The New York Giants are far from well-stocked at wide receiver, even after the decision to bring back Isaiah Hodgins. Sterling Shepard has already been released, while Richie James and Darius Slayton remain free agents.
Slayton is the lone, true field-stretcher on the depth chart, so the Giants won’t want to lose him in 2023 NFL free agency. Particularly not to an NFC East rival like the Dallas Cowboys.
No. 86 moving to AT&T Stadium is a scenario outlined by DallasCowboys.com staff writer Patrik Walker. He believes “striking a deal with Slayton would not only bolster the Cowboys receiving unit, it would also weaken their division rival’s.”
Walker rightly pointed out how Slayton enjoyed a banner campaign by producing some of the best numbers of his career, “numbers that could immediately help the Cowboys move the chains on a more regular basis but, more importantly, stretch the field vertically.”
The latter is a quality the Giants need more of in their own passing attack. So keeping Slayton remains an underrated part of general manager Joe Schoen’s already lengthy to-do list.
Former 5th-Round Pick Had Breakout Year
Slayton’s breakout campaign saw the player the Giants drafted in the fifth round in 2019 turn 46 receptions into 30 first downs and 15.7 yards per catch, per Pro Football Reference. It was the third time in Slayton’s career he’s averaged at least 15 yards a grab.
Further proof of Slayton’s ability to stretch the field comes from the 12 catches he made for 20-plus yards. They included 3 receptions for 40 or more yards.
More than just posing a vertical threat, Slayton showcased a true talent for gaining yards in chunks after the catch. He amassed 262 of his 724 yards after the catch, including this 54-yard touchdown against the Houston Texans in Week 10:
WOW DANIEL JONES TO DARIUS SLAYTON. 54-YARD TD!
📺: #HOUvsNYG on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/FnZxSAlQXS
Slayton continued to showcase the same field-stretching speed when the Giants confounded the experts and reached the playoffs. He hauled in this 47-yarder against the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card Playoffs:
Darius Slayton over the middle with room to run!
📺: #NYGvsMIN on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/AJ2krfYypW
Slayton’s ability to cover ground quickly proved crucial down the stretch. Not only did he provide a deep outlet that prevented defenses from keeping eight men in the box to key on running back Saquon Barkley. Slayton also eased the pressure on quarterback Daniel Jones.
The latter doesn’t have the strongest arm, but he could trust Slayton to turn his quick, short throws into big plays. Slayton’s flair for the big play is a unique quality among Giants’ wideouts.
No other receiver who started double-digit games came within two yards of Slayton’s average gain per reception. Nor did anyone match the 26-year-old’s 10.2 yards per target.
Slayton has attributes the Giants need moving forward if head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka are going to expand the passing game. Fortunately, the Giants have already taken steps to reshuffle the deck ahead of next season.
Giants’ Wide Receiver Room Taking Shape
Shepard’s contract was voided on Wednesday, February 15, while Hodgins’ return was confirmed 24 hours later:
We have signed WR Isaiah Hodgins, who was set to become an exclusive rights free agent
Like Slayton, Hodgins was a breakout star after arriving from the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad midway through last season. He made 33 catches for 351 yards and four touchdowns, before burning the Vikings for eight grabs, 105 yards and a score in the postseason.
Bringing Hodgins back was a necessary start to the Giants keeping what they have at the position. Slayton should be next up for a new contract before Schoen gets into the tricky business of re-signing Jones and Barkley.
Paying a market value Spotrac.com projects at $3.5 million per year is a smarter move than letting Slayton join a Cowboys offense already stacked on the outside with CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.
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Giants’ Field-Stretcher Named ‘Worthy’ of NFC East Rival