The New York Giants will host the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in a game that will send the Rams to the postseason with a victory.
At the beginning of the season, however, the Giants were the team that everyone thought would be in the playoffs, not the Rams. Things don’t always work out according to plan, as we know.
The two teams made a draft day trade, with the Rams sending the Giants the 73rd overall selection (in Round 3) for the Giants’ third-rounder (No. 89) and a fourth-round pick (No. 128).
With that selection, the Giants took Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, a speedster who was clocked at 24 MPH during training camp, the highest speed ever recorded by an NFL player.
The Rams took Wake Forest defensive lineman Kobie Turner at No. 89. Turner has had a productive rookie season with 6.5 sacks thus far.
At No. 128, Los Angeles took a flyer on Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett. He has been on the non-football illness list since the start of the season.
Hyatt, on the other hand, has had an up-and-down rookie campaign. He’s dressed for all of the Giants’ 15 games so far this year and has started six. He has just 19 receptions on 34 targets for a total of 343 yards. He leads the team with an 18.1 YPR average, yet the team appears to be apprehensive to turn him loose.
Hyatt is not discouraged about his disappointing rookie season. He realizes the Giants have had issues on the offensive side of the ball this year stemming from the revolving door at both quarterback can along the offensive line due to injuries.
“I’m learning the NFL and how things operate up here,” Hyatt told the New York Post.
“You can’t pout because you never know, next week it might be five targets for me, six targets, seven targets, and what if I’m not ready? If go out there not prepared because I was pouting all week and I do have those opportunities, I don’t come in with them.”
Hyatt has an upbeat attitude and feels his moment will come.
“I can’t control where the ball goes, the only thing I can focus on is myself and this team, just getting open, whatever one-on-one matchup I have or whoever is on me,” he said. “Just come in every day, keep preparing, keep doing the same routine I have weekly, and hopefully, things can change.”
