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NY Giants grades for 2023 rookies during the preseason

The first-year Big Blue playmakers were fantastic during the preseason

By Zak Musso

New York Giants rookie cornerback Deonte Banks participates in drills on the first day of mandatory
New York Giants rookie cornerback Deonte Banks participates in drills on the first day of mandatory / Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com /
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NY Giants OL John Michael Schmitz: A

Joe Schoen is building an offensive line in New York. Schoen drafted Evan Neal in the first round last April, signed Andrew Thomas to a monstrous five-year, $117.5 million extension in July, and drafted Schmitz in the second round this spring.

Schmitz should have gone in Round 1 based on his summer play. The rookie has gone toe to toe with Giants star and recently rich DT Dexter Lawrence in camp, a player who was graded as the second-best DT in football, better than Aaron Donald, by PFF last season.

Schmitz will start immediately for the Giants, and it looks like the Giants have found their center of the future. If you watched Nebraska at Minnesota (Schmitz’s alma mater) Thursday night, you saw Minnesota’s offense unable to function without Schmitz, a 2022 All-American. He is that kind of player.

NY Giants WR Jalin Hyatt: A

The Giants selected Hyatt with the 73rd pick in the 2023 draft. Many thought Hyatt should have gone in the first round, and the Giants got him in the third round. If you watched the Giants viral draft room video, you know Schoen wanted Schmitz or Hyatt in Round 2, and somehow he got them both.

Hyatt has shown off his incredible speed this offseason. After playing his college ball at Tennessee, a comprehensive receiver-friendly system, many questioned if Hyatt could be an elite route runner in the NFL. All offseason, Hyatt has shown he can run routes.

The rookie had a rough preseason debut in Detroit, hauling in just one ball for -4 yards. Hyatt balled out in the next two preseason games, hauling in a 33-yard touchdown from Tyrod Taylor against Carolina and then dusting Sauce Gardner in the Jets game (the pass was incomplete).

Hyatt recently changed his number from 84 to 13, a famous wide receiver number in New York. Odell Beckham Jr. hauled in 91 Eli Manning passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns as a rookie wearing the number 13 jersey in 2014. If Hyatt comes near that mark this year, we will sing his praises.

His summer performance should earn him substantial playing time this fall, which was not guaranteed two months ago.

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