Darius Slayton, wide receiver for the New York Giants, is approaching notable milestones in franchise history as he enters his seventh NFL season. If Slayton were to end his career with the team today, he would rank 17th in receptions, 18th in receiving yards, and tied for 22nd in touchdown catches among Giants players. These achievements come after being selected as the 171st pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and overcoming early challenges during his rookie minicamp.
Reflecting on his progress and the legacy of previous Giants receivers, Slayton said, “I have profound respect … for all the guys who played before me, all the guys who were good players here before me. But ultimately, while it would be nice to be able to pass up people that were such good football players, that’s really not my focus. It’s not my primary focus. Even if I had the NFL record for yards through seven years in the NFL, it wouldn’t change the fact of the games that we’ve not been able to win in my time here. So, ultimately, that’s my primary focus. Somebody like Hakeem Nicks or Amani Toomer or Mario Manningham, Plaxico Burress, those types of guys, the envy I have for them is the fact that they won at the highest level. Ultimately, I’d much rather catch them in Super Bowl rings than I would yardage. But hopefully if I’m blessed enough to get past them in yards, then so be it.”
Giants franchise records are currently led by Amani Toomer with 668 receptions for 9,497 yards and 54 touchdowns over 100 seasons. Projections suggest that if Slayton maintains his average performance over three more seasons, he could move up to second place in receiving yards and reach fifth in catches and tenth in touchdown receptions.
Heading into this season, Slayton is within reach of surpassing several former Giants players: he needs 44 catches to tie Victor Cruz (12th), 733 yards to catch Ike Hilliard (10th), and six touchdowns to match Hakeem Nicks (tied for 12th).
Coach Brian Daboll praised Slayton’s contributions both on and off the field: “Slayton is an excellent teammate and he’s been that way since I’ve been here,” Daboll said about Slayton’s nomination for the 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. “He’s been productive in the things that we’ve asked him to do. He’s an excellent leader, and I know people maybe don’t see it but from behind the scenes, and I’d say particularly this year, he’s been vocal, very good communicator, sets the standard on how we should practice and that’s why we wanted him back. I’m glad he signed both times back. He’s an excellent teammate and he’s productive in his craft. He’s a good veteran to have on this football team.”
Daboll also acknowledged Slayton’s resilience throughout his career: “It hasn’t always been easy for him,” Daboll said. “He’s had some rocky times and he’s kind of always persevered. … I know the first year I got here, how it started out and then he just kept on grinding and grinding and you have an appreciation for people like that who are able to weather storms and overcome things and then look pretty good at it coming out from the back side. He’s been an excellent teammate. I love coaching him and I’m very impressed with how he’s taken another step in his leadership, particularly the communication, and there’s times he’s got up in front of the room and talked to the entire team and did one hell of a job. The most important thing he knows is playing well, but he’s available, he’s out there, he practices, he’s smart, he knows every position you could know on offense in terms of the skill guys. I’m glad we got him.”
As Slayton continues with New York under a new contract signed this offseason—one aimed at keeping him part of future franchise achievements—he will seek further advancement both statistically among Giants receivers as well as pursuing postseason success.
