Jalin Hyatt projected as first-round pick in one NFL mock draft
Jalin Hyatt just keeps getting open. Saturday, against Missouri on Senior Day at Neyland Stadium, he lined up behind the weak side of an unbalanced offensive line, snuck out to the sideline and was all alone for a 68-yard touchdown.
It was his 15th touchdown on the season, extending the Tennessee record that he set two weeks ago against Kentucky. Earlier against Missouri, on a 30-yard reception that set up another Tennessee touchdown, Hyatt became just the ninth receiver in program history to eclipse 1,000 yards for the season.
And he still has two regular-season games to go.
Now Hyatt finds himself in the conversation to cap off his breakout junior season by potentially be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
CBS Sports earlier this week had Hyatt as the No. 20 overall pick in its updated NFL Mock Draft, with the 6-foot, 185-pounder projected to the Tennessee Titans in the later stages of the first round.
Jalin Hyatt a ‘bona fide deep threat’ for Tennessee
“Hyatt wasn’t in the first-round conversation heading into the season,” Ryan Wilson wrote for CBS Sports, “but he’s a great example of a player taking advantage of his opportunities, thanks in large part to Hendon Hooker’s Heisman Trophy campaign.
“Hyatt is a bona fide deep threat who consistently stacks defensive backs who have been helpless to do much about it all season.”
Hyatt is leads college football in touchdowns (15), is second nationally in receiving (1,116 yards) and second in yards per game (116.7).
He’s averaging 19.24 yards per reception as arguably the biggest deep threat in college football. Hyatt is No. 1 in the country in plays of 30 or more yards (14), 40 or more yards (10), 50 or more yards (6) and 60 or more yards (4).
His absurd numbers this season include a four-game stretch, from LSU on October 8 through Kentucky on October 29, Hyatt caught 22 passes for 582 yards and 11 touchdowns.
He had four catches for 63 yards and two touchdowns at LSU, six catches for 207 yards and a school-record five touchdowns against Alabama on October 15, seven catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns against UT Martin and five catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
No. 5 Tennessee at South Carolina, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN
Hyatt finished the Missouri game Saturday with seven catches for 146 yards and a touchdown.
He had five catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns and started the season with a touchdown on Tennessee’s first offensive snap against Ball State on September 1.
Hyatt addressed his potential NFL future on Saturday after the win over Missouri, saying he’ll make that decision when the time comes. That time is not here yet.
“I’m just going to worry about the season now,” he said. “Worry about what we have to do and how we have to finish out for our goal. But you now, with that situation, it’s something I would have to talk to my family about, coaches about.
“It’s a lot of things with that process. I’ll deal with that during the offseason when it comes up. Right now I’m just focused on this season, focused on these guys up here, focused on just getting to our goal. And that’s the national championship.”
