EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tight end Darren Waller and rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt are living up to all the hype that surrounded them coming to the New York Giants.
The 30-year-old Waller has developed a strong rapport with Daniel Jones since being acquired in a trade from Las Vegas, clearly emerging as the quarterback's top option.
A speedy third-round draft pick out of Tennessee, Hyatt has been the main deep threat since the Giants opened training camp.
Jones, Waller and Hyatt put on a show Friday night as the Giants beat the Carolina Panthers 21-19.
The Jones-Waller combination hooked up three times for 30 yards as New York's first-team offense opened the game with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that Jones culminated with a 4-yard pass to Daniel Bellinger.
“He’s a player that you can use in different roles relative to where he lines up at the line of scrimmage or outside the line of scrimmage,” coach Brian Daboll said of Waller on Saturday.
“He’s capable of doing those things. So it gives you some flexibility in terms of formation and personnel usage and things like that. And he’s done that throughout his career. He's a good guy to have on your team and work with.”
Jones actually targeted the 6-foot-6 Waller on the first three plays of the opening drive. The first one went for 6 yards, the second 12 and the third was dropped. The other one he caught later in the drive was for 12 yards.
“He’s a big target,” said Jones, who completed 8 of 9 passes for 69 yards. “He runs good routes, creates separation, he’s an easy guy to find. So, yeah, he’s a talented player, smart guy, understands defense, understands where we’re trying to use him and how to get open.”
Waller was one of the NFL's best tight ends in 2019 and '20 when he caught a combined 197 passes for 12 touchdowns and had at least 1,000 yards in each season. His total dipped to 55 catches in 2021 and he had 28 receptions in an injury-marred 2022.
With the Giants, Waller is again looking great. He credited hard work with creating his rapport with Jones.
“Just continuing to get reps in, knowing where each other is — the timing we want,” Waller said. “Where we expect each other to be, where I expect the ball to be, where he expects me to be when he releases something, so just a lot of time on task.”
Hyatt had one touch on the opening drive and it was a short toss that resulted in a 3-yard loss. He was much better later in the half and caught a wide-open 33-yard touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor just before halftime. He made a downfield move on safety Eric Rowe that created plenty of space.
“Those are the ones that are absolutely the hardest ones, when you are viewing the ball, sometimes you take your focus somewhere else and drop the ball,” said Hyatt, who finished with four catches for 35 yards.
On the play before the touchdown, Hyatt dropped a pass. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka decided to go right back to him.
“I like when he had that drop and Kafka dialed it up the very next play where we thought the ball would go, so good next-play mentality, positive approach,” Daboll said. “Again, much like all the other rookies, we’re still chopping the wood here."
The Giants will wrap up the preseason next Saturday at home against the Jets.
NOTES: Third-year cornerback Rodarius Williams was released by the Giants on Saturday. The sixth-round pick out of Oklahoma in 2021 did not play Friday. His brother, Greedy, also a cornerback, was released by the Eagles on Saturday. ... Daboll said RB Saquon Barkley didn't play Friday because the staff decided not to use him. ... DL A'Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches didn't play because they were coming off minor injuries.
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