With a 6-yard reception on the New York Giants’ first snap against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Darius Slayton became the 10th Auburn alumnus to reach 2,000 receiving yards in the NFL.

When the season started, it appeared that milestone would be a much longer time coming for Slayton, who had to take a pay cut just to stay on the team.

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But as high-investment wide receivers Kenny Golladay, Wan’Dale Robinson and Kadarius Toney have failed to be productive consistently and Sterling Shepard has sustained a season-ending injury, Slayton has re-emerged as a top option for Giants quarterback Daniel Jones.

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“He’s stepped up,” Jones said on Monday. “He’s played really big for us these last few games, for sure. I’ve always said I got a lot of trust and confidence in him to make those plays, and he’s done that. He’s stepped up and been that guy for us.

“We’ll continue to look for him, and I’m confident he’ll continue to step up and make those plays for us.”

In the first three games of the 2022 season, Slayton had a single 11-yard reception. But as New York reaches its bye week, Slayton leads the Giants in receiving yards with 232 and one touchdown on 16 receptions.

“He’s worked hard. He’s kept his head down. He’s been a good teammate,” New York coach Brian Daboll said about Slayton on Monday. “You’re starting to see some of the results. He’s earned the playing time he’s gotten here these last few weeks. And we’ll continue to need him to keep improving and make those plays for us.”

In 50 NFL regular-season games, Slayton has 140 receptions for 2,062 yards and 14 touchdowns. While Slayton ranks 15th among Auburn alumni in NFL receptions, he’s ninth in receiving yards.

The other nine former Auburn players with at least 2,000 receiving yards include:

· Frank Sanders with 6,749 yards and 24 touchdowns on 507 receptions for the Arizona Cardinals from 1995 through 2002 and the Baltimore Ravens in 2003.

· Jimmy “Red” Phillips with 6,044 yards and 34 touchdowns on 401 receptions for the Los Angeles Rams from 1958 through 1964 and the Minnesota Vikings from 1965 through 1967.

· James Brooks with 3,621 yards and 30 touchdowns on 383 receptions for the San Diego Chargers from 1981 through 1983, Cincinnati Bengals from 1984 through 1991 and the Cleveland Browns in 1992.

· Dave Middleton with 2,966 yards and 17 touchdowns on 183 receptions for the Detroit Lions from 1955 through 1960 and the Minnesota Vikings in 1961.

· Ed West with 2,665 yards and 27 touchdowns on 237 receptions for the Green Bay Packers from 1984 through 1994, Philadelphia Eagles from 1995 and 1996 and Atlanta Falcons in 1997.

· William Andrews with 2,647 yards and 11 touchdowns on 277 receptions for the Atlanta Falcons from 1979 through 1983 and 1986.

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· Lionel James with 2,278 yards and 10 touchdowns on 209 receptions for the San Diego Chargers from 1984 through 1988.

· Joe Cribbs with 2,199 yards and 15 touchdowns on 224 receptions for the Buffalo Bills from 1980 through 1983 and 1985 and San Francisco 49ers from 1986 through 1987.

· Byron Franklin with 2,016 yards and 10 touchdowns on 145 receptions for the Buffalo Bills from 1981 through 1984 and Seattle Seahawks from 1985 through 1987.

Slayton led the Giants in receiving yards with 740 as a rookie and again with 751 in his second season before dropping to 339 in 2021.

Slayton joined New York as a fifth-round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, which included Jones as the sixth overall pick.

Jones said his experience throwing to Slayton was “important. I think that trust level and having played there a lot, understanding each other and where he’s going to be, how he’s going to read certain looks, and I think that is a big piece of that. I’ve certainly got confidence in all our guys, and we’ll continue to work on that and build that chemistry through this second half of the season.”

The Giants have a 6-2 record, matching their best victory total of any of the previous five seasons. New York returns from its bye on Nov. 13, when the Houston Texans visit MetLife Stadium.

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