3. Darius Slayton
When Darius Slayton was drafted by the NY Giants in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, many considered him an afterthought. While the former Auburn wide receiver appeared in a couple of articles that suggested he could be a potential steal in the draft, many pointed to reported issues with drops at the collegiate level to dismiss this.
Additionally, the team seemed to have a plethora of wideouts that Slayton would be buried behind on the depth chart such as Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate III, Cody Latimer, Corey Coleman, and others. However, injuries to nearly all of these players forced Slayton into action early on in his rookie season for the Giants.
Slayton would outperform all expectations, showing excellent rapport with Daniel Jones early on. He would finish his rookie season with 48 receptions for 740 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns, showing that he had the skill set to be a number one caliber wide receiver.
Slayton’s two best games came in Week 10 against the New York Jets and Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Against the Jets, he would have 10 receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, he would record five receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns against the Eagles.
The eight receiving touchdowns tied Slayton for 9th best in the NFL, just three touchdowns behind the league leader Kenny Golladay. Those numbers are impressive when you consider that Slayton was a rookie and that he only started only nine games last year. Slayton’s eight receiving touchdowns tied him with A.J. Brown of the Titans for most receiving touchdowns by a rookie last season.
If Shepard, Tate III, Evan Engram, and Saquon Barkley can remain on the field next season, Slayton’s explosive speed should open up the field for the aforementioned players to shred opposing defenses. Conversely, if defenses focus on those players, Slayton has shown the ability to make huge plays when afforded the opportunity.
With additional rapport with Daniel Jones, a full season as a starter, and a healthy group of offensive weapons to compliment him, the explosive playmaker, Slayton, is primed to have a huge season with the NY Giants in 2020.