2023 NFL Draft

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Presser Points: Inside another draft trade; Day 2 picks talk

Apr 29, 2023 at 01:15 AM

Dan Salomone

Managing Editor, Giants.com

GM JOE SCHOEN & BRIAN DABOLL

🔹 On the thought behind trading up to select Jalin Hyatt in the third round, Schoen said, "One of those deals, we were joking around after we took the center (John Michael Schmitz) and were like, hey, wonder if we can get them both. I told the guys, just start making calls when it looks like we're going to do it for our four, when it comes into range, and we made a couple phone calls and some teams were interested in doing it. We're ecstatic to be able to get him."

🔹 Schoen revealed Daboll actually initiated the trade. "So, I congratulate him on that. But no, if you know somebody, hey, why don't you shoot the Rams a text, or you know, give them a call and again, hey, this is what it looks like it would be, does it make sense and we just call and say, hey, when you're on the clock, let us know."

🔹 "Team speed in general" was an offseason priority across the board. "I think we did that with some of the free agents we signed," Schoen said. :Parris Campbell can roll, Jeff (Smith) can roll, (Bobby) Okereke runs well. We've upgraded the speed in general; (Darren) Waller. So yeah, that's definitely something watching our team last year, we just felt we needed to get faster in all three phases."

🔹 Schoen was at the epic 2022 Tennessee vs. Alabama game, where Hyatt set the program's single-game record for touchdown catches with five. "He can roll. I was at that Alabama game. I can't remember why I came in late, but I was a little bit late. But I was on the field for the first half. I was coming from another game, landed there, and first half I was on the field, and you could really feel his speed. It's legit 4.3."

🔹 Daboll said Schoen "does a fantastic job working the phones and being prepared, along with, I'd say, Tim (McDonnell) and Brandon (Brown) and Dennis (Hickey), rest of the scouts, they have done a great job. So again, you draft these players. You put grades on them. You come in; you coach them up. But you let them compete it out. That's what we're all about. So, it's just adding new pieces just like we did in free agency. We'll get them out there on the field and see how they do."

🔹 Schoen isn't concerned about Hyatt's frame. He measured 6-0 and 176 pounds at the combine, which is nearly identical to Philadelphia's DeVonta Smith two year prior. "There's a similar body type down the road that we play twice a year, that's a good player. (He) was drafted much higher. But again, you look at it, you look at the group, you know, how tall they are, how long they are, thick they are, and you know, I know the offensive staff and Dabs, they do a great job of putting the guys in the best position to succeed; and what are the routes they run best, how can we accentuate what they do well, and then they will kind of formulate the offense around that. I think he'll be fine."

🔹 A night after defensive coordinator Wink Martindale gave Schoen a big bear hug after drafting cornerback Deonte Banks, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka was just as excited on Friday. "He's jacked up, too. Yeah, him, (wide receivers coach) Mike Groh, everybody is excited. Kafka is excited about the center, too."