Over the last six seasons, wide receiver Darius Slayton has been among the New York Giants’ most reliable playmakers. However, the 28-year-old veteran is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and it seems among fans that letting him walk and sign with another team is a foregone conclusion. But should it be?
The Giants just got burned in the 2024 offseason, letting their top free agents (Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney) walk with minimal effort of re-signing them. Perhaps this offseason they should give more consideration to retaining a homegrown talent like Slayton.
Should the Giants re-sign WR Darius Slayton?
Slayton has been with the Giants since he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 92 games and made 66 starts for New York since then, amassing 259 receptions, 3,897 yards, and 21 touchdowns in his six-year career. Entering 2025, the Giants need to decide whether or not they want to retain his services.
They extended Slayton on a two-year, $12 million contract in the 2023 offseason. Slayton was coming off a bounce-back 2022 campaign after a down year in 2021 and received far less than his projected market value on the contract. This time around, Slayton has once again proven his value and will seek a deal more in line with the market, which should net him a contract worth over $15 million per season.
The Giants don’t appear eager to give Slayton such a lofty payraise, evidenced by their refusal to do so during the 2024 offseason in which the veteran wide receiver held out due to contractual demands.
If not Slayton, then who?
If the Giants don’t re-sign Slayton, then their options at the position become unclear. He has gone for 740+ receiving yards in four of the six seasons of his career — consistent production that would be difficult to replace this offseason.
Third-year WR Jalin Hyatt hasn’t developed the way New York had hoped he would through the first two seasons of his career. Despite some initial promise in his rookie season, Hyatt regressed in year two of his career — the season that should have established him as the successor to Slayton. Instead, Hyatt’s future as a starter is just as much of a question mark as Slayton’s future as a Giant.
Slayton is arguably the best player among all the free-agent wide receivers at his projected price point. He will be competing in a market featuring the likes of Kansas City Chiefs WR Marquis Brown, Chicago Bears WR Keenan Allen, and Pittsburgh Steelers WR Mike Williams. Considering age, health, and production, Slayton is the best option.
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The Giants could plan to target Slayton’s replacement in the NFL Draft if they want to get cheaper, younger, and raise their ceiling at the position. However, a rookie might not be able to contribute from day one, needing time to grow and develop before becoming impactful.
Sometimes, the status quo ain’t so bad. That might be the case with the Giants and Slayton. Of course, the interest would need to be mutual in order to get a deal done. Considering the way Slayton has been moved in and out of the lineup despite his consistent play, and the way the Giants refused to meet his contract demands last offseason, there are reasons to believe he is ready to move on to greener pastures. But the Giants should consider preventing that from happening.