New York Giants' Darius Slayton named NFL's most underrated wide receiver
New York Giants' Darius Slayton named NFL's most underrated wide receiver
Entering the 2025 offseason, the New York Giants were expected to part ways with free agent wide receiver Darius Slayton after six seasons.
The 2019 fifth-round pick was looking at a rich receiver market, while the team appeared poised to move on.
"Definitely, winning and being in an advantageous situation are probably two things that are really important for me right now," Slayton told the New York Daily News before free agency. "Obviously, five out of my six years with the Giants we weren't competitive. We didn't make the playoffs. We weren't really close to making the playoffs.
"I have learned over my career that I do want to go off and I do want to get paid. But it weighs on me so heavy just losing. Every. Single. Week. I can't take [it]. Like, there's no money that's gonna make me just go home and be like -- I'm obviously gonna be a little more happy in my Hellcat than in a Camry -- but like my spirit, the core of me cannot take that."
Then came a surprise.
On the first day of the legal tampering period, the Giants re-signed Slayton to a three-year deal worth $36 million. They obviously sold him on their vision and the two turned away from divorce and instead chose to renew their vows.
That may turn out to benefit the Giants, who will look to throw downfield more in 2025. And that's good news as the always-consistent Slayton was recently named the NFL's most underrated wide receiver by Aaron Schatz of NFL Media.
Slayton wasn't supposed to be anything special as a fifth-round pick in 2019, but he started nine games and caught eight touchdown passes in his rookie season. Sure, he hasn't come anywhere close to that end zone production since then. But the Giants played Slayton alongside Malik Nabers last season, and you need at least two starting wide receivers to survive in the modern NFL. Slayton caught 39 passes for 573 yards, which was convincing enough for the Giants to bring him back on a three-year, $36 million contract.
Advanced metrics support the move since Slayton has had a positive receiving DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) for three straight seasons. And it's not like he has done that while working with any of the NFL's best quarterbacks. With Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and/or Jaxson Dart under center in 2025, Slayton should continue to work as a deep threat opposite Nabers. He'll probably put up another quietly productive and surprisingly efficient season.
Slayton is a selfless team-first player who produces at a consistent clip despite the inconsistencies around him. With a more stable and talented quarterback situation in 2025, he could even be headed for a breakout season.
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