Giants receiver Jalin Hyatt more comfortable in his second training camp
Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt smiles during training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, N.J., Friday. Credit: Ed Murray
Jalin Hyatt isn’t a rookie anymore.
At Giants training camp, he’s being counted on as one of the wideouts who are receiving the most playing time with Daniel Jones.
“Jalen continues to seek answers on how he can be better,” coach Brian Daboll said. “And that’s what you want.”
On the practice field, Hyatt, Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson and rookie Malik Nabers often stand out and certainly receive the bulk of the playing time with Jones.
That is intentional, Daboll said, in an effort to foster as much chemistry as possible with the starting quarterback.
Hyatt has made some impressive catches in recent practices along the sidelines. He said he worked on that in the offseason. He said it’s about “being prepared, doing your job, catching the ball when you need to catch the ball. When it hits your hands, we need to catch it. It’s our standard here. So just making the play.”
After totaling 23 receptions for 373 yards without a touchdown as a rookie, Hyatt seems more comfortable in his second season. He said that comes from “knowing my assignment, knowing what I’ve got to do. Feeling confident in myself. When I’m out there on the field, knowing the offense, knowing where the ball is going, in and out of the huddle quicker, seeing defenses, knowing their coverages. A lot of things that I’ve worked on that I still need to improve on. But we’re getting there.”
Jones already has an established chemistry with Slayton, who has sat out recent practices because he was “tight,” Daboll said. “Obviously, Malik is new and Jalin played sparingly last year,” he added. “Wan’Dale is coming back fully healthy. So the timing, the body language, there’s a lot to the passing game to make it work. So we’re doing as much as we can, whether it’s individual routes, whether it’s certain plays we’re trying to take a look at for those guys. But it’s important to build that chemistry.”
Asked if Jones has taken on more of a vocal leadership role, Daboll said, “I think he has his way to lead. He does a good job in the huddle. Outside, you may not see it, but he’s a good communicator in the huddle. He’s locked in.”
Allen Robinson, in his 11th NFL season, is in camp with the Giants and likes what he sees from his fellow receivers.
“They’re very versatile, and they have the will to get better and the want to get better,” he said. “I think when you see a young group like this one, they’re striving and seeking to get better.”
Notes & quotes: Jones found Robinson for a touchdown with Cor’Dale Flott in coverage . . . Running back Devin Singletary used a nifty spin move to reach the end zone . . . Safety Jason Pinnock corralled an interception on a pass intended for Nabers. Jones likely wanted that throw back . . . Backup quarterback Drew Lock found Isaiah Hodgins, who made a nice catch in the waning moments of practice.
Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.
