Giants Likely to Lean on Seldom Used Receiver in Wake of Malik Nabers Injury

The New York Giants haven't gotten much out of wide receiver Jalin Hyatt so far in his career, but now is the perfect time for that to change.

Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (13) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New York Giants suffered a huge blow in Week 4 with Malik Nabers tearing his ACL. Nabers is irreplaceable, but his absence will surely create opportunities for other Giants receivers over the remaining 13 games of the season.

It’s worth mentioning that the Giants haven’t ruled out acquiring a new wideout, despite New York’s paltry cap space. On Wednesday, the Giants worked out Samori Toure (formerly of the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears).

However, New York can’t expect Toure (if he’s signed) or anyone else to be a savior. On the contrary, the Giants will need a wide receiver already with the team to step up, and there’s one guy who is long overdue in that regard.

The time is now for Jalin Hyatt to emerge as a productive player

Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (13) during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. | John Jones-Imagn Images

Third-year wideout Jalin Hyatt has been a disappointment so far in his career, especially considering the Giants traded up in the 2023 NFL Draft to snag Hyatt at No. 73 overall out of Kentucky.

Hyatt’s development as a pro has been frustratingly slow.

After a modest rookie season in which Hyatt tallied 23 receptions for 373 yards, he regressed last season, catching just eight passes for 62 yards. 

What’s more, Hyatt seems to have disappeared even further from New York’s offense this year. He’s yet to catch a pass in 2025, and he didn’t play a single snap in either of the Giants’ first two games.

Hyatt got on the field in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs (six snaps) and even more so last week in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers (29 snaps), but his reception drought is troubling.

Hyatt has the tools to break out, and the Giants need him to

Why haven’t the Giants been able to unlock Hyatt? He has elite speed (4.40 40-yard dash), and he won over plenty of NFL scouts with his production at Tennessee: 108 receptions, 1,769 yards, and 19 receiving touchdowns in three seasons.

Hyatt has the physical tools to be a difference-maker at the next level. Still, he’s been somewhat pigeonholed as a deep threat option, which doesn’t pair well with his struggles to track long passes and ward off physical defenders during extended routes.

Maybe having Jaxson Dart at quarterback will help Hyatt break through.

In Week 4, the Giants mostly limited Dart to short passes, which could lead to New York re-imagining how to use Hyatt effectively. At just 24 years old, Hyatt still has time to figure things out, but he likely won’t have a better opportunity in New York to do so beyond this season, with Nabers sidelined. 

A Hyatt emergence in the coming weeks would not only make things easier for Dart; it would do something to validate general manager Joe Schoen’s selection of Hyatt in 2023. Everyone associated with the Giants is pushing for Hyatt to succeed, and they want it to happen soon.

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