With a new, veteran quarterback in place for the New York Giants, former Tennessee wide receiver could be staring down his first breakout season in the NFL.
Hyatt is entering his third season in the NFL with just 31 catches in his career. He made 23 grabs for 373 yards as a rookie, but the numbers slumped off to just eight catches for 62 yards in his second season amidst significant tribulation in the Giants’ quarterback room.
Daniel Jones is off the Giants’ roster moving forward. In replacement, New York signed both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston to go along with returning backup Tommy DeVito. But with Jones out of the picture and Wilson assumed for the starting gig, Hyatt’s production could see a jump.
Wilson spoke highly of the former Tennessee wideout while talking with the Giants’ media this past week, and even recalled some of Hyatt’s big plays in Knoxville:
“I saw him do it in college, not too long ago,” Wilson said. “I also saw him make some big time plays. And then at National Football League, I remember he had this sweet catch against Arizona, that he went up and snagged it over somebody’s head. He did it at home (in New York) once. Just multiple times he’s made some great plays.”
Wilson, a Super Bowl champion, might not be the quarterback he used to be, but he’s still a veteran in the league who knows what type of weapons he wants to attack opposing defenses. Unlike Jones, Wilson also brings a higher level of leadership to the offense.
“The biggest thing is just that consistency that I can bring to him every day, too,” Wilson said. “Just making sure that I’m always giving him extra opportunities down the field. Also, not just down the field, in any play we got. Spending extra time on the field. He’s got a great work ethic, Jalin does. I think he’s got great grit to him. I think that he wants to be great every day. He’s got all the special pieces to it all. What makes a great receiver is his ability to catch the ball. In contested situations, he does a great job of that.”
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson had a lot of positive words for #VFL Jalin Hyatt:
“I saw him do it in college not too long ago… He’s got a great work ethic… He’s got all the special pieces to it all.” #Vols pic.twitter.com/XWWQR49Pxx
— Reece Van Haaften (@Reece_VH) July 3, 2025
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The Giants’ projected starting receivers consist of Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, and Wan’Dale Robinson, but there’s still room for Hyatt to find a role in the offense in a pivotal third year in the league. While it could just be fluffy offseason talk, perhaps Wilson really is looking at Hyatt as a deep-field threat that he can use at points this fall.
With a new quarterback in place, maybe this will be the year that Hyatt finds his first career touchdown in the NFL. We’ll just have to wait and see.
The New York Giants will begin training camp in mid-July with their first full-team practice taking place on July 23 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Check out some of Jalin Hyatt’s best rookie season highlights here.
