Pros and cons of New York Giants taking Tennessee football’s Jalin Hyatt in 2023 NFL Draft
Tennessee football’s Jalin Hyatt was selected by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Hyatt is a 6-foot, 176-pound wide receiver from Irmo, South Carolina. He was the 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner as the top pass catcher in college football.
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The positives
Hyatt had more highlights than any wide receiver in college football last season. He had 67 receptions for 1,267 yards (18.9 average) and 15 TDs.
His best games came against NFL-caliber competition. He had an SEC-record five TD catches against Alabama and two TD catches against LSU. Those seven TD catches against AP Top 25 teams were the most by any receiver.
Hyatt has elite game speed and deceptive acceleration that creates matchup problems, especially from his preferred position in the slot. He consistently ran past defenders to get open deep and outran tacklers toward the end zone.
The concerns
Hyatt’s speed showed up on game film. But his 4.4 time in the 40-yard dash was very good but not great, creating a hint of doubt.
Hyatt was a weapon in Tennessee’s No. 1 ranked offense. But there’s a notion that he got open because of the offensive scheme as much as his ability.
Hyatt may have position limitations. He has more straight-line speed like an outside receiver than vertical quickness like a slot receiver. And he has struggled to get off press-man coverage, so he likely will stay in the slot.
Final thoughts
Hyatt can excel in the right offense under a coach who recognizes his strengths and accentuates them. At Tennessee, quarterback Hendon Hooker and coach Josh Heupel did that, and elite defenses rarely slowed him down.
But there’s also the possibility that Hyatt could be treated like a square peg in a round hole.
His skillset and limitations aren’t mysteries. So any team should be able to know how to utilize him, but it may take a little imagination.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. Twitter @AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: New York Giants pick Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt in 2023 NFL Draft
