Darius Slayton stands out among young players at minicamp

consistently and improve his route running, he could be a big plus for the offense.

But if it's a hard working,getting better 6-1, 190, 4.39, that would be nice indeed.

His hands are good not great but he possesses every other quality at a plus level you covet in a big play receiver. Hands can improve with effort, coaching, focus and experience. We also didn't 'overdraft' him but got him in the spot he represented value.

It's quite early in the evaluation process of their two Drafts yet there is every reason to be optimistic that DG and crew have their act together when it comes to evaluating young talent.

He damn well better be making plays in OTAs. It don't mean a thing until the pads are on and he is facing bump and run.

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Dont Throw It To Stone Hands! - ( New Window )

Missing from this offense is the back shoulder throw. Beckham nor Shepherd seem to prefer that route.

It s been a big hole in the offense and one of Eli s best plays over the years.

In comment 14465855 joeinpa said:

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Missing from this offense is the back shoulder throw. Beckham nor Shepherd seem to prefer that route. It s been a big hole in the offense and one of Eli s best plays over the years.

That was a much larger staple of Gilbride's offense. It's not so much that the WR's don't prefer those routes, I just don't think it was really a part of McAdoo's offense and I'm not sure Shurmur has called it much in the past, either.

Eli and Nicks ran those plays extremely well - but the offense was much more of a vertical attack then.

Look forward to seeing him in the preseason

(#171 overall), there has to be a reason. In Slayton's case that reason was his poor hands. His catch rate at Auburn was 38%. As shaky as Stidham was last year, no other Auburn receiver had a catch rate less than 60%. I'm glad it looks like he's doing well so far, but in all honesty I think he's got a very long way to go before he proves himself to be a reliable target.

In comment 14465871 Klaatu said:

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(#171 overall), there has to be a reason. In Slayton's case that reason was his poor hands. His catch rate at Auburn was 38%. As shaky as Stidham was last year, no other Auburn receiver had a catch rate less than 60%. I'm glad it looks like he's doing well so far, but in all honesty I think he's got a very long way to go before he proves himself to be a reliable target.

Well this post certainly brought me back down to reality. I was sitting here thinking, man there must be a problem with his hands if we got him that late. And here it is.

led the SEC in yards per catch.

He reminds me a bit of Mike Wallace who led the SEC in ypc when he was at Ole Miss but had to wait until the third round before he was selected by the Steelers because he was so raw in his route running.

Should Slayton turn out to be as good a find as Wallace was then the Jints did good

In comment 14465871 Klaatu said:

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(#171 overall), there has to be a reason. In Slayton's case that reason was his poor hands. His catch rate at Auburn was 38%. As shaky as Stidham was last year, no other Auburn receiver had a catch rate less than 60%. I'm glad it looks like he's doing well so far, but in all honesty I think he's got a very long way to go before he proves himself to be a reliable target.

That's true and also Auburn WR's usually need work on route running because of the simplicity of their offense.

I wanted the Giants to draft Slayton with their previous pick so I was happy we got him at that spot. I would rather gamble on a talent like Slayton than a low ceiling likely ST'er player like Geremy Davis on day 3.

You're talking about 35 receptions for 670 yards (19.1 ypc), which is nice, but compared to the production of WR's like A.J. Brown (85, 1,320, 15.5) or Deebo Samuel (62, 882, 14.2), or even a TE like Jace Sternberger (48, 832, 17.3) it just seems weak to me.

But it also told me that WR would be KeeSean Johnson.

Jints are clearly looking at Slayton to loosen the zones.

If Slayton can duplicate Wallace's success in making some long receptions he will have served his role.

Wallace has a history of concluding receptions over 50 yards.

If Slayton can do that he will open things underneath for the other complementary receivers and most importantly push the safety back out of the box with regard to Barkley doing his thing

but in a game the defender is thinking, "I'm gonna let you catch the pass and then I'm gonna hit you as hard as I can. If I hit you hard enough, that first catch will be the only one that you will want to make."

It brings to mind the saying, "When he was good, he was very, very good, but when he was bad, he was horrid." Slayton was horrid much more often than he was very, very good, but only the very, very good counts for ypc.

Also, if Wallace's problem was route-running, I'd say that's a much easier problem to solve than poor hands.

In comment 14465909 Klaatu said:

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But it also told me that WR would be KeeSean Johnson.

Slayton was the only day 3 selection that I have actually gotten right. Right before the pick was announced I posted here that it would be Slayton because I was also convinced that they would go WR or OL at that pick but the OL on the board weren't as intriguing as Slayton.

is to at least keep the defenses honest when he is on the field. If he only posts 15-20 receptions all season but defenses keep their safeties back to prevent Slayton from beating them deep then I will be very happy. Having that deep threat would open up things underneath for Engram, Shepard, Tate, and Barkley.

Engram will help in that regard but they need a WR to help out.

had the best yards per catch in the best College football conference in the land.

Nothing dubious about it at all.

If Slayton can duplicate Marshall's success the Jints will be ecstatic.

There is nothing to suggest he won't.

Wallace's success

2019 draft class with 79 points, one more than Parris Campbell. Called Slayton a "boom or bust" prospect.


5: Darius Slayton – Auburn – 6’1/190

Grade: 79

Summary: Fourth year junior entry. Slayton arrived at Auburn as an accomplished high school track athlete and enters the NFL with a very high ceiling. His speed and burst are functional and usable on the field, he is much more than a track athlete. He consistently averaged near-20 yards per catch over his career and displayed dominant stretches against SEC cornerbacks.. He is a deep threat who will make a defense account for him at all times. While there are limitations to his game underneath and at the point of attack, this kind of deep threat and ability to extend plays after the catch is worth the risk. Boom or bust.

*I am taking a chance on Slayton, I simply have too many plus game notes over the past two seasons to ignore it. The Auburn offense is difficult to scout as it could create numerous false opportunities but at the same time it may prevent a guy like Slayton from really showing everything he can do. I love the way he moves and his worst case may be a Ted Ginn caliber vertical threat.

NFL Comparison: Ted Ginn / NO

Sy rated Slayton ABOVE Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf, Riley Ridley, Hakeem Butler, Marquise Brown, Kelvin Harmon, Anthony Johnson, Gary Jennings, Miles Boykin, and numerous others generally regarded and drafted higher.

Let's hope Sy is right on this guy...

The high YPC indicates more than just his speed to get deep, supposedly. It also indicates a talent for elusiveness with the ball in his hand, a trait he shares with OBJ if true.

His combine and pro day measurements were eye popping, beyond 40 yard dad speed.

But yeah he's got to catch the ball better than he did at Auburn.

rookies

Certainly hopeful he can be a player for us. Encouraging practices, want to see him against in a game environment.

You can't coach speed though...

In comment 14465855 joeinpa said:

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Missing from this offense is the back shoulder throw. Beckham nor Shepherd seem to prefer that route. It s been a big hole in the offense and one of Eli s best plays over the years.

Remember how good Nicks was at that?

Actually Nicks was a hell of a player before the injuries. When damning Reese we should remember Cruz, Steve Smith and Nicks all were cut down in their prime by injuries. Wilson too.

In comment 14465958 ChicagoMarty said:

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had the best yards per catch in the best College football conference in the land. Nothing dubious about it at all.

Of course it's dubious, because his catch rate sucked. All his ypc tells you is that when he caught the ball he gained a lot of yards. The problem is that he didn't catch the ball very often. He dropped a ton of passes. So if you're using his ypc in college to predict his success in the NFL, you're only looking at one half of the equation. His ypc is a poor measuring stick by which to judge him, which is why fifteen or sixteen receivers were drafted ahead of him.

In comment 14465974 Vanzetti said:

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In comment 14465855 joeinpa said: Quote: Missing from this offense is the back shoulder throw. Beckham nor Shepherd seem to prefer that route. It s been a big hole in the offense and one of Eli s best plays over the years. Remember how good Nicks was at that? Actually Nicks was a hell of a player before the injuries. When damning Reese we should remember Cruz, Steve Smith and Nicks all were cut down in their prime by injuries. Wilson too.

Why stop there? Kenny Phillips, Terrell Thomas, and Chad Jones before he ever stepped on a Giants' practice field.

The Giants had more than their share of high draft picks lost prematurely to injuries.

but it was essentially that he was pigeonholed, or strictly used as a vertical threat..so he was out there running and being targeted on 9 routes relentlessly. The point being that those routes are typically going to have lower catch rate regardless over intermediate and shorter routes. He still had issues catching the football no doubt, just giving some context though. (Just like a QB in a deep vertical chunk yardage passing game is going to have lower cmp% than a guy throwing shallow crosses every other pass).

has a demonstrated history of big playmaking in the SEC.

His big plays in camp to date tend to corroborate what he showed in college.

There is nothing dubious of 4.39 speed running past slow-footed db's or even quick-footed db's like they have in the SEC and now the NFL.

Risking a fifth-round draft choice on a possible big play wr who led the SEC in YPC ala Mike Wallace makes perfect sense to me.

Low risk and possible big return on investment here.

Indubitably!

In comment 14466052 BSIMatt said:

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but it was essentially that he was pigeonholed, or strictly used as a vertical threat..so he was out there running and being targeted on 9 routes relentlessly. The point being that those routes are typically going to have lower catch rate regardless over intermediate and shorter routes. He still had issues catching the football no doubt, just giving some context though. (Just like a QB in a deep vertical chunk yardage passing game is going to have lower cmp% than a guy throwing shallow crosses every other pass).

Right on about routes and catch rate. Anyone have anything that tells us more about that at Auburn?

In comment 14466113 Percy said:

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In comment 14466052 BSIMatt said: Quote: but it was essentially that he was pigeonholed, or strictly used as a vertical threat..so he was out there running and being targeted on 9 routes relentlessly. The point being that those routes are typically going to have lower catch rate regardless over intermediate and shorter routes. He still had issues catching the football no doubt, just giving some context though. (Just like a QB in a deep vertical chunk yardage passing game is going to have lower cmp% than a guy throwing shallow crosses every other pass). Right on about routes and catch rate. Anyone have anything that tells us more about that at Auburn?

No other Auburn receiver had a catch rate of less than 60%.

This is a kid that for all of his speed, for all of his "big playmaking ability," dropped like a rock on draft weekend...damn near into the 6th Round. Why? Because of his questionable hands. Sugarcoat it any way you want to, but the bottom line is that he was not a reliable receiver in college, and he's got a long way to go to prove that he can be one in the pros.

Slayton had the best YPC in the best college football conference in the land.

Possessing the best YPC suggests big play potential.

To date, Slayton has made big plays in camp.

Be happy

In comment 14466151 Klaatu said:

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In comment 14466113 Percy said: Quote: In comment 14466052 BSIMatt said: Quote: but it was essentially that he was pigeonholed, or strictly used as a vertical threat..so he was out there running and being targeted on 9 routes relentlessly. The point being that those routes are typically going to have lower catch rate regardless over intermediate and shorter routes. He still had issues catching the football no doubt, just giving some context though. (Just like a QB in a deep vertical chunk yardage passing game is going to have lower cmp% than a guy throwing shallow crosses every other pass). Right on about routes and catch rate. Anyone have anything that tells us more about that at Auburn? No other Auburn receiver had a catch rate of less than 60%. This is a kid that for all of his speed, for all of his "big playmaking ability," dropped like a rock on draft weekend...damn near into the 6th Round. Why? Because of his questionable hands. Sugarcoat it any way you want to, but the bottom line is that he was not a reliable receiver in college, and he's got a long way to go to prove that he can be one in the pros.

That tells us about the other Auburn wrs. I doubt all the auburn wide receivers were pigeonholed as deep threats and primarily asked to run fly routes. So I’m not sure comparing him to the other Auburn wide receivers is helpful. Not disputing his hands issue, it’s documented...my point was the catches he was being asked to make running top speed deep downfield I would tend to categorize as a shade more difficult than catching some of the shorter stuff. That was all, doesn’t explain away the drops..but it does give some level of context.

And I keep showing you why it doesn't mean squat. But if that's what you want to hang your hat on, go for it.

"Fast guys run fast," as Mike Mayock is want to say, and there's no denying Slayton is fast (especially without pads). So it shouldn't come as a surprise that he'll get past DB's when there's no bumping, and some of the guys he's beating will be looking for work in September. But that's okay, because playing pitch and catch will tell you all you need to know about Slayton and every other rookie.

were pigeon holed to the most difficult low yield types of routes and throws...

None of it means anything now. Hopefully Shurmur gets the best out of him like he did with Theilen and Diggs, one an UDFA and the other a 4th or 5th round pick.

Shurmur has spun straw into gold at the WR position by coaching up very coachable players.

Sounds so far like Slayton fits THAT MOLD, which may mean more, far more, than the college production (or lack of) or combine measurable traits. Heck he might unleash Corey Coleman's potential first, allowing Slayton some time to develop.

Interesting comment from PS yesterday or day before re Coleman asking about Diggs and Theilen and their respective roles as X or Z in Minnesota. It seems PS's reputation as a teacher is respected among our WRs, well maybe except for one ex-Giant WR...

Might help explain why the team played hard for him all 16 last year.

but putting in little digs like "he runs fast (especially in shorts)" is in fact, as a caveat, blatantly refuted by the YPC stats you are citing as "meaningless" and by Sy's clear opinion that Slayton's speed is "functional."

He's a fifth round draft pick, a long shot. We all get that.

and turned into a dynamic NFL wr.

Slayton reminds me of Wallace.

Wouldn't it be nice if Slayton approaches the career of Wallace and does it for the Jints?

So far so good!

Be happy.

Then the hitting started.

The only plus I can think of regarding THAT, is that Slayton comes from the SEC, the hardest hitting and best defending conference in College FB.

who can actually cover, and S who smack you.

He thinks Slayton's hands are "good enough" but questions if DS "is dynamic enough." He thought (pre-combine) Slayton had "a lot to prove at the combine."

Ya think? Slayton's combine #s were through the roof good.

He really thinks Slayton should have stayed at Auburn rather than come out early.
Slayton Analaysis - ( New Window )

with the Jugs till pre-season.

In comment 14466195 BlueLou'sBack said:

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who can actually cover, and S who smack you.

And when faced with that he dropped way too many passes. So there is nothing encouraging about him making plays against guys who aren't allowed to hit him. The OTAs are for learning the plays, not for evaluating talent.