Wide receiver Darius Slayton was a pleasant surprise for the New York Giants in 2019 after the team selected him in the fifth round of last year’s draft.
Slayton led all Giants receivers in yards (740) and touchdowns (eight), while also finishing second in targets (84) and fourth in receptions (48) — and he did so in 14 games.
NFL.com’s Nate Burleson, who is a former NFL receiver himself, believes Slayton will build on that in 2020 and has named him as one of his Year 2 breakout candidates at the wide receiver position.
Burleson believes Slayton could break the 1,000-yard mark and score double-digit touchdowns.
Slayton is the best wide receiver on the Giants, in my opinion. I know Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard both missed time with injuries last season, but the fifth-round steal showed a lot of promise as the focal point of the passing game. This is an offseason in which veterans Tate and Shepard haven’t been able to work on their connection with Daniel Jones. The guy Jones knows best is Slayton, the Giants’ leader in receiving yards last season, so I’d expect the pair of Year 2 players to continue to grow together. Slayton looks poised for roughly 1,000 yards and 10 TDs.
Slayton was one of quarterback Daniel Jones’ favorite targets last season, and their chemistry should only grow stronger in their second year together, leading to even more looks for the talented young wideout.
The Auburn product also gives the Giants’ offense the deep threat it was so desperately seeking before he arrived, as evidenced by his impressive 15.4 yards per reception in 2019 that was tied for 16th in the NFL.
Assuming he plays a full 16-game slate, Slayton should improve upon his 2019 numbers and is more than capable of putting up the kind of production Burleson is envisioning.
