Pending Giants UFA Named Part of 2024 Most Overlooked Team

Receiver Darius Slayton has quietly been one of the most consistent contributors for the New York Giants over the past five seasons. The pending unrestricted free agent has carved out a serviceable and reliable role in the Giants’ passing game.

Slayton, a former fifth-round pick in 2019, has surpassed 700 receiving yards in four of his six seasons with New York. His ability to stretch the field and make plays despite the team’s overall offensive struggles has made him one of the most underappreciated receivers in the NFL, all facts that are likely behind his landing on Bleacher Report’s NFL All-Underrated Team.

With the Giants having acquired Malik Nabers via the draft as their new top receiver, Slayton, who last spring sought a contract extension only to be refused, saw his pass targets stay steady (70+ over the last three years), but his reception rate took a significant dip. His 39 catches marked his lowest total since 2021 when he played in just 13 games that year.

Still, Slayton’s contributions to the various offenses he’s seen since being selected in the fifth round of the 2019 draft are a testament to his reliability and sure hands. Slayton has developed into a trustworthy deep threat, using his veteran savvy and route-running ability to create separation.

Slayton has also been a leader in the locker room and a mentor to the younger receivers and teammates.

At the end of the 2024 season, the Giants’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year honors and the NFLPA’s Alan Page Community Service Award winner was also named the George Young/Ernie Accorsi Good Guy Award winner by the Giants chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.

As free agency looms, it would be surprising if Slayton doesn’t get a significant offer that lures him away from the Giant and to a team searching for a strong veteran-receiving presence.

The Giants, facing several key roster decisions this offseason, must determine whether retaining Slayton is in their best interest. The team has struggled to find consistent playmakers in the passing game, and losing Slayton would create another hole in an already thin receiving corps.

However, with the Giants having so much cap space in the league, they could look in a different direction and improve at the position for a more electrifying playmaker.

Whether he remains in New York or finds a new home, Slayton is set to prove that being overlooked won’t stop him from making a difference for any team that deploys him next season.

Pending Giants UFA Named Part of 2024 Most Overlooked Team

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