Former Auburn Tigers wide receiver Darius Slayton is a free agent after seven seasons in New York.
The New York Giants released Slayton on Monday (via NFL insider Jordan Schultz), ending the longest tenure on the roster and closing a chapter that began when the Giants took the Auburn product in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
For Auburn fans, the news lands differently than a typical roster cut. Slayton never piled up volume on the Plains the way some SEC receivers do, but he was a classic Auburn big-play threat.
After redshirting in 2015, he finished with 79 receptions for 1,605 yards and 11 touchdowns in three seasons, averaging 20.3 yards per catch. His 2018 Music City Bowl explosion—three touchdowns and 160 yards against Purdue—still sits among the program’s more memorable bowl performances. Those 1,605 yards rank him among Auburn’s career receiving leaders.
The Giants drafted that same vertical speed. Slayton ran a 4.39 at the combine and immediately paid off as a rookie with 48 catches, 740 yards and eight touchdowns.
Over seven seasons, he became a fixture through coaching changes and quarterback turnover: 296 receptions, 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns in 106 games.
He led New York in receiving yards four times in his first five years and sits among the more productive Auburn alumni in NFL receiving history—third all-time in yards among former Tigers.
The end in New York was a mix of football and finance. Slayton signed a three-year, $36 million deal before the 2025 season. Last year he had 37 catches for 538 yards and one score. Core-muscle surgery in the spring slowed his start under new head coach John Harbaugh.
With Malik Nabers healthy, rookie Malachi Fields earning snaps, Darnell Mooney in the mix and Odell Beckham Jr. making the roster, Slayton slid down the depth chart.
The Giants saved about $3.2 million against the 2026 cap while eating more than $12 million in dead money. He made the initial 53-man roster, then was released six days before the season opener.
That is a hard landing after seven years as the last man standing from the 2019 class. It is also a familiar NFL story: a reliable complementary receiver whose contract no longer matched his role.
Slayton never became a true No. 1, but he was durable, professional and a deep threat who outlasted most of his draft classmates.
From an Auburn standpoint, the résumé holds up. A mid-round pick who lasted seven seasons, produced more than 4,400 yards and left with class is a success story for the program.
Teams needing a veteran vertical option already have interest. Wherever he lands, Plains fans will recognize the player they watched stretch the field in orange and blue—still looking for the next big play. War Eagle.
