The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers appear to have hit a home run on Christian Watson. Brian Gutekunst traded up in the second round to nab the North Dakota State University wide receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft. When Watson was healthy, he proved to be a dynamic playmaker with his world-class speed. Now, the Packers need to continue to add more electric weapons this offseason.
A player that Gutekunst could target in the 2023 NFL Draft is Jalin Hyatt. The Tennessee wide receiver checks in at No. 84 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
A four-star recruit out of South Carolina, Hyatt caught 20 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman in 2020. The following season, Hyatt reeled in 21 receptions for 226 yards and two touchdowns.
This past season, Hyatt became the first Tennessee wide receiver to win the Biletnikoff Award. Hyatt finished the season with 67 receptions for an SEC-leading 1,267 yards and a program-record 15 touchdowns.
“Hyatt had the best season in college football in 2022,” Adam Sparks, the Tennessee reporter for the Knoxville News Sentinel said. “I voted for him for the Biletnikoff Award, which he won. He had one of the best receiving games in SEC history (five touchdown catches vs Alabama) and did his best work against Top 25 teams. After a few years of trying to find his niche, he located it in a big way as a vertical threat, mostly in the slot, for the No. 1 offense in college football.”
Hyatt’s trump card is his speed. Alabama, a team that will likely have four defensive backs selected in the Top 150 in April had no answer for the speed merchant. The Tennessee wide receiver finished the game against the Crimson Tide with six receptions for 207 yards and five touchdowns, with two of those touchdowns going for 60 and 78 yards. Alabama knew what he was going to do and still could not contain him.
To quote Lightning McQueen, Hyatt is speed. He’s faster than fast. He’s quicker than quick. He’s lightning. This past season, Hyatt led the Nation with 11 receptions of 40-plus yards. The former four-star recruit also had five receptions of 60-plus yards.
The Volunteer wide receiver just has a different gear and was typically the fastest guy on the field. He’s able to get on top cornerbacks with his long strides and he creates vertical separation with his world-class speed. It was a remarkable feat to watch him just run right by with ease against SEC defensive backs.
“I’ll be curious to see his 40 time in workouts,” Sparks said. “That’s where his draft stock could rise the most. Hyatt has great genes for running. His mom was a sprinter and later his high school track coach. His dad was an elite cyclist. Hyatt has a tremendous burst but also sustained stamina. That showed up quite a bit in Tennessee’s up-tempo offense, which is the fastest operating in college football at about three plays per minute. Hyatt sprinted past defenders early in games and late when defensive backs were perhaps a half-step slower.”
Hyatt tracks the ball well in flight and has reliable hands. According to PFF, Hyatt had five drops on 89 targets this past season.
Hyatt is a home run vertical threat. Nobody in this draft class can match him in that category. He’s lacking branches on his route tree. In Tennessee’s offense, he wasn’t asked to run a diverse route tree, so his route running will need polishing. He also didn’t face a lot of press coverage and lined up in the slot 87 percent of the time this past season.
“I think a big question for him is where he fits in a receiving corps,” Sparks said. “Early in his career, he certainly had the speed to play outside, but he wasn’t physical enough to get off press-man coverage. He thrived in the slot, where coverage was softer at the line of scrimmage. But his route-running seems to fit an outside receiver more than a slot receiver. Hyatt gained strength last year, which made him more versatile on the outside or slot. But there’s still a question about where he fits. I think his skillset makes more sense on the outside, but his perceived lack of physicality pushes him inside.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Hyatt finished this past season with 537 yards after the catch. With the ball in his hands, he has the speed to destroy pursuit angles. A huge chunk of those yards came with Hyatt simply just running away from defensive backs with his bye-bye speed after he got the ball downfield.
“Hyatt can run away from just about any defender, with or without the ball in his hands,” Sparks said. “But he has more breakaway straight-line speed than lateral stop-and-start elusive speed. That’s what makes him an interesting case. If he’s in the slot, he may not be an elite catch-and-run guy, but he’ll burn past any defensive back on a vertical route. So he’s not a cookie cutter receiver. A creative offensive mind can really utilize him.”
Fit with the Packers
Speed kills. It can’t be coached and Hyatt has world-class speed that would put a lot of stress on opposing defenses. If a team can be patient with his skill set and help him polish his route running, he could develop into more than a one-trick pony.
Jalin Hyatt was doing this stuff as a true freshman against Jordan Battle.
His ability to widen while accelerating is big time and will translate.
I see Tyrell Williams type production worst case. pic.twitter.com/PdFUFKN3xA
— Spencer N. Schultz (@ravens4dummies) February 1, 2023
“If I had confidence that my offensive coaching staff could utilize a particular playmaker and his skill sets I would draft Hyatt,” Sparks said. “Again, Hyatt may be a hybrid – a slot receiver whose best routes are more typical for outside receivers. If used properly, he’s a matchup nightmare. If misused, he’s jammed too much on the outside or minimized in the slot with short routes. If Hyatt is going north and south, he’s making big plays. If he’s going east and west, his impact is lessened. So if I loved the deep ball in all forms – think Al Davis’ old draft mentality – then I’d draft Hyatt. But I wouldn’t draft him without a plan and an understanding of his unique makeup.”
Matt LaFleur was creative in how he got the ball in Watson’s hands during his rookie season. Watson also silenced a lot of critics that said he was raw coming out of NDSU. He proved to be a well-rounded wide receiver as a rookie.
That likely won’t be the case for Hyatt. He may be more of a one-hit-wonder during his rookie season. That one-hit could be a classic, like Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch’s, Good Vibrations.
Then again, like Watson at NDSU, Hyatt just wasn’t asked to run an expansive route tree in Tennessee’s spread offense. Maybe he comes into camp and showcases a part of his game that he didn’t get to put on tape.
If Hyatt were to land in Green Bay, there is little doubt that LaFleur would put him in a position to excel during his first year in the league while he rounds out the rest of his game.
Jalin Hyatt and Christian Watson in the same offense?
Yes please. #SpeedKills pic.twitter.com/LJPLk1gcsB
— Brennen Rupp (@Brennen_Rupp) February 1, 2023
A year ago, Gutekunst traded up and landed a dynamic playmaker in Watson. If Hyatt is sitting on the board to start day two of the 2023 NFL Draft, it would not be shocking to see Green Bay’s general manager make a move to go up and get the 2022 Biletnikoff Award Winner.
An offense with Watson and Hyatt on the field together with their speed would be the cause for many sleepless nights for opposing defensive coordinators.
