Jalin Hyatt draft profile: What would speedy WR bring to the Cowboys?

The Cowboys could be looking to add talent through the draft to bolster the wide receiver room later this month. Dallas traded for Brandin Cooks last month, and CeeDee Lamb had the best season of his career last season.

But will that be enough? It could be, but there’s justified uncertainty surrounding Michael Gallup after he regressed post-ACL surgery, and Jalen Tolbert has everything to improve after he spent most of 2022 as a healthy scratch.

Luckily, the Cowboys are bringing in WRs left and right for top-30 visits On Monday, it was Boston College standout and likely first-round pick Zay Flowers, and Tuesday Dallas hosted Tennessee star Jalin Hyatt, who shared to Instagram a picture of Ford Center at The Star.

Could Hyatt be the perfect fit in Dallas and where is he expected to go in the draft? We’ll answer both questions in this draft profile.

Cowboys 2023 Draft: Jalin Hyatt’s Strengths

Jaylin Hyatt has great intangibles. Here are two of his top strengths observed from a breakdown of his film.

1. Speed

Jalin Hyatt’s number one skill that NFL scouts are drooling about this offseason is his elite speed. He ran a 4.4-second forty-yard dash and was one of the top six fastest wide receivers at the NFL Combine. Sometimes speed at the Combine doesn’t translate to on-field speed, but that’s not the case for Hyatt, who ranked 11th amongst receivers with 14 deep catches last season, and second with 677 (!) deep yards, per PFF.

He quickly separates from defensive backs on go routes and connected on countless big plays with Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker due to his speed alone. He also showcased his ability to take simple ins or screen passes the distance due to his breakaway speed.

If Hyatt catches a ball in stride no one is catching him.

2. Deep route running

Hyatt runs a high volume on vertical routes and is a big play waiting to happen. His combination of speed and great deep route running will make defensive coordinators shake in their boots as they will always have to account for Hyatt when he’s on the field.

The Volunteer product understands how to find the holes in the defense when going long, and often loses the cornerback that’s guarding him within a few feet. His speed could make his route running seem better than it is, but he ran great wheel routes and posts. His obvious best route, though, is his go route.

He and Hooker made it look easy.

Final thoughts

Jalin Hyatt is an elite speedster and would be a deep ball target for Dak Prescott. He could be the perfect piece for Prescott to return to throwing the deep ball more. Prescott’s yards per attempt last year was 7.3, the lowest since his second season.

Although he has some of the best speed in the draft, Hyatt still has some glaring issues. His route tree is somewhat limited, he could struggle against physical press coverage in the NFL, and his contested catch rate leaves something to be desired for a potential first-rounder.

If Hyatt falls to the Cowboys’ first-round pick, Dallas could make a splash and swoop in to draft him. Having Hyatt, CeeDee Lamb, and Brandin Cooks on the field at once would be a nightmare for opposing coaches as they each have the speed to burn defensive backs often.

Zay Flowers draft profile: Star WR a surprise top 30 visit for the Cowboys

The Cowboys surprisingly hosted Boston College receiver Zay Flowers for a top-30 visit on Monday. Here's what Flowers would bring to Dallas' offense.