Who has been the New York Giants' most disappointing player the past two seasons? Take your pick, but many will say it's 2023 third-round pick Jalin Hyatt, the underused speedster out of Tennessee.
Hyatt had a very deflating sophomore season in 2024, catching just eight passes for 62 yards and no touchdowns on a paltry 19 targets. One could point to injuries, but that wasn't an issue in Hyatt's case. He dressed for 16 of the Giants' 17 games last year. They just didn't use him, choosing to throw to rookie Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson instead.
This spring, Hyatt came to camp considerably bigger and ready to fight for his career. Teammate Darius Slayton claimed that Hyatt had added "15-20 pounds" of muscle in the offseason.
"He definitely, what he was eating, maybe people or something, he came back swoled up, so he put on a good about 15, 20 pounds, I think. So, he's definitely been stronger, he looks bigger, he looks stronger, and that's definitely helped his game some, and I think he's definitely made strides so far this spring," Slayton said.
Hyatt had also been proactive, hooking up with incoming quarterback Russell Wilson for a series of off-site workouts. That led to Wilson extolling the virtues of the young receiver, and that endorsement has the entire organization believing Hyatt's career could finally take off.
At the team's OTAs, Wilson and Hyatt hooked up on several connections deep down the field.
"I think that the biggest thing is just consistency that I can bring to him every day, too, and just making sure that I'm always giving him the extra opportunities down the field, but also not just down the field, but in any play we've got and spending extra time on the field. And he's got great work ethic, Jalin does, and I think he's got a great grit to him," Wilson said.
"I think that he wants to be great every day, and he's got all the special pieces to it all. I think what makes a great receiver is his ability to catch the ball and contest the situations. He does a great job of that, and he's got a great opportunity, in my opinion, this year to really set the tone in a great way. I've got all the belief in Jalin and who he's going to be and what he's going to mean to us and make clutch plays for us when it really matters in great way. I'm excited for what he's going to do this year and the rest of his career."
There's still doubt among the fans that Hyatt has bulked up to the degree that Slayton claims. We decided to investigate.
At the 2023 NFL combine, Hyatt was measured at 6-foot tall and 176 pounds. His last measurement, taken on Day 1 of the Giants' 2024 training camp check-in, was 6-foot, 185 pounds. He won't be remeasured until the Giants open their 2025 camp on July 22.
But photographic evidence clearly shows a more muscular Hyatt. Here's Hyatt in a photo from last season.
#Giants former 3rd round pick receiver Jalin Hyatt posted a message to the world:
“I hold grudges .. I ain’t forgot”
Hyatt, only 23 years old, had just eight receptions for 62 yards last season pic.twitter.com/cFWuroEcWr— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) June 5, 2025
Here are some shots from the past six weeks at organized team activities (OTAs).
A bigger, better Jalin Hyatt coming to the field this season? 🤔💪 #NYGiantspic.twitter.com/s2zcUZR1Yp
— Fireside Giants (@FiresideGiants) June 12, 2025
"WR Jalin Hyatt looks like a different player" so far at OTAs, per Jordan Raanan. pic.twitter.com/Kqez1y2HcB
— Gridiron Media (@Gridiron_Media_) June 5, 2025
We estimated that Hyatt is up about 10 pounds this offseason. He's still long and lean but has grown enough for the Giants to think twice about adding any more veterans to the wide receiver room.
As it turns out, Hyatt actually added roughly 23 or 24 pounds this offseason, going from 171 at the end of last season to 194-195 this offseason.
"I played at 171 last year," Hyatt said on the Giants Huddle Podcast. "I'm about 194-195 now. I'm telling you, that's what darkness does to you. It changes you.
"The speed will stay there. For me, it's just learning to run at this weight; learning to play faster, play bigger, and play stronger through contact. . . Just had to get stronger."
Hyatt still has holes in his game that need to be rectified, however. He was a raw speedster coming out of college, and his game needed much refining. Size was just one of his issues. He needs to run better routes and learn to use that blazing speed to his advantage.
With Wilson, Hyatt could begin to flourish. Wilson appears to trust him, which was apparently a problem with the previous quarterback group. Time will tell if all of Hyatt's hard work has paid off.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Jalin Hyatt on muscle gain: 'That's what darkness does to you'
