2 weeks isn't much of a sample size but it's been a kind of interesting 2 weeks for the 2023 draft class of wide receivers. the obvious question posed to hyatt enthusiasts ("then why did he fall to round 3?") looks to be getting answered, as it looks like other teams may not have made mistakes as much as simply chosen more proven players who fit their schemes.
the top of the WR class got a decent amount of criticism because there weren't any top 15 picks but it looks like the class in general was a solid 10-15 deep of guys who have had an impact right away:
round 2/3's ahead of hyatt (pick #73):
pick #39 jonathan mingo - only 2 receptions week 1, plays game 2 tonight
pick #50 jayden reed - had 2 tds this week, 6 catches overall for a surprisingly potent GB offense with jordan love
pick #55 rashee rice - caught 2/2 targets this week, had a td last week, has looked like the most promising KC wr
pick #63 marvin mims - caught a 60 yard td from russ this week and had another 50+ yarder
pick #69 tank dell - caught 7/10 for 70 yards and 1 td, also had another td called back on a penalty
round 1's
pick #20 jsn - returned from broken wrist quicker than expected, looked good behind dk/lockett
pick #21 quentin johnston - so far stuck behind allen/mike williams
pick #22 zay flowers - clearly bal's #1, caught 13/15 targets for 140 through 2 weeks
pick #23 jordan addison - tds in his first 2 games, 7 receptions for 133 yards eating up 1 on 1's thanks to all the attention on jefferson
the consensus positive reaction to the trade up does seem pretty justified so far bc among the next receivers off the board (tillman #74, downs #79, wilson #94) hyatt appears to have a lot more juice than that group and the thing this nyg offense needed is what hyatt provides - big plays.
going forward i think the nyg need to really evaluate increasing hyatt's reps and making things at least 50/50 with campbell. a lot of the 2nd/3rd round receivers who went ahead of him had more experience in CFB than he did since he was a junior declaration and really a 1 year starter, so the polish he has shown right away is a big check mark in his favor. one of his negatives was simply a short resume making it possible he'd need more time before being ready to contribute. he has run by everyone and shown the kind of ball skills a lot of guys at his speed level didn't have (think ted ginn, will fuller). hyatt, hodgins, and slayton are the team's best 3 and the sooner they get there the better, and the more reps he gets the sooner he will get there. after yesterday's game im sure he has a lot of confidence, now is the time to hit the gas and see what's what. puka and tutu just had big games vs SF, if i were hoping to gameplan an x-factor to surprise everyone on a short week without barkley, hyatt would be my pick. id be trying to get him 10 touches/targets in that game.
id reverse the 45 for campbell and 14 for hyatt for at least a week and see what happens.
id reverse the 45 for campbell and 14 for hyatt for at least a week and see what happens.
Who plays the slot? Those are outside guys - maybe put Hodgins inside?
Agree his snap count needs to go up. I love his hands and the way he highpoints the ball. I’ve seen people on the board compare him to Desean Jackson; if he were a few inches taller I’d compare him more to Randy Moss. Easy speed, a real glider, with good hands…really adjusts well on the long throws. Should take a few deep shots with him every game. Excited to see his growth.
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hodgins and slayton are rightfully 1/2 right now at 56/51 snaps respectively.
id reverse the 45 for campbell and 14 for hyatt for at least a week and see what happens.
Who plays the slot? Those are outside guys - maybe put Hodgins inside?
all 3 of them can play all 3 spots. hyatt played mostly slot in college and hodgins/slayton each played like 20%+ slot last year. waller also lines up in slot a lot.
Personally, I don't want Hyatt to just to be the vertical guy/threat. I think he can be much more in the short and medium areas.
of all of them i think wandale is best suited to be the guy who gets 20-25 snaps per game even once fully healthy.
i think he is more than a gadget player, but i think at his size that keeps him fresh and hopefully allows his usage to be highest impact.
campbell as a bridge to hyatt being ready and wandale being healthy was a fine theory, and who knows maybe a big start could have kept a big role for him all year, but i dont think it makes sense to keep a guy who can scare defenses like hyatt off the field and once healthy the manufactured touches/motion plays are probably going to be more effective with wandale.
im not burying campbell, if someone gets hurt they may still need him to step up like james did last year. but hyatt is clearly the more worthy playing time investment right now.
Personally, I don't want Hyatt to just to be the vertical guy/threat. I think he can be much more in the short and medium areas.
what conclusion is anyone drawing?
is it not a fact that about 10 day 1/2 receivers from this year's draft have been making impacts already for their respective teams, hyatt included?
Agree his snap count needs to go up. I love his hands and the way he highpoints the ball. I’ve seen people on the board compare him to Desean Jackson; if he were a few inches taller I’d compare him more to Randy Moss. Easy speed, a real glider, with good hands…really adjusts well on the long throws. Should take a few deep shots with him every game. Excited to see his growth.
I watched a few Tennessee games, I wouldn't be so quick to say his hands are better.
I think using him in surprise situations like yesterday is biggest bang for the buck to make the opposing defense change there D lineup when he enteres the game.
All of these numbers need to go way up in the short term. Parris Campbell is not the answer. He should be the WR4 on this team at best.
Whenever Hyatt is in the game, he's a force multiplier with his ability to take the top off.
By the way, I think this will happen, I think his utilization will increase as soon as Thursday night, and think he'll be solidly getting starter's reps by week 6 at latest. I really hope so, at least, but also fully expect it. You can't keep a talent like this on the sidelines for too long.
I think using him in surprise situations like yesterday is biggest bang for the buck to make the opposing defense change there D lineup when he enteres the game.
Well that only works once or twice. Can’t make a living in the NFL on surprising people.
The unique problems caused by a core 4 of Jones, Barkley, Waller and Hyatt should be a OC's dream.
The natural talent I have seen from Hyatt means he should be getting majority of WR snaps sooner rather than later.
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That first play of second half you could see the "oh Crap" look on the cards CB and Safety faces when they got a taste of Hyatt's speed.
I think using him in surprise situations like yesterday is biggest bang for the buck to make the opposing defense change there D lineup when he enteres the game.
Well that only works once or twice. Can’t make a living in the NFL on surprising people.
Hyatt won't surprise them and he doesn't need to. Tyreek Hill doesn't surprise anyone, and they double the hell out of him and he still gets open and still kills teams. Hyatt has the capability to be that kind of player. No, I'm not saying he's Tyreek Hill. I'm just saying he has that kind of potential.
Met the ball at it's highest point and boxed out the defender. Excellent job by him. Also a great throw from Jones there to put that where he could go up and bring it down.
If single, but cushion, easy breakoff pitch and catch. Keep moving the chains.
If single, but tight, read whether S can get over, if he can't, Jones throws it as far as he can. Something good must happen.
If attention paid to Hyatt, Barkley ground game benefits, Waller pass game benefits.
the rams are the most fun story of the year so far i think.
puka has been amazing and tutu has been really good as well. if they can protect stafford they are going to be really fun this year.
i would imagine the giants are going be trying to get hyatt and slayton doing a lot of what those 2 did against SF yesterday on Thursday.
It is nice to have a couple of speedsters keeping the D honest
It is nice to have a couple of speedsters keeping the D honest
How have you concluded Hyatt "does not have great hands"?
Last year, he either had a 5% or 6.9% drop rate with Tennessee. Both are fine numbers. The median drop rate in the NFL at WR last year was 6.7%.
Was it because he dropped one ball in week 1, in his first game as a pro? Jiminy.
Hyatt won't surprise them and he doesn't need to. Tyreek Hill doesn't surprise anyone, and they double the hell out of him and he still gets open and still kills teams. Hyatt has the capability to be that kind of player. No, I'm not saying he's Tyreek Hill. I'm just saying he has that kind of potential.
I see where you are going. I would absolutely applaud if Hyatt was used more in the short game: jet sweeps, bubbles, drag routes, flats, shallows.
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Hyatt does not have great hands and so far we haven't seen much other than go routes. We know what Slayton can do and let's hope he can keep it up without the drops.
It is nice to have a couple of speedsters keeping the D honest
How have you concluded Hyatt "does not have great hands"?
Last year, he either had a 5% or 6.9% drop rate with Tennessee. Both are fine numbers. The median drop rate in the NFL at WR last year was 6.7%.
Was it because he dropped one ball in week 1, in his first game as a pro? Jiminy.
watched a few Tenn games last year, He's def prone to a few drops and some bobbles
Yeah some poster commented on his ball skills ... You can see he attacks the ball and uses his hands to catch very well. Hopefully with Slayton's self reflection and a peer to watch in those areas he improves more than expected also.
On the field as much as possible. Bringing him for few plays does not allow him to get comfortable. I would get Hyatt a catch on the first series and keep him involved. Capture the eyes of the defense.
jayden reed - 3/63
rashee rice - 5/59 and a couple near tds
marvin mims - 3/73 and a 99 yard return td