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20252026NFLPre-Season Week 3

New York Giants Release 2 Top Draft Picks In Cutdown Day Shocker

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This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

John Harbaugh and Jaxson Dart.
John Harbaugh and Jaxson Dart. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The New York Giants just threw two draft bets in the trash. Cutdown Sunday usually trims extras. This one hit the top of the board. Evan Neal, the 2022 No. 7 overall pick, is out, as well as Jalin Hyatt, the 2023 third-round speedster from Tennessee.

That pairing is the shocker. One first-round tackle never locked down the line, and one third-round receiver never found the end zone. Then the club kept 33-year-old Odell Beckham Jr. after a year away from the league. Harbaugh’s first New York roster looks ruthless, not sentimental.

Adam Schefter made the first cut public. “Giants are releasing OL Evan Neal, the former No. 7 overall pick, as @art_stapleton reported.”

Ari Meirov followed with the receiver cut.

“Just in: The #Giants are waiving WR Jalin Hyatt, who was their 3rd-round pick out of Tennessee in 2023.”

Why the New York Giants Cut Two Draft Picks on the Same Day

New York Giants helmet.
New York Giants helmet. Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Neal arrived as a franchise cornerstone from Alabama. He started early, then slipped into injuries and poor protection.

Hyatt was supposed to be the vertical threat. However, after three seasons, he produced 36 catches, 470 yards, and zero touchdowns. A leg injury in August parked him on the third team. The Giants saved more than $1.5 million by waiving him. His No. 13 is free again, which is great news for Beckham.

Beckham finished camp with seven catches for 76 yards and three grabs for 53 against the Jets. Harbaugh said he had “done enough to make an NFL roster, for sure.” Beckham called the spot “everything.”

How the Rest of the New York Giants Cuts Fit the Same Reset

John Harbaugh addressing the media.
John Harbaugh. Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The two draft picks were the headline. Brandon Allen and Jake Haener are gone behind Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston. Braxton Berrios hit the wire, with a plan to return before Week 1. Isaiah Hodgins, Xavier Gipson, Eric Gray, Darius Muasau, Lucas Patrick, and kicker Ben Sauls joined the pile. Cornerback Korie Black landed on IR.

The receiver room now runs through Malik Nabers, rookie Malachi Fields, Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, and Beckham. Dallas visits on Sunday Night Football on Sept. 13. That is Year One of Harbaugh in East Rutherford.

Cutting a No. 7 pick and a third-round Biletnikoff winner on the same afternoon is a statement. The New York Giants just told the building that draft pedigree will not save you. Neal and Hyatt now hunt new jobs. Beckham gets another October in blue.

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