Instant Reaction: ESPN draft analysts talk Jalin Hyatt in third round to New York Giants

 What ESPN NFL Draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr., Booger McFarland and Louis Riddick said after Jalin Hyatt was picked by the New York Giants at 73rd overall, taken in the third round Friday night in Kansas City:

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: “They had two really good receivers over the last couple years, Cedric Tillman in 2021 and this year Tillman gets hurt, in steps Jalin Hyatt. Jalin Hyatt picked up right where Tillman left off. (He’s) 6-foot, 176 pounds. You talk about splendid splinters, there are a few of them out there. He’s 6-foot, 176, gotta get stronger, gotta add some weight to that frame. But he was a constant threat to take that top off of a defense. Good hands, tracked the ball well. He needs to expand that route tree. Not great at yards after catch. But against Alabama, six catches for 207 yards, school-record five touchdowns in that game. Talk about what he did this season, he was the guy. He was the go-to guy with Cedric Tillman out. Tillman returned for the final three games of the year, but Jalin Hyatt allowed Hendon Hooker to put up those numbers, to become a guy we were talking about as one of the elite quarterbacks in college football. This kid stepped forward when they needed him most and had a whale of a season.”

ESPN’s Booger McFarland: “I love this pick. You sign your quarterback Daniel Jones to a longterm deal. When you watched the Giants last year, the only receiver they had going deep was Darius Slayton. So now you add some speed to the mix. You’ve got to support your long quarterback. They need to make downfield plays. Too many times we saw the Giants (being) too methodical moving the football. They need some explosive plays and I think this is a chance they can make their offense more explosive.”

ESPN’s Louis Riddick: “The best thing about this guy, he’s not a one-trick pony. They can move him around. They can play him in the slot, he can run all the routes. He’s not just a vertical threat. And he’s got smooth, easy hands now. He’s going to be a good wide receiver for Daniel Jones.”

ESPN’s Steve Muench: “The Giants have signed Jamison Crowder and Parris Campbell to complement Darius Slayton. However, Sterling Shepard is coming off a torn ACL, they cut Kenny Golladay and traded Kadarius Toney last year. Hyatt is a vertical threat who will make it tough to load up against the run and rotate the coverage to Slayton’s side of the field.”

Hyatt, Tennessee’s first Biletnikoff Award winner, led college football and set a new Tennessee single-season record with 15 touchdowns while erupting onto the scene during his junior season. He finished with 1,267 receiving yards on the year.

Hyatt’s 1,267 yards came on just 67 receptions, giving him an average of 18.9 yards per catch. As the biggest deep threat the country, Hyatt finished No. 1 in the country in plays of 30 or more yards (15), 40 or more yards (11), 50 or more yards (7) and 60 or more yards (5).

During a four-game stretch last season, from LSU on October 8 through Kentucky on October 29, Hyatt caught 22 passes for 582 yards and 11 touchdowns.

ESPN NFL Draft Scouting Report — Jalin Hyatt

Scout Inc.: “Hyatt is an explosive playmaker with the burst to quickly eat up cushions and the second gear to get behind the coverage. He’s not an ankle breaker, and he’s not going to break many tackles, but his speed makes him a threat after the catch. Hyatt gets open due in large part to his ability to run away from man coverage. That said, he’s not a polished route runner at this point. He’s a hands catcher who shows the ability to pluck the ball out of the air. Hyatt needs to get stronger and grow as a route runner, but he has the talent to push for a No. 3 role as a rookie.”