If the Giants’ new-look receiver corps is looking for a flashy nickname, “Airline Miles” might fit the bill.
“You turn on the film, it’s a whole lot of flying,” Darius Slayton said of the upgraded speed around him. “It’s fun to watch, fun to play with guys like that.”
Slayton has been the undisputed fastest receiver for the Giants since they drafted him in 2019.
Last season, he clocked the fifth-quickest burst — average top speed reached within the first second of in, out and hitch routes (9.35 mph) — among all NFL receivers who ran a minimum of 100 routes, per Next Gen Stats.
But Slayton faces some footrace competition after the offseason acquisitions of rookie Jalin Hyatt (4.4-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine), Parris Campbell (4.31-second 40-yard dash at the 2019 Combine and an NFL-best 22.11 mph single-play ball-carrier speed last season), Jeff Smith (4.36-second 40-yard dash before the 2019 draft) and Darren Waller (21.76 mph ball-carrier speed in 2019 that hasn’t been topped by an NFL tight end since).
“Walking away from last season, explosives was the thing we needed more of,” Slayton said after practice Wednesday. “I think definitely this spring it’s been a conscious effort to push the ball down the field.
“What’s the point in having a bunch of Ferraris if you keep them in the garage? Take them out to the track.”
Despite rampant speculation about courting free agent DeAndre Hopkins, the Giants already have assembled their deepest receiver corps in years and created a pick-your-poison element for opposing defenses.
Slayton has led the Giants in receiving yards in three of his four seasons.
“They don’t know where it’s coming from,” Slayton said. “It’s like you’ve got all these guys flying at you. You’ve got to guard somebody. It puts us all in an advantage situation.”
It will be difficult to make the roster as even the No. 7 receiver if Slayton, Campbell, Hyatt, Smith, Sterling Shepherd, Isaiah Hodgins, Wan’Dale Robinson, Collin Johnson and Jamison Crowder — a group that includes some extensive injury histories and current rehabs — somehow all are healthy when training camp ends.
Campbell, Slayton and Hodgins caught touchdown passes on three straight 7-on-7 red-zone snaps Wednesday from Daniel Jones.
“Speed-wise, those guys are moving out there,” cornerback Adoree’ Jackson said. “This league now is offense-dominated. In the passing lane, to be able to see that speed is great for us.”
And yet the 6-foot-6 Waller actually might be the Giants’ leading target because he is a tight end in name only. He should spend more time in pre-snap motion than he does in-line blocking.
“I kind of try to stand away from him. You get a picture too close [and the narrative] is ‘Slay is really small,’ so don’t get too close,” the 6-1 Slayton quipped. “He’s what it looks like. Somebody asks, ‘What’s an NFL tight end?’ You just point to Darren Waller — big, fast, can catch it.”
Hyatt — who scored five touchdowns for Tennessee against Alabama last season — is an especially welcome addition.
The Giants had the fewest 20-plus-yard receptions (28) in the NFL last season.
“You can see the talent. Not just his speed,” Slayton said. “I think he does route-run well. He catches the ball well.”
Slayton shopped around during free agency in March, but never wanted to leave the Giants, especially after 2019 draft classmate Jones re-signed for four more years as quarterback. He re-signed on a two-year, $12 million contract and took up the unofficial position as crusader against all Jones-related slander on social media.
“Once he came back, I think it made all the sense in the world to keep playing with him. I’ve got great chemistry with him,” Slayton said. “I think the Daniel stuff is subconscious: I could be in Antarctica, and I see a bad tweet, I’ve got to address it. This is all I know. D.J. is all I know. The Giants are all I know.”
Free-agency interest is a two-way street, however.
The Giants’ breakthrough in reaching the playoffs last season changed many reputations after five straight losing seasons.
“If you win, it tells you have winning players,” Slayton said. “If you’re losing, it’s like, ‘I think we have winning players, but we’re losing.’ Definitely winning helps everybody — the building, us, everybody has confidence that we can go out and win games.”
And look fast doing it.