Jalin Hyatt gives Daniel Jones his long-awaited deep threat for the Giants offense

Ever since Daniel Jones has been the starting quarterback of the NY Giants, he has yet to have a 1,000-yard receiver in the offense. That may have changed on Friday night when the Giants moved up to the No. 73 overall pick and selected Jalin Hyatt from the University of Tennessee.

Hyatt finished his final season with the Volunteers on a tremendous high note, hauling in 67 catches for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns. Perhaps his most impressive performance was the game against Alabama where he had six catches for 207 yards and five touchdowns. Now, he's East Rutherford-bound.

Joe Schoen selecting Jalin Hyatt in the third round was a genius move

The Giants were itching to land Hyatt so much, general manager Joe Schoen thought about grabbing him instead of Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz in the second round. Instead, 16 picks later, Schoen decided the Giants offense, especially Jones, needed their home-run deep threat for the offense.

The Giants made a $160 million investment in Jones just months after he led the Giants to their first playoff berth since 2016. Danny Dimes also helped lead the Giants to their first playoff victory since Big Blue won the Super Bowl in February of 2012.

In the third round, Schoen made another investment into Jones and the offense by giving his quarterback the deep threat they have been looking for since they traded away Odell Beckham Jr. back in March of 2019. Hyatt is the deep threat the Giants have needed; one the Giants didn’t have in 2022. Jones made it work in 2022, but even some of the critics still mention how a $40 million per season quarterback only threw for 15 touchdown passes.

What isn’t mentioned is how Kenny Golladay was a non-factor at $17 million, Kadarius Toney was traded by midseason after what appeared to be friction between him and the organization, Sterling Shepard tore his ACL Week 3 and Wan’Dale Robinson suffered the same, season-ending injury.

Yes, the Giants found what appears to be a diamond in the rough with Isaiah Hodgins and are taking a chance on former Indianapolis Colts wideout Parris Campbell. Plus, the Giants traded for former Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller, who when healthy, can dominate a game. But health is the issue with them.

Even with those players, plus whenever Saquon Barkley returns to the Giants, on offense, Jones still needs that one guy. That 1,000-yard receiver. That bonafide No. 1 receiver. That throw deep to and go get it type receiver. Hyatt can be that guy for the Giants.

Darius Slayton, who also signed a two-year deal to return to NY, has been the leading receiver for the Giants in three of the four years he has been a member of the team, and with Jones. But if the Giants want to surpass their division counterparts in the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, more needed to be done. Bringing in a deep threat like Hyatt was a statement that needed to be made.

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