The 2023 NFL Combine is officially in the books, so all eyes are on the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft. The next wave of talent will hope to hear their names announced in Kansas City, Missouri in late April. One such player who will likely hear his name called on Day 1 of the draft is star Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt.
In 2022, the junior Volunteers wideout caught 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns. He finished in the top five in the nation for receiving yards, while also leading the SEC in both receiving yards and scores. Hyat showed off his star potential against the then-No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide when he racked up 207 yards and five touchdowns on just six catches.
Hyatt was one of the key players in Tennessee’s surprising 2022 campaign, which saw them finish sixth in the rankings after starting the year as an unranked team. Individually, Hyatt won the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which is presented to the best wide receiver in the nation, and earned First-team All-SEC and All-American honors, with his All-American selection being unanimous.
Hyatt is widely considered to be one of the best wide receivers in this draft class, so he should be one of the first players at his position to come off the board. With that being said, here are the three best destinations for Jalin Hyatt in the 2023 NFL Draft.
3. Dallas Cowboys
One team that might be after a young receiver in the draft is the Dallas Cowboys. Based on what their wide receiver corps produced in 2022 and the weak wideout free agency class that's set to hit the market, they could consider Hyatt with the No. 26 pick in the draft.
In 2022, CeeDee Lamb led the way with 1,359 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Michael Gallup, who was expected to be a big part of the offense, only had 424 yards in his return to the field after tearing his ACL in 2021. With the team's second-best pass catcher being tight end Dalton Schultz, who is hitting free agency, Dallas’ pass-catching group could be set to suffer a major loss if he departs.
Because of that, Hyatt could be an intriguing name to become the Cowboys second option in the passing game behind Lamb. The former Volunteer would not have the pressure of being a WR1 as a rookie, which would allow him more time to develop. Most importantly, he would be joining a top contender in the NFC, so he would have a chance to play in some big games right off the bat.
2. New Orleans Saints
Another team that could use Hyatt's services is the New Orleans Saints. They are still in a bit of a rebuilding phase following the retirements of Drew Brees and Sean Payton in 2020 and 2021, respectively, but they appear to be taking a big step forward in 2023 already.
The team is reportedly signing Derek Carr to be its starting quarterback moving forward. The veteran Carr is set to join New Orleans after spending his entire career with the Las Vegas Raiders to this point. In Carr's nine years with the Raiders, he led them to the playoffs only twice, but made it to the Pro Bowl four times. With an experienced quarterback such as Carr onboard, New Orleans should focus on improving their receiving group.
This past season, the Saints had Chris Olave leading the way with 1,042 yards, despite the fact he missed two games along the way. Other than Olave, New Orleans only had one other player with more than 500 receiving yards on the season, that being right end Juwan Johnson.
With Hyatt, the Saints would have another young wideout to play alongside their budding star in Olave. With Carr under center now, and wide receiver being a clear position of need, the Saints should consider selecting Hyatt with the No. 29 pick in the draft.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
Finally, another possibility for Hyatt is to join a major Super Bowl contender in the reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.
One of the biggest free agents for the Chiefs this offseason is wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. In 2022, the wideout had 78 receptions for 933 yards, with only Travis Kelce being more productive in those categories. Smith-Schuster also ended up scoring three touchdowns in the regular season, giving him his best-receiving numbers since his Pro Bowl campaign in 2018.
After signing a one-year, $10.75 million contract last offseason, Smith-Schuster could be looking for a more lucrative deal this offseason. The main issue is that the Chiefs are in a tough financial position. They are currently over the salary cap limit and have some key players hitting free agency, with Smith-Schuster and offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. headlining that group.
Because of that, it might be difficult for the Chiefs to bring Smith-Schuster back. That is where Hyatt enters the equation. With a rookie-scale contract, the Chiefs would have a new starting wideout at a very small price. Even if Smith-Schuster re-signs, they would still have a young piece to build around for years to come.
As for Hyatt, he would start his career playing with two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, which would be very beneficial for his development. Hyatt could excel in the Chiefs deep threat role, as he averaged 18.9 yards per reception in 2022, which was the highest among players with at least 60 catches in FBS. He could serve in a similar role to the one that Tyreek Hill filled during his time with the Chiefs. All things considered, Kansas City at No. 31 is likely the best destination for Jalin Hyatt in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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