Galen Hyatt sat in a chair in front of his locker, holding an iPad and pinching his fingers together to zoom in on a movie of him running.
The receiver, who set college football on fire in 2022 and showed promise as a starter last season, has another chance Sunday to emerge from the shadowy shadows in which he spent this season with the Giants.
With Darius Slayton not making the trip to Germany to face the Panthers due to a concussion, he is expected to start life.
“I feel good about the game plan,” Hyatt told The Post after finding a groove with Daniel Jones during Thursday’s practice. “I haven’t had a lot of opportunities, but I haven’t taken the chances I’ve had when they’ve come this year. Right now, it’s just about taking advantage – staying focused, being open, trusting the DJ, catching the ball.”
Jalen Hyatt, who was photographed on Nov. 7, is expected to start for the Giants in Week 10 against the Panthers. Robert Sabo for the New York Post
Hyatt has one catch for 6 yards through eight games.
Right now, the speedy deep-ball threat, who was a starter when training camp opened, was expected to get at least 10 times that amount of yards as part of a deeper resume.
Instead, Hyatt played as many as 64 snaps in a game when Malik Nabers was sidelined, and at least seven total over the past three games, including zero against the Steelers on Oct. 28.
Darius Slayton, who was photographed on Nov. 3 against the Commanders, will not play for the Giants in Germany due to a concussion. Bill Costron/New York Post
“What you don’t want to do is get worse,” Hyatt said. “What makes things go wrong is not caring, and not giving your full effort when things aren’t going your way. When I was a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, I had given up when I wasn’t playing. I changed that my junior year, so I’ve been through adversity before and I use 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 for the nation’s top receiver, and had the Giants willing to trade a fourth-round pick to move up in the third round of the draft for him.
Two years later, the Giants haven’t even called an endpoint or bubble screen to see if bursts of life could rouse the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense.
He’s been targeted five times on throws of more than 20 yards.
“When we talk about game plan, we talk about putting those guys in certain spots,” offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said. “I don’t think he’s gotten enough opportunities to do that. Any week can make those plays. When they show up, I’m confident Jalen will be able to make those plays.”
Jalen Hyatt (13) is photographed during the Giants’ preseason game against the Lions on August 8.
Hyatt can’t pinpoint why he wasn’t a bigger part of the crime.
The easiest explanation is that the Giants have remained relatively healthy at receiver, so Slayton, Knappers and Wandell Robinson rarely leave the field.
However, there was Nabers’ absence in two matches, when Hyatt was in a similar position now.
The tasks are slightly different in Nabers’ position on attack than in Slayton’s position.
“We are all competitors, and I want to be there every moment, and I believe I have to be there,” Hyatt said. “Last year, I definitely had more chances, which is why I played more games, but every season is different. I can’t control playing time or goals. For me, doing everything the right way is how you get your chances.” …so [coach Brian Daboll] You can trust me. This is my goal.”
Hyatt’s teammates appreciate the approach he has taken in his limited role.
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After all, Slayton became a free agent at the end of the season and Hyatt was signed for two more years.
“He always stayed off even when his number wasn’t called,” Robinson said. “He’s getting extra reps with the coaches, going to certain places where he might not even be in case someone goes down. It’s a tough situation, so I’m sure it’s tough on him. You know when a guy’s grouchy, but he was the ultimate teammate.”
This description includes working on the finer points of the receiver, such as releases beyond the line of scrimmage.
Or getting passes after practice and “putting myself in uncomfortable situations on the soccer field.”
“What I want to do is find anything I can do to not think about it,” Hyatt said. “I’m out there looking at defenses, knowing my job and playing fast.”
