Buying or Selling Giants’ Top Offseason Performances Ahead Of Training Camp
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Giants WR Jalin HyattRich Schultz/Getty Images
There’s a growing sense of optimism for the New York Giants’ fanbase on the eve of training camp. Rookies reported on July 18, veterans will report on Tuesday, and soon, the Giants will execute real, live, meaningful practices.
The optimism stems from the fact that New York just snapped a five-year playoff drought with a trip to the divisional round. It’s tempered a bit by the expected absence of unhappy running back Saquon Barkley, but New York has a playoff-caliber roster and has seen some emerging potential stars throughout the offseason.
Minicamps and organized team activities (OTAs) have provided a glimpse of what fans should expect during Giants camp—and a few top performers appear set to shine.
Of course, there’s a big difference between standing out in shells and shorts and making waves in fully padded practices with the first team.
Below, you’ll find a look at three of the top performances from the Giants’ early 2023 offseason, what those performances mean for training camp and the regular season and whether we’re truly buying the early hype.
TE Darren Waller: Buy
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Giants fans were already pretty excited when the team traded for 2020 Pro Bowler and 1,100-yard (twice) receiving tight end Darren Waller. Based on the buzz the former Las Vegas Raiders star generated in OTAs, they should perhaps be more excited now.
“If you go by the hype coming out of Thursday’s OTA, and you buy in, just put Waller in Canton already,” Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com wrote. “…Waller is as advertised. Watching how he grows as a Giant is going to be fun.”
Clearly, Stapleton is being a bit hyperbolic with his assessment, but that doesn’t mean that Waller lacks a Hall of Fame skillset. He’s proven himself to be one of the league’s top receiving tight ends, repeatedly, during the regular season.
While plenty of pass-catchers look good during non-contact practices against simplified coverages, it’s hard to dismiss the Waller hype as a byproduct of that. Talent has never been a question mark for the 30-year-old.
An ability to stay healthy is what Waller needs to showcase in 2023.
Fans should expect to see Waller continue to generate buzz during training camp, as he continues to learn Brian Daboll’s offense and find a rapport with quarterback Daniel Jones. If Waller can keep himself off of injury reports—something he failed to do over the past two seasons—he should be a massive part of the Giants passing attack this season.
WR Jalin Hyatt: Sell
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I’m a little more skeptical about the early buzz surrounding rookie receiver Jalin Hyatt, a speedy but unpolished receiver coming out of a simplified Tennessee offense that didn’t foster a lot of development.
“Hyatt is also an incomplete player right now,” Derrik Klassen of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote. “Hyatt’s route-running is lacking.”
As Giants wide receivers coach Mike Groh would tell it, Hyatt is far closer to a finished product than what the pre-draft analysis and the film would suggest.
“We’re not surprised with his skill set as a route-runner,” Groh said, per Eric Samulski of AM NY. “He’s instinctive. He can really think on his feet,”
It’s just not so easy to believe that Hyatt is going to be an immediate star.
Having good instincts isn’t the same as being a polished and nuanced route-runner. Hyatt is a slight (176 lbs) receiver who simply isn’t going to face the basic coverages and enjoy the free releases he did during the early offseason and regularly in college.
This isn’t to say that Hyatt won’t have an impact as a part-time player or that he won’t eventually become a star. However, training camp is likely to show that the 21-year-old is not yet a complete receiver, and fans should temper their expectations heading into Week 1.
C John Michael Schmitz: Buy
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In the second round of the draft, New York scooped up former Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz. The 24-year-old is expected to compete for the starting center job in training camp, and the early buzz has been promising.
“He’s doing awesome,” offensive line coach Bobby Johnson said during mandatory minicamp, per Charlotte Carroll and Dan Duggan of The Athletic. “He’s an excellent rookie.”
The fact that Schmitz has had an “awesome” offseason doesn’t come as a surprise. He’s an experienced player and an advanced prospect who ranked 50th overall on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department’s final draft board.
“Overall, Schmitz has the play strength, understanding of leverage and mental processing to be a solid starter right away in a multiple run scheme,” Brandon Thorn of the B/R Scouting Department wrote.
Fans should expect Schmitz to continue to impress during training camp and to gain an early edge over J.C. Hassenauer, who spent the last three years with the Pittsburgh Steelers but who made only seven starts during that span.
Fans should also expect Schmitz to be an early rookie standout who helps bolster New York’s offensive line between emerging bookend tackles Evan Neal and Andrew Thomas.
A powerful run blocker, Schmitz could become a huge asset for a running game that may have to rely on the likes of James Robinson and Matt Breida early if Barkley’s holdout continues into the regular season.
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