Jets CB Sauce Gardner makes strong statement about Giants WR Jalin Hyatt after talking major trash to former Vol last year

A year ago, just before the start of the 2023 season, New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner and New York Giants rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt had a couple of run-ins during a preseason game.

On one play, Hyatt beat Gardner on a deep route that ended up being an incomplete pass due to an overthrow from quarterback Tyrod Taylor.

Later in the game, Gardner broke up a pass that was intended for Hyatt and immediately started talking trash to the former Tennessee Vols standout.

Gardner and Hyatt met again on the field this week during joint practices between the Jets and the Giants.

And Gardner, a year after competing against Hyatt for the first time, told reporters that he feels like the former Vol has improved significantly.

"Jalin Hyatt, he did a great job today," said Gardner. "I went up against Jalin Hyatt last year...and I can see he's improved a lot this year from last year. I could tell he's more comfortable with his speed. He's able to run more routes on the route tree, that's one thing that surprised me today."

Hyatt has received plenty of praise this offseason from his coaches for the way he attacked the offseason ahead of his second year in the NFL.

“His growth, so far, a year removed from when he first got here is tremendous,” said Giants WRs coach Mike Groh in late May when asked about Hyatt. “All of the work that he put in, investing in his game — learning what, how, and why. He’s just a different guy. He’s got stronger here in the offseason. Still has the speed that we all love about him. Confidence is a result of demonstrated performance and he was able to go out there and make plays for us and show up in games and help us win games. Has a lot of experience — a lot of in-game experience and that can only serve him well this year.”

The former Vol could be in a for a breakout season. A lot of the attention in New York is on rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, a former LSU Tigers standout (and for good reason -- Nabers is a great player), but don't sleep on Hyatt -- the South Carolina native is developing into a well-rounded wide receiver that's more than just a speedster.

Related: Former Vols DB Brandon Turnage explains why he transferred to Ole Miss and makes strong statement about his time at Tennessee