Jason Leach
There are several storylines concerning the New York Giants wide receiver room as training camp approaches. A few of those include how much Odell Beckham Jr has left in his tank, and whether Malachi Fields can contribute much as a rookie.
But the biggest storyline is the health of Malik Nabers, and who will be atop the depth chart if he’s unable to start the season. Two players competing for that top spot on the depth chart are Darius Slayton and Darnell Mooney.
There’s a case for each to be No. 1 on the depth chart when training camp opens if Nabers is unable to participate.
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Darius Slayton
New York drafted Slayton in the fifth round (171st overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he’s the longest-tenured Giant. In 14 games last season, he had 37 receptions for 538 yards and a touchdown.
Although Slayton has built a rapport with quarterback Jaxson Dart, the 29-year-old wideout had crucial drops that have plagued him throughout his career. In addition, his yards per reception have dipped in each of the last three seasons.
The Giants re-signed Slayton to a three-year $36 million contract in March 2025, but his signing is viewed as one of the many missteps during general manager Joe Schoen‘s tenure. Slayton is coming off core muscle surgery that sidelined him during OTAs. With the number of receivers the team acquired this offseason, he will need to have a great summer if he’s going to have any chance of being on top of the depth chart.
Darnell Mooney
The Giants signed Mooney to a one-year $10 million deal in March, and although he’s new to the team, he’s familiar with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy from their time together with the Chicago Bears from 2020 to 2021. Those were Mooney’s first two years in the league, and he had a combined 142 receptions for 1,686 yards with eight touchdowns.
Last season with the Atlanta Falcons, the 28-year-old wideout appeared in 15 games and had 32 receptions for 443 yards and a touchdown. But the belief is that, with him being reunited with Nagy and playing with a better quarterback, he’ll put up far better numbers this season.
Shortly after signing with New York, Mooney began working out with Dart to start building chemistry. Based on that and the fact that the veteran wideout is familiar with the offensive scheme, he should thrive this summer.
The verdict
Statistically, not much separates these two receivers throughout their careers. In 106 games, Slayton has 296 receptions for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns. Mooney has appeared in 91 games and has caught 309 passes for 4,028 yards and 17 touchdowns. Neither is ideal to be the number one option in a passing game, but given the rest of the receivers on the roster, these will be the two vying to be Dart’s go-to guy on the outside until Nabers is on the field.
Mooney is the more versatile wideout as he can play on the outside and slot, whereas Slayton is the better deep threat. When training camp opens, both will play with the first-team offense, but expect the play designs to feature Mooney more than Slayton.
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