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Comparing Darius Slayton’s rookie year to past NY Giants greats

By Connor McJunkin

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 09: Darius Slayton #86 of the New York Giants makes a first down reception ahead of Ronald Darby #21 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 9, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 09: Darius Slayton #86 of the New York Giants makes a first down reception ahead of Ronald Darby #21 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 9, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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4. Darius Slayton (2019) vs Victor Cruz (2010)

Cruuuuuuuuuuuz — that will never get old.

Unfortunately for Victor Cruz and Darius Slayton, the only common element between their rookie campaigns was the fact that they missed time due to a hamstring injury.

Cruz’s injury placed him on IR before recording a catch during the regular season, so similarly to Ike Hilliard, it’s a little unfair to compare their rookie campaigns, but it is what it is.

One thing that we can take away from Cruz’s rookie year was his preseason performance, where he would lead the NFL with 297 receiving yards and tie for the preseason lead with four touchdown catches. Similarly to Slayton, he showed flashes of what he could be, Slayton just had the opportunity to show us that with a bigger sample size.

What nobody expected was the performance Cruz would turn in during his sophomore season, where he took the league by storm and set a franchise record for receiving yards in a season with 1,536 on just 82 receptions.

From an undrafted prospect out of UMASS who didn’t play a down as a rookie to an All-Pro receiver racking up 9 receiving touchdowns and helping the NY Giants to a Super Bowl victory is something that’s supposed to only happen in movies.

Similarly to Hakeem Nicks, Cruz’s dominance was a flash in the pan. Over the next two years, he would record over 2,100 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns before tearing his patellar tendon vs the Eagles in 2014. The injury kept him sidelined for two years before making his return in 2016, racking up just 586 yards and 1 score before he was released.

Cruz would retire after six seasons and serve as another reminder of how fast and unpredictable NFL careers can be.

There are a lot of similarities between Cruz and Slayton’s style of play. Both have similar builds and are more fast than physical. Cruz had success playing outside and in the slot throughout his career, and his elite route running created mismatches week-in and week-out.

Slayton’s speed is unquestioned and his rookie year showed us that he has a more developed route tree than some anticipated with him coming out of Auburn. As he grows into the offense and as a player, we should only see his production grow.

Advantage: Slayton

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