The New York Giants closed out the 2024 season against their division rival, the Philadelphia Eagles. It may have been the last time one of the most quietly dependable players in recent Giants history—Darius Slayton, was suited up for Big Blue. Selected in the fifth round with the 171st overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Auburn Tiger has brought quality production with limited absences. The Giants have relied on him amidst an always-changing offense and the moving of personnel and coaches.
Slayton had one target and no receptions against the Eagles on Sunday. Drew Lock wasn’t impressive, throwing only 138 yards on 22 completions for a poor offense performance. Malik Nabers and Wandale Robinson led the way, with Nabers leading the team in receiving yards (64) and Robinson with team-leading catches (10), although for just 43 yards.
WR Darius Slayton’s Impact and Future
A Six-Year Contribution to the Giants
Slayton has recently been one of the Giants’ most consistent wide receivers, especially during the Daniel Jones era. It speaks volumes that he’s made an impact downfield playing for one of the league’s struggling offenses. He has finished four of his six seasons with over 700 receiving yards and 40-plus receptions.
Overall, Slayton has been a combination of reliability and durability, giving him a deep-threat ability to make him one of the more consistent wideouts in recent Giants history. Slayton’s durability, among the quietest yet most impressive aspects of his time with the Giants, was his ability to stay on the field. Although the team has lost several key players to injury over the past few seasons, Slayton has always been there—week in and week out. This is commendable in today’s NFL, which has seen an increased number of injuries.
Consistency and Big-Play Ability
Having Slayton on the Giants has brought steady production and big play moments. Through six seasons (2019-2024), he played in 91 games, catching 259 passes on 458 targets for a total of 3,897 yards. His average of 15.0 yards per reception speaks to his role as a deep threat, catching 21 touchdowns with his longest reception of 80 yards. Though Slayton may not put up eye-popping stats on a weekly basis like some of the league’s top wideouts, he has been a consistent producer for the Giants over the course of six seasons.
2020 was statistically one of Slayton’s better individual seasons. He had 50 receptions for 751 yards and three touchdowns. With an average of 15 yards per catch, Slayton began to show his ability to be a deep-threat receiver. In 2021, a year where the team struggled offensively, he had 339 yards and two touchdowns. However, in his 2022 season, his stock increased again, where he had 46 receptions for 724 yards and two touchdowns. He had another solid season, helping to bring the Giants to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. As far as individual performances again in 2023, he tied a season high in receptions – 50 and had 770 yards and four touchdowns.
New York Giant Free Agents in 2025
Slayton is one of many free agents ahead of the off-season for the Giants. According to Over The Cap, the Giants are projected to have approximately $56.2 million in salary cap space (ranking 14th in the NFL) and $39.2 million in effective salary cap space heading into the 2025 offseason.
Here are the Giants players who are set to be free agents in 2025:
Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA)
- WR Darius Slayton
- QB Drew Lock
- LB Isaiah Simmons
- RG Greg Van Roten
- P Jamie Gillan
- CB Adoree’ Jackson
- EDGE Azeez Ojulari
- TE Chris Manhertz
- LS Casey Kreiter
- LG Aaron Stinnie
- LB Matthew Adams
- OT Chris Hubbard
- S Elijah Riley
- LB Ty Summers
- DT Armon Watts
- WR Gunner Olszewski
- QB Tim Boyle
- CB Greg Stroman
- WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
- S Jason Pinnock
- EDGE Patrick Johnson
- LB Carter Coughlin
- C Jimmy Morrissey
Restricted Free Agents (RFA)
- DT Timmy Horne
Exclusive Rights Free Agents (ERFA)
- EDGE Tomon Fox
- CB Divaad Wilson
- S Jonathan Sutherland
- QB Tommy DeVito
- LB Dyontae Johnson
A player who has played less than three seasons is considered an Exclusive Rights Free Agent (ERFA), a player who has played three seasons but less than four seasons is considered a Restricted Free Agent (RFA), and a player who has played four or more seasons is a Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) when their contract ends.
Market Value and Future
When asked about his upcoming free agency, Slayton said, “We’ll see. Obviously, I have to talk to my agent and my team, and they’ll communicate with Joe [Schoen]. We’ll see how that pans out.” He went on to say, “I enjoy my teammates. I’ve enjoyed my six years here. Obviously, it’s a business, so we’ve got to hash that out and see what that looks like, but as far as my time here, I’ve enjoyed my time here.”
"We'll see how that pans out"
Darius Slayton on his free agency: pic.twitter.com/VedPHPQOI6
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) January 6, 2025
The good news for the Giants is that they don’t face many major contract decisions this offseason. Key players like Dexter Lawrence, Andrew Thomas, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Bobby Okereke are currently under contract. Additionally, young players such as Malik Nabers, Tyler Nubin, Dru Phillips, and Tyrone Tracy are still on their rookie contracts, which will keep them cheap for at least the next few seasons. The Giants’ focus will primarily be on making decisions regarding Azeez Ojulari and Slayton, as these are the two notable free agents on the roster. According to Spotrac, the market value projection for Slayton is 2 years, $32.6M. Don’t be surprised if Slayton ends up as a value pickup for a playoff-bound team.
Main Image: Lucas Boland – USA Today Sports
