Joe Schoen has been a great GM for the New York Giants so far, and he's hoping the 2023 draft class can add to his resume. The team has been missing a lock-down cornerback, and they might've found one. Saquon Barkley had a heavy workload last season, now they're hoping Eric Gray can take some pressure off of him.
Not only are those two exciting the fan base, but they also used a third-round pick on wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, out of Tennessee. In his junior season, he racked up over 1,200 receiving yards and snagged 15 receiving touchdowns. He also averaged 18.9 yards per catch that season, which should excite the fan base. The big play ability he has is unquestioned.
The fourth rookie who is making noise right now is cornerback Tre Hawkins, out of Old Dominion. He has the size, strength, and the physicality to be a great cornerback in this league. Being drafted in the sixth round means low expectations, but he could turn out to be a steal if all goes well.
These four rookies are ready for the regular season and have been making the coaching staff very excited about what they can all potentially bring to the table for the Giants. Let's dive in to why these guys are exciting New York's fan base.
4. CB, Deonte Banks
The rookie cornerback out of Maryland has had is struggles in training camp, but there is no denying the talent. During the preseason he showed he has what it takes to be an elite cornerback.
Fans shouldn't be that worried, he is just 22-years-old, and has all the tools to become a lethal number one cornerback.
In his first preseason game, he didn't receive too much playing time, but during his short time on the field though, he made a difference.
When he was in Maryland, opposing teams were scared to throw his way. He has eight passes defended in his senior season, and just one interception. Sauce Gardner, a nearby young cornerback only had four passes defended in his last season with Cincinnati.
I'm not saying Banks will be as good as Sauce or any top cornerback in his first season, but what I am saying is he has the potential to become a great cornerback. The coaching staff believes in the first-round pick, as they've been matching him up against studs like Darren Waller.
Even though it's not showing just yet, we have to be patient. Banks is an elite talent and has the potential to become a lethal defensive back in this league. The secondary has been a question mark for a while, and Giants fans are hoping the first-rounder can be the answer.
3. CB, Tre Hawkins
High expectations for a sixth-round pick usually don't occur, but fans are falling in love with the 209th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Tre Hawkins is for sure inserting himself as a real threat, and he is hoping to be alongside Banks for a long time here.
Hawkins spent two seasons with Old Dominion and he was a tackling machine — 133 tackles in those two seasons. He has the tools — has the size and athleticism — to be a great cornerback.
His pro-day is what made Joe Schoen and the Giants fall in love, as he ran a 4.39 40-yard dash. Keep in mind this guy is 6-foot-3.
In training camp he is turning all heads, and New York is excited about the young secondary. It was recently announced that Hawkins will suit up as a starter for the Giants, which should show the fans how hard he works to be who he is.
Only time will tell if the Giants have found two legit corners to hold it down, but so far Hawkins looks like someone who could be a real difference maker for the Giants.
2. WR, Jalin Hyatt
Last season Daniel Jones showed he has what it takes to be the franchise guy, but he needs help. New York is hoping that Jalin Hyatt, out of Tennessee can help. Does he need to become the number one guy? No, but he showed big play ability in college.
In his first preseason game against Detroit, he finished with minus-4 yards on just one catch. Not so pretty, but it was just one game and one opportunity. In practice, he has done nothing but turn heads.
During his last season as a Longhorn, he put up absolutely ridiculous numbers. He racked up 1,267 yards, which ranked fifth among all NCAA wide receivers in 2022. Keep in mind, he did that on just 67 receptions.
He ranked second among NCAA wide receivers with 15 receiving touchdowns, which is something you don't see often from receivers like him. Yards aren't hard to come by when you have lighting speed like Hyatt, but speed doesn't always get you in the endzone.
The former Longhorn has the physical tools to be a number-one receiver in the NFL, but he needs to stay on point. As a third-round pick, the expectations early on won't necessarily be too high, but he's not a third rounder in terms of talent. He very well could've been a first-rounder, but he fell right into the Giants' lap.
Now they have a few weapons that are wildcards with no clear-cut number one guy. This enables Hyatt to take the reins as New York's prime pass catcher.
1. RB, Eric Gray
Now that Saquon Barkley is locked in for the season, many believe we won't see much of rookie running back Eric Gray. The young back looks like he is going to get an opportunity to prove himself as a member of the special teams unit, and the team is hoping he can be a lethal return man eventually.
Even in the regular season, having a young running back to take the load off Barkley could be very beneficial for the Giants and their star running back.
In the first preseason game, Gray only got five rushes with only 9 yards. Nothing special, but not a big sample size either. However, he did rush for 1,366 yards in his senior season at Oklahoma.
He is getting an opportunity to take over as the Giants return man, and he could be a dangerous one. Gray broke off an eye-opening return late in the first quarter of the first preseason game. If New York wants to make it further than the second round this season, then having a dangerous weapon returning kicks is essential.
New York is hoping to make the most out of the 23-year-old elusive back, whether it's in the backfield or in the return game. The young back has elite athleticism, and the Giant could certainly use that athleticism in the return game.
According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, the coaching staff has hopes of him making an impact on the special team's unit this season. Being just a fifth-round-pick, if he is able to impact the game in any way, it will be huge plus for Joe Schoen and the GMEN.
