Jalin Hyatt's Impact Doesn't Stop, Even In The NFL
"Don't scout the helmet; scout the player" is a common phrase when evaluating college talent. While NFL brass may harp on this all offseason, stigmas do linger around programs, especially with positional development. Every Ohio State quarterback that goes through the NFL Draft process gets questions about the Buckeyes' poor track record, with quarterbacks achieving success at the professional level.
Tennessee already has a negative stigma surrounding its offensive scheme, although head coach Josh Heupel has only been in command for two years. There has been little time for his players to make a name for themselves at the NFL level. Still, because his offensive scheme derivates the famed-Baylor offense that Art Briles ran, many evaluators are out on Tennessee's offensive prospects.
One storyline that emerged during the offseason was that Tennessee's offensive system wouldn't produce top-end wide receivers. We all know that pass catchers will produce in the system, but concerns about the complexity of these prospects' route trees in Knoxville arose. Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman were top-100 NFL Draft picks, but there was never serious steam about either becoming a high-end receiver talent.
New York Giants WR Jalin Hyatt running away from a defender during training camp in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 26, 2023. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran of USA Today Sports)
There are two sides to every argument. Yes, there is a possibility that Tennessee's route tree holds these receivers back at the professional level. Yes, there's also a possibility that the good things about Tennessee's wide receiver room help these targets thrive at the NFL level. The Vols teach spacing, downfield technique, and blocking better than most schools nationwide. Wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope has a sterling track record amongst coaching circles, which should account for something.
Programs competing with Tennessee for elite receivers on the recruiting trail point to the negative arguments that sway them away from Rocky Top. If Tennessee's former wideouts can produce and dispel those narratives, then that argument goes away entirely. Hyatt has high expectations for his first season, and he's been making plays during training camp. If the Giants and head coach Brian Daboll can repeat their 2022 offensive efforts, they should be productive, and at this moment, Hyatt would be a healthy part of that productivity.
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