The New York Giants have needs at both wide receiver and cornerback, so it should come as no surprise that many mock drafts have them going with either Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt or Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes.
However, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes general manager Joe Schoen should avoid both.
When it comes to Hyatt, Knox views him as a complimentary piece and not that true No. 1 receiver the Giants are lacking.
Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt — the 12th-ranked wideout on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department’s big board — will likely be available later in the draft. However, he’s not a tremendous fit for New York’s needs.
While Hyatt has good speed — he ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine — he isn’t a polished pro-ready receiver.
“Hyatt’s route running is lacking,” Derrik Klassen of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. “He doesn’t waste very much movement via technique, but his high-waisted build makes him stiff in the hips. He can struggle to sink and explode out of routes, which limits his ability to separate on non-vertical routes.”
As it relates to Forbes, Knox views him as an undersized rotational cornerback who is incapable of handling the physicality of the NFC East.
Forbes is also a wiry 166-pound prospect who can struggle against more physical receivers and in run support.
“There are times where he can struggle defeating blocks,” Cory Giddings of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. “He does a good job of taking on blockers with his length and occasionally uses his quickness to beat blocks, but he’s often overpowered by strength on the edge.”
While any team with playoff aspirations should be looking to add cornerback depth, Forbes simply isn’t a great fit for New York. The NFC East features some bigger receivers in CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown, plus two teams that love to run the football in the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
In addition to Hyatt and Forbes, Knox also lists Maryland offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan as a player the Giants should avoid.
