The New York Giants were destined to trade up on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft and that’s precisely what happened early in the second round.
General manager Joe Schoen packaged some picks and swapped places with the Los Angeles Rams, using that leap forward to select Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt at No. 73 overall.
With the addition of Hyatt, the Giants addressed their three most dire needs over their first three picks: cornerback, center, and wide receiver.
The 6-foot, 176-pound Hyatt provides the Giants a potential homerun threat. NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein gave him a pro comparison of long-time Big Blue nemesis, DeSean Jackson.
Long, slender wideout with deep speed that could force defensive coordinators to alter coverage considerations. Hyatt’s gliding gait disguises explosive acceleration that can lead to easy separation on deep throws. However, he does display inconsistency on contested catches comes. Hyatt is ordinary getting in and out of intermediate breaks and might be best with a limited route tree full of slants, crossers and a series of field-stretching patterns. Hyatt is an instantly credible WR2 with the ability to make a huge impact, but production could be erratic due to the limitations of his game.
Hyatt will have to pack on a little muscle at the NFL level, which is something he already indicated he intends to do.
Hywatt was widely considered a late-Round 1 or early-Round 2 pick so landing him at No. 73 is great value for the Giants and Schoen.
