New York Giants Training Camp Player Preview: WR Darius Slayton

Darius Slayton is clearly hovering on the roster bubble unless he can somehow find his rookie season mojo.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Jul 10, 2022 9:53 AM EDT

In this story:

Besides quarterback Daniel Jones, perhaps no other member from the New York Giants draft class of 2019 is as big of a mystery than receiver Darius Slayton.

Slayton, the team's fifth-round draft pick in that class, burst onto the scene with an impressive rookie season in which he recorded 48 receptions for 740 yards and a team-leading eight touchdowns.

Looking very much at home as Jones's top receiving option--they benefited from some extra work they had done together dating back to the rookie camp--there was even talk that in Slayton, the Giants had found their new No. 1 receiver.

Such talk vanished, however, in Year 2 of Slayton's career when he began playing more like his draft pedigree. He saw his production dip to 751 yards on 50 receptions and three touchdowns, his catch percentage falling from 60 percent as a rookie to 53.2 percent in Year 2.

In the year after that, his production fell even further, with Slayton logging 339 yards on 26 and two touchdowns and his catch percentage dropping to an ugly looking 47.3 percent.

What happened? Injuries certainly played a big part in Slayton's decline, no question. He battled through injuries in Years 2 and 3 and even missed four games last season with a leg injury.

But perhaps more alarming is that Slayton seemed to regress from being the picture of confidence to one of insecurity, no doubt a combination of the injuries and the frustrations of trying to play in an antiquated offense that didn't have enough talent.

So here we are, in Year 4 of Slayton's tenure, the final year of his rookie contract, and a lot has changed. The Giants have added talent expected to slot in ahead of him, like Kenny Golladay, Wan'Dale Robinson, and Kadarius Toney. At best, that would mean that Slayton, who doesn't play special teams and who, thanks to performance escalators, now has a $2.5 million cap hit, is hovering on the bubble this summer.

Darius Slayton — Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

What He Offers

As previously noted, Slayton missed four games with leg injuries, a recurring theme (his legs are spindly-thin and always vulnerable to contact). And speaking of contact, maybe it was the fact he was banged up, or perhaps the heaviness of the antiquated offensive scheme weighed him down. Still, it was disappointing to see Slayton avoid contact almost consistently.

Not much of a blocker, Slayton also didn't show the feistiness one likes to see from a receiver when fighting for balls in traffic. He also saw his dropped balls total rise--he had three drops as a rookie but has recorded 12 (six per year) in the last two seasons.

Slayton has great speed and was one of the few receivers last year who was able to separate. And his deep speed also helped things underneath for some others. Still, overall, Slayton seemed to disappear from the landscape partly due to the evaporation of a consistent and successful deep passing game combined with what appeared to be a decline in his confidence.

(from left) New York Giants tackle Korey Cunningham (79), wide receiver Darius Slayton (86) and quarterback Jake Fromm (17) celebrate Slayton's touchdown catch in the second half. The Giants lose to Washington, 22-7, at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. — Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

His Contract

Slayton is in the final year of his rookie contract, where his cap number is $2,598,721. If he is cut or traded, that will save the Giants $2.5 million against the cap with just a $58,721 dead-money hit.

Dec 9, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (86) reacts after his touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. — Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Roster Projection/Expectations

As noted, Slayton is on the bubble. What could end up saving him is the history of injuries the guys in front of him have, but still, his contract combined with the fact he doesn't play special teams might be a lot for a cap-strapped Giants team to carry.

That said, during the spring Slayton appeared to be getting some of his lost confidence back. If he can get back to his rookie form, his cost against the cap would be a bargain for a team with $21.15 million alone invested in the disappointing Golladay.