Giants 2026 Make Or Break: Is This Darius Slayton's Last Season In New York?

Giants training camp is here, with new head coach John Harbaugh taking the team to The Greenbrier in West Virginia. 

This will be a "make or break season" for certain Giants, meaning they'll need to step up and show they belong, or else they could be wearing another team's uniform in 2027.

We’ll highlight some of those players for Big Blue, continuing with wide receiver Darius Slayton.

2025 Stats

- 37 catches

- 538 yards

- 1 touchdown

Why Make or Break?

Slayton has played seven seasons in New York. He's gone over the 700-yard mark four times, so he's proven he can step up when needed. But he's coming off of two sub-600-yard seasons, and the timing off those down years isn't great. 

While Slayton still has two years left on the three-year, $36 million contract he signed a year ago, there is a potential out in the contract after this season that would only cost the Giants $3 million in dead cap money. 

The Giants also drafted Malachi Fields and signed veterans Odell Beckham Jr., Juju Smith-Schuster, Darnell Mooney, and Calvin Austin this offseason, and if one of those players proves they can step up and be a starter, it would hurt Slayton's chances of sticking around. There's also Jalin Hyatt, who has been a bust in his first three seasons with the team but possesses a similar skillset to Slayton, which could push him during training camp and make the veteran expendable.

What will break it?

Slayton comes into training camp as the likely No. 2 receiver behind Malik Nabers, with Mooney set to occupy the slot. But those veterans mentioned above, and Fields, will be hot on his heels. Beckham, of course, is a fan favorite, and while he clearly won't be the same playmaker he was in his first go-round with the Giants, fans are going to want to see him play. Any time he makes a play, the pressure will further be put on Slayton to go out and prove that he should still be on the field. 

Drops have been a problem for Slayton over the course of his career. Last season alone, Slayton dropped five passes on just 63 targets, which is far too many for any receiver. He'll need to be much more consistent with his hands to keep his status as a starter in 2026.

What will make it?

What Slayton's been able to hang his hat on during his NFL career is his ability to be a deep threat. He's averaged more than 14.0 yards per catch in each of the past four seasons, and if he can be a true stretch-the-field-threat in 2026, he's be a perfect complement to Nabers and Mooney. 

The Giants aren't asking the world of Slayton for this upcoming season. They don't need him to be a 1,000-yard receiver or really anything close to that. But they need him to be consistent when the ball comes his way. If he can avoid the costly drops that have plagued him and be the down-field stretch the Giants need him to be, then he'll likely be back in 2027.