If Darius Slayton never played another snap in a Giants uniform, he would finish 17th all-time in receptions, 18th in receiving yards, and tied for 22nd in touchdown catches.

Not bad for the 171st pick in the 2019 NFL Draft whose rookie minicamp famously started with a handful of drops. He caught on from there, and after signing a new deal to stay with the Giants this offseason, Slayton has a chance to climb higher and higher in the franchise record books.

"I have profound respect … for all the guys who played before me, all the guys who were good players here before me," Slayton said. "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."

The ascent really starts to pick up in 2025.

Out of 100 Giants seasons, Toomer leads all receivers with 668 receptions for 9,497 yards and 54 touchdowns. Slayton, if he keeps on his current averages for three more seasons, would climb to second in receiving yards, fifth in catches, and 10th in receiving touchdowns.

Heading into this season alone, Slayton, for example, is 44 catches away from Victor Cruz (12^th), 733 yards from Ike Hilliard (10^th), and six touchdowns from Hakeem Nicks (tied for 12^th).

But his impact goes beyond numbers.

"Slayton is an excellent teammate and he's been that way since I've been here," coach Brian Daboll said of the Giants' nominee 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."

This will be Slayton's seventh season in the NFL, the fourth with Daboll as head coach, and his role has fluctuated from season to season and even week to week.

"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."

Now the climb begins again.