HEADLINES

Jalin Hyatt

Giants Notes: Hyatt, Belton, Bellinger, Gano

July 3rd, 2025 at 6:17pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Giants WR Jalin Hyatt has added more than 20 pounds to his frame heading into a crucial third season in New York.

“I played at like 170, 171 last year, I’m about 194, 195 now,” said Hyatt on a recent team podcast (via NFL.com’s Coral Smith). “I’m telling you, that’s what darkness does to you. It changes you.”

The 2023 third-rounder has no intention of losing any of his trademark speed and explained that the added weight is to help him absorb contact as a receiver and ballcarrier.

“I felt like that was one of the things that I needed to work on from last season,” admitted Hyatt.

The 23-year-old also wants to diversify his usage in 2025 – both in terms of alignment and route tree – after lining up out wide and running a lot of vertical routes in his first two seasons. Hyatt specifically talked to Giants head coach Brian Daboll about seeing more time in the slot, where he played a majority of his snaps at the University of Tennessee. New York’s slot role has been dominated by Wan’Dale Robinson since 2023, and the addition of Malik Nabers and Theo Johnson in last year’s draft added more competition.

By his own admission, Hyatt is still adjusting to his bigger frame, but playing above 190 pounds should assist Hyatt in his pursuit for more slot snaps, both as a blocker and as a pass-catcher over the middle of the field.

Here are some other updates out of New York:

  • The Giants’ selection of Tyler Nubin in 2024 and addition of Jevon Holland this offseason have pushed 2022 fourth-rounder Dane Belton out of the starting picture in a contract year. However, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen praised Belton’s work in spring practices and said (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan) that the team is “finding ways to get him on the field.” Belton had three interceptions in five practices open to the media, per Raanan, positioning him for a role as the Giants’ third safety on defense.
  • Fourth-year TE Daniel Bellinger is expected to make the Giants’ 53-man roster, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, but he will likely be asked to take a pay cut in the process. Bellinger played more than 35% of the team’s offensive snaps in his first two NFL seasons to earn a Level One proven performance escalator, bringing his 2025 salary to $3.4MM, per OverTheCap. However, he ceded playing time to veteran Chris Manhertz last year and saw his snap share reduced to 32%. Giants general manager Joe Schoen has gotten previous PPE qualifiers such as Darnay Holmes and Darius Slayton to take similar pay cuts in the past, and he showed last year with Nick McCloud that he is willing to move on from a player if the price is not right.
  • Despite reports of a potential kicking competition in New York, veteran Graham Gano is expected to retain the job despite injuries and inconsistency over the last two years. Irish kicker Jude McAtamney, who filled in for Gano in Week 9 last year, does not have a “real chance to unseat Gano,” per Duggan. McAtamney’s international exemption will allow the Giants to carry him as an extra 17th practice squad player during the season.

Giants Not Considering WR Jalin Hyatt Trade

September 20th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants traded up in the third round of the 2023 draft to select wideout Jalin Hyatt. Through the first two weeks of the current season, though, he has not emerged as a regular contributor in the passing game.

Hyatt has logged only 28 offensive snaps to date, and he has been targeted once so far. The Tennessee product spent much of the offseason competing with veteran Darius Slayton for a starting role, but he sits fourth on the depth chart as things stand. Slayton, Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson represent the Giants’ preferred trio on the first-team offense, so an injury will be needed for Hyatt to handle a notable workload.

During the summer, the 22-year-old expressed frustration with his situation, with ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reporting Hyatt told the Giants they should trade him if they kept him pegged for a backup role. Raanan adds no consideration is being given to to a trade, and head coach Brian Daboll said on Friday he never received a trade request in the offseason (h/t Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News). Hyatt himself also offered a denial of the report (video link via SNY). For now, attention from team and player will be focused on preparing for an evantual uptick in usage.

“I thought I had a very, very good training camp and they told me I did,” the Tennessee product said (via Raanan). “They told me I had a great training camp, but there are things that I can’t control, and I am disappointed about it, but at the end of the day, I’m just going to keep getting better and my chance will come, and when it comes I will be ready.”

Hyatt put up modest production during his first two seasons with the Volunteers. During his junior campaign, however, he racked up 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns en route to winning the Biletnikoff Award as the country’s top receiver. That helped his draft stock, although questions remained with respect to his overall skillset at the NFL level. Hyatt was primarily viewed as a vertical threat upon entering the league, and that was demonstrated by his 16.2 yards per catch average as a rookie.

Since he is attached to his rookie contract through 2026, it would have come as a surprise if the Giants had given serious thought to a trade involving Hyatt during the summer. Since he does not play on special teams, though, he is in line to remain a relative afterthought for the team’s WR room barring a change on the depth chart and a resultant increase in opportunities.

NFC East Notes: Bland, Eagles, Giants

September 10th, 2024 at 1:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys managed fine without DaRon Bland in Week 1, smothering Deshaun Watson‘s comeback effort. But the team has not gotten a chance to play Bland and Trevon Diggs together since September of last season. Bland’s IR-return designation leaves the 2023 All-Pro out of the picture until at least Week 5. While a late-August report suggested Bland could miss eight games due to the foot stress fracture he suffered, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Cowboys are optimistic Bland will be ready to return when first eligible.

This would be welcome news for a Cowboys team that has seen each of its preferred top three corners sustain a significant injury since 2022. Jourdan Lewis suffered a career-threatening Lisfranc injury that season, and Diggs tore an ACL in September. The latter issue moved Bland from the slot to the boundary, leading to his record-breaking five-pick-six performance last season. The Cowboys used fifth-round rookie Caelen Carson as their starter alongside Diggs in Cleveland.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • Devin White‘s role will be one to monitor when he debuts for the Eagles. The free agency addition missed Week 1, with Nakobe Dean starting alongside Zack Baun. Dean and Baun served as Vic Fangio‘s LB regulars in the Brazil game, and while White should still have a role upon debuting, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane notes Dean beat out the former Buccaneers top-five pick for a starting job. White was believed to be on track for a starting role before camp. The Eagles had planned for Dean to be their top linebacker last season, but two IR stints — because of a foot issue — changed that plan. Dean’s injury-plagued second season, after he backed up Kyzir White and T.J. Edwards as a rookie, led to the White and Baun signings. White is coming off a disappointing Bucs season, which ended with a reduced role. After previously aiming for a top-five ILB deal in 2023, White is on a one-year, $4MM contract.
  • The Eagles lost four front office execs to assistant GM roles in 2022, leading Howie Roseman to rebuild his power structure. This resulted in both Alec Halaby and Jon Ferrari being elevated to the assistant GM role that had previously stood vacant despite the front office talent Roseman had stockpiled. Halaby interviewed for the Commanders and Panthers’ GM jobs during this year’s cycle, meeting about the Carolina gig twice. Ferrari should be expected to be summoned for GM meetings soon as well, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe notes (subscription required). Ferrari has been with the Eagles since 2016. Prior to the AGM bump, he worked mainly in the team’s compliance department.
  • Both Nick McCloud and Gunner Olszewski are expected to miss time for the Giants. McCloud, who pushed for a starting cornerback spot in training camp, sustained a knee injury that could keep him out weeks, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano notes. Olszewski sustained a groin injury and will miss extensive time. Both players re-signed on one-year deals this offseason.
  • Staying with the Giants, the team used 2023 third-rounder Jalin Hyatt as its No. 4 wide receiver in Week 1. Hyatt played only 16 snaps against the Vikings, with Vacchiano indicating the Tennessee alum is “clearly behind” the Malik Nabers–Wan’Dale Robinson–Darius Slayton trio. This could certainly change if the Giants considered a Slayton trade — which they did not during the offseason — but the deep threat played at least 16 snaps in 15 of his 17 rookie-year games.
  • The Cowboys were among the teams to create cap space recently. They restructured Terence Steele‘s contract, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates. This update creates $4.5MM in cap space for the team, one that just agreed to the most lucrative deal in NFL history (Dak Prescott‘s four-year, $240MM extension).
  • Josh Harris will work with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment CEO Tad Brown in running the search for the team’s next president, the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala tweets. The Commanders are searching for a successor to Jason Wright, who announced he will leave the post after the season.

Giants Considering Starting Role For WR Jalin Hyatt; Sterling Shepard On Roster Bubble?

August 7th, 2023 at 10:41am CST by Adam La Rose

When the Giants look to repeat their success from last season in 2023, all eyes will understandably be on quarterback Daniel Jones given his sizeable extension signed in March. The team’s new-look receiving corps will be a key determining factor in their offensive improvement, though, meaning training camp developments amongst their pass-catchers are worth watching closely.

New York entered the offseason in need of an established playmaker in the passing game, and they acquired one in the form of Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller. The former Raven and Raider has impressed since being traded to New York, and he is expected to operate as the focal point of the Giants’ passing game moving forward. At the wide receiver spot, though, plenty is yet to be determined.

New York declined to make a sizeable splash on the open market, with their biggest moves being the addition of Parris Campbell and re-signing of Darius Slayton. During the draft, they added one of the class’ more intriguing prospects, third-rounder Jalin Hyatt. The latter was one of several WR targets for the Giants in April, and the team was prepared to use its second-round selection on the speedster.

Hyatt found himself on the third-string offense for much of the spring, but things have changed since then. The Tennessee alum is now seeing reps with the starters, as noted by Dan Duggan of The Athletic (subscription required). Hyatt, the 2022 Biletnikoff winner as college football’s top receiver, recorded 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns in the Volunteers’ high-octane offense, but questions about his ability to transition from that scheme to the NFL had tempered his 2023 expectations. Now, though, signficant playing time appears to be in the cards.

The same cannot be said of the Giants’ longest-tenured player. Sterling Shepard finds himself on the roster bubble, Duggan notes. The 30-year-old suffered an ACL tear in 2022, which limited him to just three games played and added further to his history of signficant injuries. He was brought back on a low-cost deal, but the Giants would incur no financial penalty if they elected to include him among the final roster cuts.

Shepard is currently behind Cole Beasley on the depth chart, Duggan adds, which is certainly concerning with respect to the former’s job security. Beasley avoided a second retirement by heading to New York and reuniting with Brian Daboll in the process. The current Giants head coach served as the Bills’ offensive coordinator during Beasley’s most productive seasons, but expectations are still low given the latter’s age (34) and lack of playing time last season.

Preseason will go a long way in settling the WR pecking order in New York. The fact that Hyatt has come a long way toward a starting role, and that Shepard has work to do simply to make the roster, however, are notable storylines to follow as the rest of the summer plays out.

Giants Nearly Used Second-Round Pick On WR Jalin Hyatt

May 18th, 2023 at 2:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

A popular team for pre-draft wide receiver visits, the Giants discussed potential deals that would have moved them into wideout range in this year’s first round. Instead opting to stand down, Big Blue saw four receivers go off the board just before their first-round pick.

Although the Giants did not end up with Zay Flowers or Jordan Addison — pre-draft visitors the team eyed on Day 1 — they added Tennessee prospect Jalin Hyatt to their receiving corps. The Giants took Hyatt in Round 3, but they were prepared to select him a round earlier.

When the Jaguars went on the clock for their No. 56 pick, the Giants had Hyatt and center John Michael Schmitz as their targets. Jacksonville traded the pick to Chicago, and with Giants brass concerned the NFC North team eyed one of its preferred players, Brian Daboll said Hyatt was likely going to be the pick at No. 57. With the Bears opting for cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, the Giants proceeded with Schmitz, a Minnesota product Daboll said (video link) “could start at center.”

That will likely be the expectation for Schmitz, but the Giants managed to land Hyatt 16 picks later. It took a trade-up with the Rams — one that cost the Giants Nos. 89 and 128 — but the Giants moved into position for Hyatt at No. 73. During the gap between the Schmitz and Hyatt picks, two other receivers — Marvin Mims and Nathaniel Dell — went off the board (to the Broncos and Texans, respectively). The reigning Biletnikoff winner remained available and is now in New York.

The Giants carried a top four of Sterling Shepard, Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay and 2022 second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson at receiver entering last season. Those plans quickly changed. Season-ending injuries removed Shepard and Robinson from the equation, and Toney’s unreliability led the Giants to trade him to the Chiefs. (The Giants used the third-rounder obtained in that deal to trade for Darren Waller in March.) Darius Slayton became a key performer by default, with the since-released Golladay quickly benched. The Giants re-signed Slayton and Shepard and are set to have Robinson back in the mix. The holdovers, a contingent that includes midseason waiver claim Isaiah Hodgins, join Hyatt, Jamison Crowder and Parris Campbell.

The Giants again considered an Odell Beckham Jr. reunion; the Ravens’ $15MM guaranteed won out. Had Beckham signed, the Giants’ receiver draft plan may have differed. But Hyatt, who rode a five-touchdown performance against Alabama to the Biletnikoff award, will soon be a key part of Daboll’s plan. The 6-foot pass catcher is coming off a 1,267-yard, 15-touchdown season. Joining a suddenly crowded receiver room, it will be interesting to see how the speedster factors in to start his rookie year.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/15/23

May 15th, 2023 at 9:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest members of the 2023 draft class to sign their four-year rookie contracts:

Arizona Cardinals

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

Hyatt will represent youth for the Giants, who have assembled a veteran-heavy receiving nucleus. Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder are attached to veteran contracts. Hyatt joins 2022 second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson and waiver claim Isaiah Hodgins as the young talents in this group. After trading up 16 spots to land Hyatt, Giants will rely on him for a deep speed presence. Although he went off the board 73rd overall, Hyatt is the reigning Biletnikoff award winner.

Martin and Young are each the top outside investment either the Lions or Raiders made along their respective interior defensive lines this offseason. The Lions drafted first- and second-round D-linemen (Aidan Hutchinson, Josh Paschal) last year. The Raiders have devoted plenty to their edge-rushing contingent, using a first-round pick on Tyree Wilson after giving Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones big-ticket deals last year, but the team has not allocated many resources to its D-tackle positions. Martin was the last of the six Day 1 or Day 2 picks the Lions made this year.

Giants Obtain No. 73 From Rams, Draft WR Jalin Hyatt

April 28th, 2023 at 8:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams have completed another trade-down maneuver. They are sending No. 73 overall to the Giants in exchange for Nos. 89 and 128.

This move comes shortly after Sean McVay‘s team slid down from No. 69, dealing with the Texans. At 73, the Giants are taking wide receiver Jalin Hyatt. The Giants will add the Tennessee deep threat to a revamped receiving corps. The Volunteers’ top 2022 wideouts have gone back-to-back, with the Browns selecting Cedric Tillman at No. 74.

One of this draft’s best deep threats, Hyatt was among the many receiver prospects to spend time with the Giants during the pre-draft process. Hyatt will join new additions Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder in New York. With the Giants also re-signing Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard — along with RFA Isaiah Hodgins — their receiver group is about at capacity.

Hyatt’s arrival does not supply the Giants with tremendous size, as he stands 6-foot tall. But he brings elite speed to the mix. He ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash at the Combine but did so while dealing with a hamstring issue. He also is the reigning Biletnikoff award winner.

Hyatt broke through for a stunning performance against Alabama — in Tennessee’s October win — with a 207-yard, five-touchdown display. Last year represented Hyatt’s only notable run of production with the Volunteers; prior to his 1,267-yard season, he did not top 300 receiving yards in 2020 or ’21.

Last season, the Giants needed to drag Slayton out of their doghouse and use Hodgins — a midseason waiver claim — extensively as well. Big Blue also has Wan’Dale Robinson coming off an ACL tear. It would not seem there is room for all seven of these wideouts on Brian Daboll‘s roster, but considering the injury trouble the team has dealt with recently — while adding Campbell’s injury past to the mix — it might be wise for the team to stock up at the position.

If nothing else, Daniel Jones will enjoy a much deeper pass-catching corps compared to last season. After earning a $40MM-per-year payday, the fifth-year quarterback has this contingent and Darren Waller to target in 2023.

Draft Notes: Flowers, Eagles, Bills, Ravens

April 25th, 2023 at 10:10pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bears have already moved back once in the first round, sending the No. 1 pick to the Panthers for a package that included the No. 9 pick in Thursday’s draft. While the front office was able to restock their draft capital, the team could still look to move back a second time. According to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, the Bears “probably would like to trade down” as they pursue more picks.

Volin suspects that the organization likes Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers but has no intention of taking him in the top 10. By trading back in the first round, Ryan Poles and co. can continue to collect assets while also selecting their preferred prospect in a more palatable spot. Volin also suggests that the front office could simply look to deal some of their non-firsts to trade into the back end of the first round, with the writer suggesting a package of picks No. 53, No. 61, and No. 64.

The Bears made a clear commitment to Justin Fields when they traded out of the first selection, eliminating any shot at adding one of the draft’s top QB prospects. The team’s apparent pursuit of Flowers emphasizes their desire to surround Fields with as many talented playmakers as possible, and it wouldn’t be shocking if the organization adds a handful of skill players before the draft is complete.

More notes leading up to Thursday’s draft…

  • A league executive told Peter King of Football Morning in America that the Eagles “love” Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith, and the writer believes there’s a chance the organization selects the prospect with the 10th-overall pick. While many pundits have assumed the Eagles would select someone like Northwestern lineman Peter Skoronski, King notes that the organization generally hasn’t used high draft picks on offensive guards. Further, the team’s grouping of edge rushers (Brandon Graham, Haason Reddick, Derek Barnett and Josh Sweat) are pushing an average age of 30, so it wouldn’t be a shock if they add some youth to the grouping.
  • The Bills like North Carolina wideout Josh Downs, according to King. Scouts believe the receiver could start in the slot from Day 1, providing Josh Allen with another talented pass-catcher outside of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Downs averaged nearly 100 yards per game over the past two seasons.
  • A number of teams believe the Ravens will be eyeing wide receivers when it’s their turn to pick at No. 22, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. While the organization added Odell Beckham to a grouping that also includes Rashod Bateman, the team could be looking for another burner to pair with Lamar Jackson. Breer points to Flowers as a “potential interesting fit.”
  • The Chiefs have made calls about moving up from the No. 31 pick, according to Breer. While teams believe Kansas City is simply looking for a “discounted way” to move up the board, Breer notes that the organization wouldn’t make such a move unless they had their eye on a particular prospect. Once again, Flowers comes up as a potential target, and Breer also points to Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs, Tennessee receiver Jalin Hyatt, and Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith as options.

Giants To Host WRs Jordan Addison, Jalin Hyatt; Team High On Jaxon Smith-Njigba?

April 11th, 2023 at 3:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Giants made a surprising voyage to the divisional round last season, they are still a team featuring some clear needs heading into the draft. A No. 1-caliber wide receiver is one of them.

The Giants have done their homework on this year’s wide receiver crop leading up to pre-draft visit season, spending time with each of this year’s top-rated wideouts previously. But they will continue to exhaust resources to gauge pass catchers’ viability. USC’s Jordan Addison will meet with the Giants next week, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt is also headed to New York for a Wednesday visit, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

One of the fastest receivers in this year’s class, Hyatt said his hamstring tightened up before he ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash time at the Combine. He did not run at Tennessee’s pro day. While both NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah and ESPN’s Scouts Inc. have Hyatt outside the top 40, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller views the 176-pound burner as a potential top-25 selection. The Bills, Cowboys and Saints have met with Hyatt as well.

Hyatt broke through for a stunning performance against Alabama — in Tennessee’s October win — with a 207-yard, five-touchdown display. Hyatt rode that outing to the Biletnikoff award. Last year represented Hyatt’s only notable run of production with the Volunteers; prior to his 1,267-yard season, the 6-foot target did not top 300 receiving yards in 2020 or ’21.

The Giants, who hold the No. 25 pick, dined with Jaxon Smith-Njigba ahead of the Ohio State alum’s pro day last month. While they are looking into Addison, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano adds Smith-Njigba is the receiver the Giants most likely view as this class’ top prize. A hamstring injury nagged Smith-Njigba throughout last season, but his 2021 — when the slot player’s 1,606 receiving yards dwarfed the totals of first-rounders Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave — still has his stock high. Smith-Njigba might not be available when the Giants pick, and his skillset might not be ideal for a team hoarding slot types already (Sterling Shepard, Parris Campbell, Jamison Crowder to go with Wan’Dale Robinson). A number of teams are looking into the latest draft-eligible Buckeyes receiver talent.

New York is also doing work on front-seven prospects. Defensive lineman Bryan Bresee and edge rusher Will McDonald are on the radar, with SI.com’s Albert Breer indicating (via Twitter) the Iowa State edge visited Monday while the Clemson interior defender is in town today.

Once a top-five national recruit, Bresee bounced back from an injury-plagued 2021. Grading as Jeremiah’s No. 37 prospect, the 298-pound D-tackle could profile as a late-first-round prospect. McDonald saw action in five Cyclones seasons and finished two of them (2020, 2021) in double digits for sacks. The 6-foot-4 edge combined for 26 tackles for loss in that span as well. Both Scouts Inc. and Jeremiah slot McDonald — the Cyclones’ all-time sack leader (34) — 26th in this class.

The Giants are fairly well-invested on both their defensive line and at outside linebacker. They used the No. 5 overall pick on Kayvon Thibodeaux last year and have former second-rounder Azeez Ojulari going into his third season. Up front, the team has Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence. Both players are going into contract years, though Lawrence extension talks have begun. A Williams extension also would reduce his mammoth 2023 cap number ($32.26MM).

Bills Meet With WR Jalin Hyatt, To Host Jordan Addison; Trade-Up In Play?

April 11th, 2023 at 9:45am CST by Adam La Rose

Much of the intrigue surrounding this month’s draft has been focused on teams near the top of the board, but the Bills could be a team to watch amongst those currently scheduled to select later on Day 1. They will continue doing homework on a number of receiver options who could be available, and a move up the board may not be out of the question.

Buffalo met with Tennessee alum Jalin Hyatt yesterday, per Jordan Schultz of The Score (Twitter link). That adds to the growing list of teams who have looked into this year’s Biletnikoff award winner as the country’s top receiver, and could point him towards a first-round selection. Hyatt had two modest seasons to begin his career with the Volunteers, but took a massive step forward in 2022 with a 67/1,267/15 statline.

His 18.9 yards per catch average in 2022 makes Hyatt one of the best vertical threats in the 2023 receiver class, one which has led teams around the league in several different directions with respect to evaluations. The All-American is one of several wideouts with first-round potential who is on the slender side (6-0, 175), but he should still be able to carve out a sizeable role early in his NFL career.

The same is true of Jordan Addison, who will visit the Bills this week, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). The Pitt transfer had a down year compared to 2021 in his lone season at USC, but still finds himself in contention to be the top receiver taken and is seen as one of the safest prospects at the position. Addison, like many other wideouts headlining the 2023 class, is likely to see considerable time in the slot at the NFL level, which could make Buffalo an interesting destination.

The Bills are in search of a consistent No. 2 option in the passing game behind Stefon Diggs, and both Hyatt and Addison could provide the skillset needed to find a long-term answer in that regard. Buffalo will also meet with Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, as they cast a wide net in their pre-draft evaluations. Given how high at least some of the top receivers will hear their names called, though, the Bills may need to get aggressive to land their preferred option.

ESPN’s Matt Miller notes that a trade-up could be in play for Buffalo, who currently holds pick No. 27. Moving towards the middle of the first round may be necessary to beat out other WR-needy teams for the first or second option, though plenty of uncertainty remains regarding how many pass-catchers will go on Day 1 given the relative lack of star power in this class. The Bills also have just six picks in total this year, so a sizeable move in the first round may not be feasible.

Buffalo ranked seventh in passing offense last season, and the team has made only relatively minor moves at the receiver position so far in free agency. An impact rookie could help give them a potential successor to Gabe Davis in the No. 2 receiver role, since the former fourth-rounder is entering the final year of his rookie contract. How interested the Bills are in one or more of the prospects who could be in their range will be a storyline to watch.

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