The wide receivers in line to become unrestricted free agents in the NFL next week include Pro Bowlers and 1,000-yard pass-catchers. Among the big names whose contracts expire at 3 p.m. CDT Wednesday include Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins and Stefon Diggs.

But after six seasons with the New York Giants without an all-star honor or a 1,000-yard performance, wide receiver Darius Slayton still expects to have options next week when the free-agent negotiating period opens on Monday.

“We know we have a lot of interest out there,” Slayton said during an appearance on “Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard” on Monday. “This receiver free agency class is very unique, and fortunately for me, I am in a niche spot of my ability combined with where I’m at in my career that makes me fairly valuable at this point in comparison to some of the other guys. And we know that, and teams have expressed that sentiment to my agent or whatever, so we know that we have a lot of interest out there. We know that whenever free agency opens up, we know we’ll have a lot of conversations with a lot of different people. But it just sort of panned out that way.”

Slayton joined the Giants as a fifth-round selection from Auburn in the 2019 NFL Draft. Since then, New York has used four other picks in the first 75 on SEC wide receivers, but Slayton has led the Giants in receiving yards in four of his six seasons.

Over the past six seasons, Slayton is among the four NFL players with at least 250 receptions and an average gain of 15 yards per catch. The others are Justin Jefferson, AJ Brown and Mike Williams.

Of Slayton’s 21 touchdown receptions, only four gained fewer than 22 yards, and he has six TD catches of at least 40 yards, with a long of 80. In the current offensive climate of the NFL, Slayton thinks that big-play ability makes him particularly attractive.

“When you look at that, my ability to stretch the field becomes more valuable because that leads to shorter drives, one-play touchdowns,” Slayton said. “You need chunk plays to score in this league. The days of — I won’t say they’ve come and gone, but the Peyton Manning and Tom Brady style of playing has just become so much more difficult because of the level of athlete that is on the defensive side of the ball now.”

When he weighs his expected options, Slayton plans to look at more than money. The Giants have compiled a 32-67-1 regular-season record and advanced to the playoffs once during his time with the team.

“Definitely, winning and being in an advantageous situation are probably two things that are really important for me right now,” Slayton said. “Obviously, five out of my six years with the Giants, we weren’t competitive. We didn’t make the playoffs. We weren’t really close to making the playoffs.

“And one thing I’ve learned in my career is that you play with guys that have ‘If I go off and I get paid, I sleep great at night.’ And I have learned over my career that I do want to go off and I do want to get paid. But it weighs on me so heavy just losing every single week. I can’t take it. Like, there’s no money that’s going to make me just go home and be like — I’m obviously going be a little more happy in my Hellcat than in a Camry — but like my spirit, like the core of me cannot take that.

“Being somewhere that’s competitive or at least striving to be competitive — I think the important thing in professional sports is as long as we’re all pulling the rope in the direction of being competitive, your results may or may not come for a myriad of reasons, but you need to be somewhere where they are striving to be competitive. The goal is to win, and that’s definitely something I think will be important for me in this free-agency process.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.