At least according to New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, Tyreek Hill is not the only NFL speedster who could stand up to Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles.

Earlier this month, Lyles beat Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in a photo finish to claim the title of “fastest man alive” with a time of 9.784 seconds. But if you ask Hyatt, it’s a piece of cake for him and No. 6 pick and former LSU star Malik Nabers.

Hyatt says Malik Nabers can beat Noah Lyles in a race

After practice on Tuesday, Hyatt and several other Giants players were asked by J Bobby, pipe whether or not Nabers could beat Lyles. While some were skeptical about Nabers’ chances, Hyatt wasted no time in showing his confidence in his new teammate and himself.

“Oh, definitely, definitely.” said Hyatt“I mean, he’s fast. I’ve seen him run, but he’s not touching Malik, man. Honestly, I don’t even think he’s touching me.”

Cornerback Nick McCloud agreed and even said he would win “easily.” Offensive lineman Jermain Eluemunor, however, disagreed and said he was a “realistic person.”

We asked some Giants players if Malik Nabers could beat Noah Lyles in a race 👀🏁 @Justinbobbyx13 pic.twitter.com/Jwck8rG8lK

— Whistle (@WhistleSports) 15 August 2024

At the Rookie Combine two springs ago, Hyatt ran the 40 yards in 4.40 seconds. This year, Nabers ran his time in 4.35 seconds. In the race for gold, Lyles clocked a mph of 22.8632 mph. Hyatt clocked 18.595 mph and Nabers clocked 18.8088 mph.

One way to find out

These numbers don’t necessarily back up Hyatt’s words. However, some from his past do. Last year, it was reported that Hyatt had been observed training at 24 mph “a few times,” which surpasses Lyles’ top speed.

I interviewed #NYGiants Freshman Jalin Hyatt when Daniel Jones passed by.

“Ask him if he hit 24 miles per hour today!” Jones joked.

So I did it.

Hyatt didn’t know for today, but told me that the team’s GPS had tracked him “a few times” so far in camp at speeds of up to 24 miles per hour.

Arrow up.

— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) July 30, 2023

While the 40-yard dash times put Lyles clearly ahead, this report seems far less clear. Even though New York’s records are unofficial, the two-mile-per-hour difference between his speed and Lyles’ is significant.

There are also factors to consider such as running on a track or on artificial turf and the different strategies associated with different distances. While Lyles should be the favourite in any race, it’s fair to say that the only way to know for sure is to put the three together on a track.

There is no such thing as “too much self-confidence”

If we’re being honest, that probably won’t happen. Lyles has often spoken negatively about the 40-yard dash and the major sports leagues as a whole.

Rather than being a plot to get Lyles to compete against himself and Nabers, this was likely just a show of confidence from Hyatt in himself and his teammates. Any NFL coach would tell you that they want players on their team who believe they can beat anyone — run faster than anyone else. It can’t hurt to profess that ideology as a competitor and show a willingness to support your teammates, especially at this point in the season.

It’s also important to understand that if you’re the fastest man in the world, it’s an absurdly high hurdle to beat Lyles. You can be slower than him and still be an absolute speed demon on the field. Nabers and Hyatt would probably both be happy with that.

Photo credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports