The New York Giants are seeking a veteran wide receiver who can stretch the field and add some dynamics to their vertical passing game.
The team has recently met with free agent wideout Gabe Davis, who played for Giants head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen with the Buffalo Bills.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Davis could likely solve the Giants’ issue and fill the need, but he’s coming off surgery for a torn meniscus. He was recently released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he played for just one season.
The Giants may not need to even bring Davis on board. The solution could be right under their noses in third-year wideout Jalin Hyatt, says former Giants wide receiver Allen Robinson Jr.
“Something they missed last year was being able to create those explosives down the field,” Robinson said over the weekend on New York Daily News Giants beat writer Pat Leonard’s podcast. “Gabe Davis is a really good player. Style of play, as far as what Gabe did in Buffalo, he was a pretty low-volume guy, some big targets, made a lot of plays on scrambles with Josh Allen, made a lot of plays on posts and go-balls.”
“I think you’ve got to kind of find out where Jalin Hyatt can fit into that role,” Robinson continued. “I know Gabe Davis will have some familiarity, but if I was the Giants right now, rather than bringing in another receiver, I would be trying to figure out how do we unlock and untap Jalin Hyatt’s potential.”
Hyatt was a third-round draft pick in 2023 and has appeared in 33 games for the Giants. He had just eight receptions for 62 yards in 2024, but not all of that is on him. And his 23 receptions for 373 yards in 2023 aren’t all on him either. Hyatt hasn’t had a stable quarterback since he joined the Giants, so it’s hardly an accurate assessment to look at his production over the last two years.
“It’s still early,” Robinson said. “At least see it out through the OTA process, mandatory minicamp. Give him another offseason program to see if that can improve.
“He has new quarterbacks, as well. Russell Wilson likes to push it down the field in the play-action game. Jameis [Winston] always loves to push it down the field. Having Jalin right now on your roster, maybe they can sit tight and see how that plays out. He is a young, explosive receiver, and not many teams have those guys just sitting around.”
If the Giants give Hyatt a chance and watch him during offseason training and through preseason, they might just find that he isn’t the same receiver with a veteran quarterback tossing him the rock. Hyatt has potential, loads of it. If the Giants can tap into that potential this offseason and create a connection between him and Russell Wilson, the Giants’ offense will be that much more formidable in 2025.