There are several players on the New York Giants’ roster who are heading into a ‘make or break’ season.
Quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Saquon Barkley and several other young veterans have to show management that they deserve long-term commitments by the team, or the will be their last season in blue.
Another one of those players is wide receiver Darius Slayton, a fifth-round pick out of Auburn back in 2019 that showed flashed of stardom in his first two seasons only to falter in his third season last year.
In his first two years with the Giants, Slayton clicked with Jones, catching 98 passes for 1,491 yards and 11 touchdowns in 24 starts. Last year, Slayton started just five games and caught a career-low 26 passes for 339 yards and just tow scores.
CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso lists Slayton as one of his “Nine NFL Players Entering a Make-or-Break 2022 Season.”
Slayton was a super speedy fifth-round pick in 2019 who had an immediate connection with fellow rookie Daniel Jones, catching 48 passes for 740 yards — 15.4 yards per — with eight scores in his debut season with the Giants. He had 12 receptions of 20 or more yards that year.
As an NFL sophomore, Slayton upped his receptions by two and had 11 more receiving yards but scored only three touchdowns, and last season the former Auburn burner was far less productive with only 28 catches for 339 yards with two scores. He became a forgotten weapon in New York’s offense. Slayton is 6-1 and has 4.39 speed. Now on a more complete roster that features a better offensive line, Slayton could be in for a season more similar to his rookie season in 2022. Of course, much of his potential impact will rest on how well his quarterback plays.
The wide receiver room is crowded but not with a lot of ‘slam-dunk’ candidates. Sterling Shepard is coming off an Achilles injury, and Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay both need to show they can be reliable. Rookie Wan’Dale Robinson is a wild card until he proves he can play at this level.
