Giants News: Darius Slayton the NFL's most underrated WR, Darren Waller hype growing

Can Darius Slayton emerge as a WR1 for the Giants this season?
NFC Divisional Playoffs - New York Giants v Philadelphia Eagles
NFC Divisional Playoffs - New York Giants v Philadelphia Eagles / Tim Nwachukwu/GettyImages
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Earlier this offseason, there was a strong chance that we would not see wide receiver Darius Slayton back with the NY Giants for the 2023 campaign. A free agent, Slayton was receiving interest from other squads. However, he and Joe Schoen were able to agree on a new two-year deal.

Having Slayton back for the next two campaigns feels like a major win for the NY offense. Bleacher Report surely thinks so. In a new piece, they posted their most underrated wide receivers in the NFL. Slayton was No. 1 on the list.

Darius Slayton could be in for a huge year with the Giants

"What's really impressive about Slayton is his efficiency. This past season, he ranked fourth in the NFL in yards per target (10.2), behind only A.J. Brown, Jaylen Waddle and Dallas Goedert—and one spot ahead of Tyreek Hill. Slayton also possesses a ton of upside, with good size (6'1", 190 lbs) and 4.39 speed. The key to unlocking that potential will be allowing Jones to stretch the field, which could be in the cards this season."

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox

Last season for the Giants, Slayton hauled in 46 balls for 724 yards and two touchdowns. Those aren't superstar numbers by any means, but the passing game for the Giants as a whole was pretty underwhelming at times.

Now, Slayton has a chance to take his game to the next level in '23, especially with this new-look offense expected to take more downfield shots. Slayton still had some issues with drops last year, but fans are hopeful he'll clean that up this fall and winter.

Darren Waller is getting national love and rightfully so

Elsewhere for the passing attack, we don't have to tell you that expectations are high for Darren Waller entering the new season. The star tight end has a lot of people in his corner leading up to Week 1.

This includes ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. On a recent appearance on SportsCenter, Fowler talked up Waller and his potential with the Giants this season. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will surely look to utilize the big-bodied pass-catcher from start to finish in '23. With Jones and Waller building chemistry this spring, the relationship will only get stronger once training camp arrives.

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