Jalin Hyatt makes Peter Schrager's top 5 rookies of Week 2 list
Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt made a big impact in Sunday's comeback win over the Cardinals. The first-year wideout caught two passes for a team-high 89 yards, with both receptions quickly leading to Giants touchdowns within the next few plays.
Hyatt is being recognized for his strong performance by members of the media, including NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" host Peter Schrager, who ranked him among the top five rookies of Week 2.
"Let's go to a guy from the University of Tennessee, who made the big play for the New York Giants right out of the half, it's this guy, Jalin Hyatt," Schrager said. "Giants getting blown out in the first half. First play in the second half, Brian Daboll dials it up with Mike Kafka. Let's get deep to Hyatt."
Schrager went on to refer to the rookie wide receiver as "reliable" as he came up with another big 31-yard reception on the Giants' final touchdown drive.
The two passes thrown to Hyatt had air yards of 43.4 and 30.2, according to Next Gen Stats, which highlights how big of a downfield threat the rookie can be.
The former Tennessee Volunteer had a breakout campaign in 2022, as he put together the best receiving season in school history. The 6-foot, 185-pound receiver pulled in 67 passes for 1,267 yards and a school-record 15 touchdowns in 12 games, including a program-record five scores in one contest (vs. Alabama on 10/15). He finished the season with averages of 18.9 yards per reception and 105.6 yards per game.
He became the first player in school history to win the Biletnikoff Award, presented each year to the nation's most outstanding wide receiver. Hyatt also became the first wide receiver in Tennessee history to be named First-Team All-American and the first Volunteer to achieve the feat since Eric Berry in 2009. He was also named First-Team All-SEC as he led the conference in receiving yards, touchdowns, receptions per game and receiving yards per game.
The deep ball connection between Hyatt and quarterback Daniel Jones could be one we see often this season. Jones' 119.3 passer rating on deep passes was the third-highest in the NFL last year, while his 43.5 deep completion percentage ranked ninth.
Here are Peter Schrager's top five rookies from Week 2:
- WR Puka Nucua, Los Angeles Rams
- RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
- QB Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
- WR Jalin Hyatt, New York Giants
- WR Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos
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