Darius Slayton has more-the-merrier mindset about Giants receiver additions – AL.com

As a rookie picked in the fifth round, Darius Slayton led the New York Giants in receiving yards in 2019. Then the former Auburn standout did it again in 2020.

But if Slayton leads the Giants in receiving yards in 2021, it might be a bigger surprise than when he did so as a rookie.

New York has invested in its wide-receiver corps this offseason by signing free agents Kenny Golladay and John Ross and using a first-round draft pick on Floridas Kadarius Toney, a former Blount High School star.

Im excited about all the guys they brought in -- KT and John Ross and KG, Slayton said. Im excited about all the guys we added to the room. I think you should take a more-the-merrier mindset. Its never a bad thing to have a bunch of talented guys in one room.

Golladay missed 11 games with a hip injury in 2020 after catching 65 passes for 1,190 yards and 11 touchdowns in his second straight 1,000-yard season in 2019 for the Detroit Lions.

The Cincinnati Bengals used the ninth pick in the 2017 NFL Draft on Ross after he ran a 4.22-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. But he missed 37 of Cincinnatis 64 games over the past four seasons.

Toney caught 70 passes for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns in his final season at Florida.

The influx of new wide receivers could reduce Slaytons targets, or Golladay could draw the top cornerbacks in coverage throughout the season, decreasing the difficult of getting open for Slayton.

Slayton isnt analyzing the effect of the Giants acquisitions on New Yorks passing attack.

I dont really worry about it, Slayton said. I just try to go out and be my best every day I can be, and I plan to serve whatever role this team has in store for me.

Right now, Im just focused on trying to make sure I know all my plays, make sure I know all my assignments and make sure I make plays when my name is called.

Slayton caught 48 passes for 740 yards and eight touchdowns in 2019, when led the leagues rookies in touchdown receptions even though a hamstring injury delayed his NFL debut to Game 3 that season.

Before Slayton, no rookie from Auburn had caught more than five TD passes in the NFL, and it had been 68 years since Ray Pelfrey did that for the Green Bay Packers.

In 2020, Slayton caught 50 passes for 751 yards and three touchdowns as a 15-game starter.

In both seasons, Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate were deemed more likely to be the Giants top receiver. But they combined to miss 19 games over the past two seasons.

While Shepard had 25 more receptions than Slayton over the past two seasons, he had 259 fewer receiving yards and five fewer touchdown receptions.

When New York drafted Toney on April 29, Giants coach Joe Judge said he talked to Shepard about the pick. Shephard is preparing for his sixth season with the Giants.

If theres an older, experienced, vet player at a position, and we draft a player, I do talk to the players and let them know, Judge said. Last year when we drafted Andrew Thomas, I had a conversation with Nate Solder on the phone afterwards. This year after the draft, I called Shep. To me, its important to understand that, look, we are bringing in players to help this program and that the better each player plays, the more it helps each player on the team.

We dont look at any player on this program coming in as a threat or replacement. We look to go ahead and breed competition in this program, and the best players will play. But I do think theres merit to talking to your older, veteran leaders on the team and when you add someone at their position and just clarifying who youre bringing in and what the immediate plans are for that player.

Judge did not talk to Slayton about the Toney selection.

I would say (Slayton) is a veteran player, Judge said when asked last week about speaking with Shepard but not Slayton about the addition of Toney. Hes not in his first year right here, so hes got skins on the game right there.

In terms of Darius, everyones going to play to their strengths. Darius and Toney, will they be on the field at the same time? Different times? Different packages, different positions at times, but I think everybody on the team affects the other by the way they work and how they produce.

In terms of specifically that position, I felt it was necessary to talk to Shep specifically because when we drafted Toney the word in the press as he was reading those headlines was specifically hes a slot receiver, which, look, were not bringing in someone just to play one position. But I thought it was relevant at the time to contact Shep out of respect for how he is with our program to communicate that with him.

The Giants have one practice left on their offseason schedule on Tuesday. After the summer break, the players are scheduled to report for training camp on July 27.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at@AMarkG1.

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Darius Slayton has more-the-merrier mindset about Giants receiver additions - AL.com