The New York Giants selected Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt with the 73rd overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft in Kansas City on Friday night.
Here are five things to know about Hyatt.
His speed
Hyatt ran the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine this year in 4.4 seconds.
As per NFL Network draft analyst Lance Zierlein, Hyatt is a “long, slender wideout with deep speed that could force defensive coordinators to alter coverage considerations. Hyatt’s gliding gait disguises explosive acceleration that can lead to easy separation on deep throws.”
Zierlein compares Hyatt to legendary Giant nemesis DeSean Jackson.
Tale of the tape
Hyatt was born September 25, 2001 in Irma, South Carolina. He started at Dutch Fork High, where he set school records for receiving yards and touchdowns.
He is 6-foot tall and weighs approximately 190 pounds after adding weight since his 176-pound weigh-in at the NFL Combine.
Hyatt initially committed to Virginia Tech but switched to Tennessee to play under head coach Jeremy Pruitt, who incidentally became an assistant coach under Joe Judge with the Giants in 2021.
Stardom at Tennessee
Hyatt, a junior, racked up 67 catches for 1,267 yards and a school-record 15 touchdowns, averaging 18.9 yards per reception and 105.6 yards per game in 2022.
He finished second in the FBS and first in the Power Five in receiving touchdowns, while ranking fifth in the FBS in receiving yards and led the SEC in receiving yards, touchdowns, receptions per game (5.6), and receiving yards per game.
Hyatt’s 15 receiving scores tied for sixth in SEC single-season history, while his 1,267 yards finished second in school history — 31 yards shy of Robert Meachem’s record in 2006 and according to Pro Football Focus accumulated 537 yards after the catch.
Accolades
Hyatt was recognized widely by many of the powers that be as a top college player. He has a first-round pedigree. Here are some of his accolades.
- 2022 Biletnikoff Award Winner
- 2022 Unanimous and Consensus First-Team All-American (Walter Camp, FWAA, Associated Press, Sporting News, AFCA, NCAA, ESPN, The Athletic, CBSSports.com/247Sports)
- 2022 Maxwell Award Semifinalist
- 2022 Walter Camp Player of the Year Semifinalist
- 2022 All-SEC First Team (Associated Press, Coaches, USA TODAY)
- Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week (vs. #3 Alabama, 10/15/22)
- Maxwell Award National Player of the Week: (vs. #3 Alabama, 10/15/22)
- SEC Offensive Player of the Week; (vs. #3 Alabama, 10/15/22)
Giants are getting a special player
Hyatt’s bio from Tennessee reads like a Hall of Fame plaque:
The most explosive playmaker in all of college football who left his mark as the nation’s best receiver and a unanimous first-team All-American … Became the first player in program history to win the Biletnikoff Award in 2022, presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in the FBS…
Led the nation in 40+ yard receptions (11), 50+ yard catches (7) and 60+ yard catches (5) … His 11 40+ yard catches were better than eight SEC teams’ entire total for the season … Logged five 100-yard receiving games on the year, which led the SEC and tied for sixth in UT single-season history.
