Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton credits his rookie successes to every team in the NFL.
Slayton was the Giants' fifth-round pick at the 2019 NFL draft. Like most Round 5 selections, Slayton thought he deserve to be picked ahead of Day 3 of the draft. While in the past, Slayton said every team passing on him at least four times motivates him in the present.
"I got drafted in the fifth round, and I felt like I was a better player than that," Slayton told The Post. I feel like I was a Day 1, Day 2 guy. I went on Day 3, and it's definitely something that's fueled me since I've been here."
Slayton's 267 receiving yards on 16 catches in six games played is ninth-most in the NFL among rookie wideouts. In total, 11 receivers were selected in the first two days of the draft, ahead of Slayton.
After missing the first two games of the season, Slayton has exclusively caught passes from fellow rookie Daniel Jones. The Giants will hope their pair of rookies build a strong chemistry to complement running back Saquon Barkley out of the backfield for years to come.
Following the Giants' last game, a 31-26 loss to the Lions which featured a two-touchdown outing from Slayton, Jones discussed the budding relationship and growing chemistry with Slayton.
"He's a really good player. I think he's come up for us and made a lot of big-time plays. I think we all have a lot of trust in him. Obviously, he's super talented and his speed and just athleticism, but he's shown to make those contested catches, the tough catches with people on him. So he's done a great job for us," Jones said.
The secret could get out in Week 9 though, as the Giants (2-6) take the national stage against the Cowboys (4-3) on Monday Night Football.