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New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton continues to show that he’s one of the best young wideouts in the NFL.

Jason Leach

Last season as a rookie, Darius Slayton showed that he was one of the biggest steals in the 2019 NFL Draft.

The 171st overall pick had 48 receptions for 740 yards and eight touchdowns in his breakout rookie seasons. His eight touchdown receptions were tied with Amari Cooper for the most in the NFC East.

In the New York Giants‘ disappointing 26-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, Slayton was the biggest bright spot, catching six passes for a game-high 102 yards and two touchdowns.

The chemistry he had with quarterback Daniel Jones last season was on full display despite the lack of OTAs and preseason.

Since Week 5 of last season, Slayton leads in the NFL in touchdown receptions. It’s clear that he’s one of the best young receivers in the NFL, and is poised to have his first 1,000-yard season.

On Wednesday, Slayton spoke with the media and he was asked about naysayers who don’t think his eight touchdowns from last season were sustainable.

“I just try to go out there and make plays,” Slayton responded. “I didn’t really know that was a thing, to be honest with you. I just try to go out there and make plays and find my way to the end zone as often as possible. Hopefully, I’ll be able to continue to find my way there the rest of this year.”

For anyone who watched the Giants last season or their game against the Steelers on Monday, Slayton is clearly the team’s big-play receiver. Slayton was also asked what does he need to do to prove that he’s a legitimate No. 1 receiver in the NFL.

“I don’t know necessarily about that, but I definitely think obviously, like I said, being consistent. If I go out there and I make plays every week, week in and week out, and I help propel my team to wins, the rest will take care of itself.”

One of the reasons to be optimistic about the future of the franchise is the fact that Slayton and Jones have chemistry that normally takes years for quarterbacks and receivers to develop. But these two are already clicking faster than anyone could have expected.

“I definitely think the fact that we literally came here together from day one, whether it was rookie minicamp or what have you, we’ve literally been catching and throwing since day one. I think that familiarity is definitely there. I think it’s something that we’ll continue to build on,” Slayton said regarding his chemistry with Jones.

Expect Slayton to once again be the focal point of the passing game this Sunday when they travel to Chicago to take on the Chicago Bears (1-0). Last week against the Lions, the Bears gave up 297 passing yards to Matthew Stafford and surrendered three passing touchdowns.

Look for Slayton and Jones to pick up where they left off on Monday as they try to exploit the Bears secondary.

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Jason Leach
https://elitesportsny.com
Jason's first love was football while growing up in northern New Jersey. For the past three years, he has covered the New York Giants, as well as several boxing events along the East Coast.

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