giants are going to look very different on the offensive side of the ball this season.

In an offseason where they saw their best offensive player, Saquon Barkley, sign with the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, the Giants used the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft to secure a replacement playmaker, albeit at a different position.

While Malik Nabers may not be a running back, he, like Barkley before him, will be the focal point of the Giants’ offense.

Last year’s third-round pick, Jalin Hyatt, is a big fan of the addition of Nabers and talked about how the Giants’ top pick will make the other receivers better.

“This is not a selfish game, this is a team sport game. Really, just adding Malik — it helps me, it helps Wan’Dale, it helps Slay. He’s a great athlete (and a) great player,” Hyatt told Art Stapleton.

“I’m glad we added him. We can do a lot more things on offense; we can be much more versatile. We can put guys in other spots and not only that, we can change what the defense sees with their eyes with Malik, so I’m proud he’s on our team.”

Hyatt’s rookie year was a tough one. However, with a revolving door at the quarterback position, it was hard for anyone on the Giants offense to get anything going.

With improvements along the offensive line, a healthy Daniel Jones, and the addition of Nabers, the Giants hope to see their offense improve in 2024.

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Giants’ Brian Daboll heaps praise on Malik Nabers, Jalin Hyatt

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll has been wildly impressed with Malik Nabers and Jalin Hyatt this offseason.

The New York Giants were back on the practice field on Friday as their 2024 training camp barrels on. Head coach Brian Daboll met the media and was more forthcoming than in his previous sessions this week.

Of course, the main subject was rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, the team’s first-round draft pick this past April. Nabers put on a show at Thursday’s practice, catching three touchdowns and appearing to be basically uncoverable.

Daboll is pleased, to say the least, at what he’s seen from Nabers thus far.

Other news centered around injuries. Guard Jermaine Eluemunor (ribs) will be limited in practice. Rookie safety Tyler Nubin will be held out with a calf and defensive lineman Timmy Horne also is dealing with a calf issue.

Daboll is hopeful that Eluemunor and Nubin could participate in Monday’s padded practice, the Giants’ first of this training camp.

The coach pointed out some of the players who had caught his eye at camp during the first few days. Backup tight end Lawrence Cager was one in particular. He has been smooth and appears to be much improved this summer.

“He’s playing faster,” Daboll said. “He’s absorbed what he needs to do understanding the playcalling and the nuances of the position. . . (Tight ends coach) Tim Kelly has done a great job with him”

Other players include wide receivers Allen Robinson and Jalin Hyatt along with free agent running back Devin Singletary.

Daboll lauded Robinson as a “good fit” and said that Hyatt’s total all-around game is improving by the day. The 30-year-old Robinson, a veteran of 10 NFL seasons, has already made his presence known and is working with Nabers and the other young wideouts in the film room.

Hyatt’s route running and understanding of the pro game have improved substantially. It hasn’t hurt that there’s more competition in camp this summer as well.

Singletary, who will be asked to help fill the void left by the departure of Saquon Barkley in free agency, also got some props.

Daboll didn’t totally ignore the defense. He had some positive notes on safety Jason Pinnock.

The Giants will take a day off on Saturday and resume workouts on Sunday.

Today is Isaiah Simmons’ 26th birthday. The team is excited about the energy he brings to their defense. So far in camp, Simmons has lined up as a defensive back in several packages. Interesting.

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Daniel Jones, offense rebound on Day 2 of Giants training camp

The New York Giants’ offense came to life on Day 2 of training camp with an aerial show that featured a cadre of young, talented receivers.

After a sluggish showing on the first day of training camp on Wednesday, the New York Giants offense turned things around at Thursday’s practice.

Big Blue got a solid preview of what first-round pick Malik Nabers will be bringing to the table this season and beyond. The former LSU standout strutted his stuff with a total of three touchdown catches from quarterback Daniel Jones, who also looked much sharper.

Nabers wasn’t the only wideout who stood out on Thursday. Jones also found wideouts Jalin Hyatt, Allen Robinson II, Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, and tight end Lawrence Cager for scores during various drills.

Nabers had some face time against last year’s No. 1 pick, cornerback Deonte Banks, in one-on-one and in 11-on-11 drills. It was an entertaining matchup.

“It’s just a good matchup; I like it,” said Banks. “We’re both competing. We have the same body type. Quickness. We are both quick and fast. It’s fun… I like competing against Leek. He’s explosive.”

The stars of the day were on offense as WFAN’s Paul Dottino reports. The wide receiver group is going to be exciting this year.

Houston is a free agent the Giants signed this offseason after the Dallas Cowboys chose not to retain him. He has a long climb up the depth chart as does Myles Boykin, who also got on the board with a touchdown catch on Thursday.

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Giants’ Jalin Hyatt plans on scoring early and often in 2024

New York Giants WR Jalin Hyatt, who went scoreless in 2023, believes he will end his touchdown drought early on this season.

New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt believes fans won’t have to wait long this year for him to score his first touchdown.

The electric second-year player out of Tennessee caught 23 of his 40 targets for 373 yards last season as a rookie but failed to get into the end zone.

“Week 1,” Hyatt told the New York Post when asked when he’ll finally hit pay dirt.

“I’m hungry. I’ve never had a season in my life of not scoring a touchdown. That stays with me. That will probably stay with me for the rest of my life. I’ll be ready.”

This coming from a kid who once scored five times in a single game in college against mighty Alabama. That, and his blazing speed (he was clocked at 24 MPH last summer in camp) led the Giants to trade up to snare him in the third round of last year’s NFL draft.

“Not going to make excuses,” Hyatt said. “I had plenty of opportunities last year, but we couldn’t connect. You can’t look at the past. It’s all about the present and the future.”

As the Giants prepare to open their summer training camp next week, Hyatt feels he’s in a much better place; more comfortable with his surroundings and teammates.

He has worked out frequently with quarterback Daniel Jones and the Giants’ other playmakers this past offseason. He sees Jones making a full comeback from ACL surgery this year and is champing at the bit to get his promising career going.

“I’ve been with D.J. the majority of the time of my offseason,” Hyatt said. “He looks good, he’s back running, and I can’t wait to be back in camp. It’s that time. Seeing how confident he is — especially after all the setbacks he went through throughout his career — it’s impressive. I love seeing him get after it.”

Hyatt is a member of a young receiving corps that includes other high draft picks Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson.

Hyatt believes the NFL isn’t quite paying attention to the young trio and might just be ‘sleeping’ on them.

“Yes, they are,” Hyatt said. “We can say what it is now, but we have to go on the field and make it happen. That’s what we’re going to do — talk with our actions. We have four or five dynamic receivers — all of us confident, all of us want the ball. We’re going to be explosive this year.”

If that happens, the Giants could finally be a force to be reckoned with on offense.

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Giants ranked near bottom of NFL in skill position talent

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranks the New York Giants 29th in the NFL in combined wide receiver, tight end and running back talent.

The New York Giants have been criticized for their thin roster the past few years, a trend that will continue unless they can change minds with their play on the field.

In a recent list of NFL team’s wide receiver, tight end, and running back talent for the 2024 season, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked Big Blue 29th in the league.

That is down from last year’s ranking (27th) but a notch above the No. 30 rating of 2022.

Barnwell notes the loss of star running back Saquon Barkley in free agency could be offset by the addition of top draft pick Malik Nabers, a wide receiver from LSU.

Barkley is talented but was often injured and Nabers will have to excel for this swap to work out for the Giants.

If Nabers is anything short of spectacular as a rookie, this won’t be a pretty offense. Devin Singletary had a decent 2023 season with the Texans, but it’s going to be much harder for him without C.J. Stroud and a devastatingly efficient passing attack. Darren Waller retired and wasn’t really replaced. I’ve always felt Darius Slayton was underrated and underappreciated as a deep threat, but he’s probably not an every-down receiver in better offenses. I don’t know why Allen Robinson is still in the league. Wan’Dale Robinson has been strictly a gadget guy over his first two seasons, and Jalin Hyatt’s offseason hype has revolved around knowing where to line up before the snap in Year 2.

Some clarity on this analysis. The Giants are backfilling the loss of Barkley with a committee approach at running back. Singletary is the top back in the rotation at the moment, but there are others (Eric Gray and rookie Tyrone Tracy), who the team are high on.

Nabers joins Hyatt and Robinson — both recent Day 2 draft picks — in an eclectic, but interesting trio of young talent at receiver. Of course, they have yet to hit the field and no one can predict how they will click.

Waller was replaced. The Giants anticipated his retirement by signing Chris Manhertz and Jack Stoll in free agency and then selecting Penn State’s Theo Johnson in the draft.

Manhertz and Stoll are basically backups but Johnson has the same physical dimensions as Waller and is an interesting add that could surprise as a rookie.

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Like Joe Schoen, Giants WR Jalin Hyatt relies on PB&J

Like New York Giants GM Joe Schoen, second-year WR Jalin Hyatt relies on peanut butter and jelly but for a very different reason.

On the first installment of HBO’s “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants,” we got an in-depth look at a day in the life of general manager Joe Schoen.

Schoen has been the Giants’ GM for three seasons now but the 44-year-old has been working in NFL front offices since he was 21. Back then, there wasn’t a lot of money in his pockets or time on his hands and Schoen revealed he had to resort to eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on the go.

One of Schoen’s 2023 draft picks, wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, is also a fan of the “PB&J” but consumes them for a different reason.

“It’s definitely hard for myself (to gain weight),” Hyatt recently said on Giants Huddle. “Some guys, it’s easier for them to gain weight or gain muscle. For myself, it’s harder. I burn a lot of calories quick. I’m just one of those guys that’s got to just keep eating.

“PB&J’s was one of my biggest things because you want to eat your full meal. You don’t want to eat a little bit and drink a protein shake. Then you’re not really getting anything. So, for myself, finishing, completing your full meals, and then, an hour later or 30 minutes later, that’s when you put in an Uncrustables or a PB&J or a little protein shake.”

Hyatt is one of the fastest players in the league. He was clocked at 24 MPH last summer at training camp, a speed only the Miami Dolphins’ superstar Tyreek Hill has ever achieved.

One wonders if Hyatt would lose some of that raw speed if he packed on a few more pounds. At six feet tall, he weighed 176 pounds at the NFL Combine. He is currently up to 185.

Last year, Hyatt showed some flashes of his explosiveness but looked very much the rookie in many games, catching just 23 of 40 targets for 373 yards with no touchdowns.

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PFF continues to hammer Giants, ranks their receivers among NFL’s worst

Pro Football Focus ranks the New York Giants’ receivers among the worst in football headed into the 2024 season.

The New York Giants made a significant upgrade to their wide receivers crops this offseason, selecting LSU’s Malik Nabers in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Nabers, who flashed throughout the spring, is expected to come in and take over the No. 1 role, which the Giants have struggled to fill since trading Odell Beckham Jr. in 2019.

The presence of Nabers takes pressure off the remaining wideouts, including Darius Slayton, who can finally settle into the ideal WR2 role, as well as the young upstarts, Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt.

On paper, the Giants suddenly have what looks to be a formidable wide receiver unit but Pro Football Focus isn’t buying that.

Because of Darren Waller’s retirement and Saquon Barkley’s departure, PFF believes the Giants’ receivers are among the very worst in football.

28. NEW YORK GIANTS

The Giants’ receiver room will go as rookie Malik Nabers goes. If he is a star, Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt could all look like great complementary pieces.

After Darren Waller‘s retirement, Daniel Bellinger and Theo Johnson are the main options at tight end. Subbing out the pass-catching abilities of Saquon Barkley for Devin Singletary is a downgrade, as Singletary hasn’t brought much in the receiving game in his career.

Barkley caught 91 passes for 721 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie, which greatly padded his career stats. In the five years since then, he’s hauled in 197 receptions for 1,379 yards and eight touchdowns. He also has a career receiving success rate of 38.1 and a catch percentage of 72.7.

Comparatively, in his five NFL seasons, Singletary has caught 175 passes for 1,164 yards and four touchdowns with a receiving success rate of 45.9 and a catch percentage of 75.8.

How much of a downgrade is that, really?

Losing Waller’s potential hurts but even if he returned, there was no guarantee he could stay on the field anyway. Meanwhile, Theo Johnson looks to be a dynamic option who could surprise in 2024.

The 28th overall ranking aside, it’s clear the Giants upgraded their receivers this offseason. But they’ll have to show it before they get any credit.

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