ESPN draft expert reveals NFL comparison, best team fits for Jalin Hyatt
Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt has catapulted up draft boards over the last year, and now the reigning Biletnikoff Award recipient is ready to make his mark on the NFL.
April may seem like a long ways away, but Matt Miller of ESPN has the football world covered, revealing his scouting report, an NFL comparison and the best team fits for Hyatt.
“The junior caught 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns this season,” wrote Miller. “He was particularly incredible against Alabama at midseason. He caught just six balls in that game but finished with 207 yards and five — yes, five — trips to the end zone. His 18.9 yards per catch ranks 13th in the country, and his 14 catches on balls thrown at least 20 yards downfield are tied for fourth.
“Hyatt isn’t just a speed threat, though. His ability to track, attack and adjust for the ball in-flight makes him a certified deep threat. But one evaluator is worried about Hyatt — and the rest of the Volunteers’ offense — acclimating to the NFL.”
Additionally, Miller believes Hyatt compares with former Notre Dame star and first round wide receiver Will Fuller, who played gloriously for a couple of seasons with thew Houston Texans. However, after an injury-filled season with the Miami Dolphins last year, Fuller is a free agent at the moment.
As for his best fit in the NFL, Miller sees three potential options — the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, or the Kansas City Chiefs.
Indisputably, there will be plenty of suitors for Jalin Hyatt at the NFL level. It remains to be seen where he ends up, but expect a couple of teams to look to select him in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
More on Jalin Hyatt, 2023 NFL Draft
Hyatt arrived in Knoxville in 2020 as a four-star recruit and the No. 30 receiver in the class according to On3 Consensus. He immediately contributed as a true freshman and maintained his role in the offense as a sophomore, totaling a combined 41 catches for 502 yards and four touchdowns those years. However, it wasn’t until his junior year this past season that Hyatt made the leap from good to great.
As Cedric Tillman missed more than a month with injury, Hyatt emerged as the top target in the Volunteers’ passing attack. He helped Tennessee get off to an 8-0 start for the first time since 1998, breaking multiple school records in the process. In perhaps the biggest win of the season against Alabama, Hyatt set the program record with five touchdown catches in addition to 207 yards receiving.
Jalin Hyatt has a bright future in the NFL and should be one of the first few receivers off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft.
On3’s Chandler Vessels contributed to this article.