Jalin Hyatt is finally ready to get another chance with the Giants

Jalin Hyatt sat on a stool in front of his locker, holding an iPad and squeezing his fingers to zoom in on the film of his route running.

The receiver who set college football on fire in 2022 and showed promise as a rookie last season has another chance on Sunday to emerge from the mysterious shadows in which he has spent this season for the Giants.

With Darius Slayton unable to travel to Germany to face the Panthers due to a concussion, Hyatt is expected to start.

“I feel good about the game plan,” Hyatt told the Post after joining Daniel Jones at practice on Thursday. “I didn't have many opportunities, but I didn't make the most of the opportunities that came my way this year. Right now it’s just about taking advantage – staying focused, being open, trusting DJ and catching the ball.”

Hyatt has one catch for 6 yards in eight games.

Meanwhile, the speedy deep-ball thrower, who was a starter at the start of training camp, was expected to make at least one catch for 10 times that distance as part of a deeper resume.

Instead, Hyatt has played as many as 64 snaps in a game in which Malik Nabers was sidelined and just seven total in the last three games, including zero against the Steelers on Oct. 28.

“What you don’t want is for it to get worse,” Hyatt said. “Getting worse means not caring, not giving your full effort when things don't go the way you want them to. When I was a sophomore at Tennessee, I had given up because I wasn't playing. I changed that at the start of my junior year, so I’ve been through adversity before and I’m using the tools to get better when you don’t have a lot of opportunities.”

Hyatt was so good as a junior — 67 catches for 1,267 with 15 touchdowns — that he won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver, and he got the Giants to trade up a fourth-round pick to take him in the third draft.

Two years later, the Giants aren't even calling an end-around or a bubble screen to see if Hyatt's explosiveness can bring the NFL's lowest-scoring offense back to life.

He was targeted five times on throws over 20 yards.

“When we talk about the game plan, we talk about putting these guys in certain spots,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said. “I don’t think he had enough opportunities to do that. Every week could present this. If they show up, I’m confident Jalin can make those plays.”

Hyatt can't put his finger on why he isn't a bigger part of the offense.

The simplest explanation is that the Giants have stayed relatively healthy at receiver, so Slayton, Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson rarely leave the field.

However, Nabers missed two games when Hyatt found himself in a similar situation to what he is in now.

The offensive tasks for Nabers are a little different than for Slayton.

“We’re all competitors and I want to be out there at every moment and I believe I should be out there,” Hyatt said. “Last year I definitely had more opportunities and that's why I made more plays, but every season is different. I can't control playing time or goals. For me, doing everything right means taking your chances… well [coach Brian Daboll] can trust me. That’s my goal.”

Hyatt's teammates appreciate the approach he has taken to his limited role.

Ultimately, Slayton is a free agent at the end of the season and Hyatt is signed for two more years.

“He always stayed locked up, even if his number wasn’t called,” Robinson said. “He’s getting extra reps with the trainers and going through certain spots he might not be at just in case someone goes down. It's a difficult position, so I'm sure it's tough for him. You know when a guy is sulking, but he was the ultimate teammate.”

This description includes working on the finer details of the receiver, such as: B. Releases outside the line of scrimmage.

Or catching passes after training and “getting into uncomfortable positions on the soccer field.”

“I want to find everything I can so I’m not out there thinking,” Hyatt said. “I go out there and look at the defense, know my job and play fast.”