It’s been a rocky road for New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton here in 2022.
Shortly after the new regime of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll came in, rumors of a potential Slayton trade surfaced. When no suitor was found, consideration was given to cutting the 2019 fifth-round pick outright.
As injuries piled up and the Giants realized they needed the warm body, Slayton was asked to take a pay cut. He reluctantly accepted.
Even as the season got underway and injuries continued to cripple the wide receiver position, Slayton seemed to be in the doghouse. If he wasn’t inactive for a game, his snap count was critically low.
Through it all, he remained professional, grabbed his lunch pail and went to work. He didn’t gripe, he didn’t complain and he didn’t make waves. He approached things with a team-first attitude and on Sunday in London, when the Giants found themselves bone dry at the position, Slayton’s number was finally called.
He responded.
Slayton led the Giants with six receptions (on seven targets) for 79 yards. But it wasn’t just the production that stood out for No. 86, it was his toughness and grit. He broke tackles and battled for extra yards and first downs, repeatedly setting the team’s offense up in good position.
“Mental toughness. It’s not perfect. It’s easy when everything is going great for people, everyone is saying good things about them,” head coach Brian Daboll said of Slayton. “This kid had a good mindset — I shouldn’t say kid — young man and made the most of his opportunities when he had an opportunity to. When you make plays, you get more opportunities and he did that.”
Quarterback Daniel Jones has never been shy about his trust in Slayton and that was on display in Week 5. Despite one moment of miscommunication, the two were in near lockstep. And with the Giants still hurting at the position, it’s likely Slayton continues to see a larger role for the foreseeable future.
As Daboll said, he’s earned it.
