The New York Giants believe they have added speed to their roster this offseason, especially at the wide receiver position.
Free agents Parris Campbell, Jeff Smith, Bryce Ford-Wheaton and this year’s third-round draft pick, Jalin Hyatt, have all logged in superb times in the 40-yard dash over their careers with times of 4.31, 4.34, 4.38 and 4.40, respectively.
Add those names to the incumbent speedster Darius Slayton and there’s going to be a lot of competition for the title of who’s the fastest in the Giants’ wide receiver room.
Slayton, at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine, was clocked at 4.39 in the 40, which was actually fifth that year among wideouts behind Campbell, Andy Isabella, D.K. Metcalf, Mecole Hardman and Terry McLaurin.
“It has to be me,” Slayton responded when asked who was faster him or Hyatt. “Love him, great kid, but it has to be me.”
Speaking to reporters at the Giants’ OTA session on Wednesday, Slayton — a 2019 firth round draft pick out of Auburn who was re-signed this past offseason — spoke about the sudden injection of speed into the Giants’ receiving corps.
“As a speed guy, I lean towards other speed guys. I like watching people flying around fast. We’ve got a lot of them now,” Slayton said. “Parris was a 4.30 guy. Jeff Smith was a 4.2 guy, low 4.3 guy. And Hyatt obviously could fly. I could fly. You turn on the film, it’s a whole lot of flying. I mean, it’s fun to watch, fun to play with guys like that.”
Many thought the Giants might be done with Slayton when his contract ran out after last season. Too many drops, including a key one against Minnesota in the postseason last year, and perceived inconsistency over his four years here were reasons why fans wouldn’t ride if the Giants let him walk.
The Giants, on the other hand, are smarter these days. They know Slayton has been their top receiver since arriving here in 2019, plus he’s developed a strong rapport with quarterback Daniel Jones. And when DJ signed a new deal, Slayton chose to return over going elsewhere.
“I think there’s a lot in limbo this offseason. D.J. was out there. A lot of us were free agents, that type of deal. But I think once he came back, I think it made all the sense in the world to keep playing with him. Got great chemistry with him. I enjoy being a part of this franchise. So, for me, it just made the most sense to come back,” he said.
The reality is, Slayton has been one of the top deep threats in the NFL over the past few seasons. Last year, he averaged 15.7 yards per reception — his highest ever — which put him fifth among wideouts who had 70 or more targets behind Jaylen Waddle, Gabe Davis, A.J. Brown and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Slayton has averaged 15.0 yards per catch over his four seasons on 170 receptions. In the Super Bowl era, that places him only behind the likes of Lionel Manuel (17.0), Earnest Gray (15.5) and Plaxixo Burress (15.1) and tied with Victor Cruz for the best career YPC of Giants players with over 170 receptions.
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