Jalin Hyatt signs rookie contract with New York Giants
Jalin Hyatt has signed his rookie contract with the New York Giants, valued by Spotrac at $5.610 million, including a $1,091 million signing bonus. The Giants picked Hyatt in the third round of the NFL Draft, selecting him at No. 73 overall.
Hyatt, first-round pick Darnell Wright and quarterback Hendon Hooker, another third-round selection, have all signed their rookie deals.
Wright’s rookie contract with the Chicago Bears, who drafted him at No. 10 overall in the first round, was announced on Monday and is valued at $20.968 million, including $12.249 million signing bonus. Hooker, the No. 68 overall pick to the Detroit Lions, signed his rookie contract last week, valued at $5.719 million, including $1.159 million as a signing bonus.
Hyatt was one of five Tennessee players selected in the third round, five slots behind Hooker and just ahead of Cedric Tillman, who went at No. 74, Cleveland Browns. Edge-rusher Byron Young was selected at No. 77 to the Los Angeles Rams.
Jalin Hyatt in 2022: 67 catches, 1,267 yards, 15 TDs
Hyatt caught 67 passes during his breakout junior season. He finished with 1,267 receiving yards and caught 15 touchdowns. He led Tennessee in all three categories, came within 31 yards of Tennessee’s single-season record for receiving yards and set a new record with the 15 touchdowns.
He also became the first Tennessee player to win the Bilenikoff Award, given annually to college football’s best wide receiver.
“I wasn’t worried if I was sliding up or down or whatever,” Hyatt said during his introductory press conference with the Giants. “I know for me, whatever team drafted me, I knew I was going to do. The Giants took me, traded up to get me, and that’s something I’ll never forget. Now it’s time to put in work, do what I have to do and make my name here.”
Hyatt during his first press conference said he was already working on setting up throwing sessions with Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.
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“We’re going to get on the field soon, I can tell you that,” Hyatt said. “I need to text him later, go ahead and get the playbook down. Get him to send me the playbook so we can get rolling.
“I can’t wait. Daniel Jones is a great quarterback, we all know that. He’s proven himself. Now it’s time for me to prove myself. I can’t wait for it.”
Jalin Hyatt: ‘I had dreams of coming to the NFL’
Hyatt combined for 41 catches for 502 yards and four touchdowns over his freshman and sophomore seasons, appearing in 17 games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
He caught his first career touchdown pass and finished with five catches for 81 yards against Alabama in 2020, but finished the year with just 276 yards and two touchdowns. He went down to 226 receiving yards as a sophomore in 2021, ending the season with a touchdown catch against Purdue in the Music City Bowl.
“I had dreams of coming to the NFL,” Hyatt said. “I had dreams of playing here as a kid. Playing basketball, playing football, running track — I had a dream of coming to football.”
