Tag: 1352

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It was the final play of the third practice of training camp for the New York Giants. Coach Brian Daboll called upon quarterback Daniel Jones and safety Xavier McKinney to take the roles of offensive and defensive coordinator.

Jones called the offensive plays; McKinney the defense. It was supposed to be fun for the team. A little competition that ended up being two plays — the first a pass interference penalty in the corner of the end zone, the second a leaping touchdown grab by wide receiver David Sills — to test the offensive and defensive playcallers.

Jones was the obvious choice for the offense. He’s the starting quarterback, and quarterbacks always get the green dot on their helmet with the speaker in their ear to relay the plays to teammates in the huddle.

McKinney’s situation is a little different. He’s a safety, and on defense the green dot is traditionally reserved for a linebacker. McKinney going head-to-head against Jones in the playcalling challenge confirmed that the Giants, in all likelihood, have a different plan this season.

“So, I had a discussion with [defensive coordinator Don] “Wink” [Martindale]. And I have a lot of confidence in Wink,” Daboll said. “He’s done it that way for the past few years. So, that’s who we chose to wear it right now.”

The initial response from former players to a safety getting that type of responsibility is generally surprise. It’s not the norm.

“Safety calling a defense? That’s rare,” former Giants linebacker and playcaller Jonathan Casillas said this week while watching the team practice. “Coverages sometimes come from defensive backs, but calling the defense? Never from a safety from my experience. But if you have capable safeties …”

McKinney has been the on-field defensive playcaller most of this summer, which makes some sense because the third-year safety rarely comes off the field and is part of the Giants’ future. Starting middle linebacker Blake Martinez might not always be a three-down player in Martindale’s defense, and is in the final year of his contract.

The Giants’ defensive formations this summer have featured a lot of three-safety and one-linebacker looks. Martindale seems to have endless pressure packages with rotating personnel, except on the back end.

Martindale has used a safety as the playcaller in his scheme in the past. Eric Weddle and Chuck Clark did it for him in Baltimore. Martindale even connected McKinney with Weddle this offseason to prepare for the role.

Weddle, who came out of retirement last year to win a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams, played for Martindale from 2016 to 2018 with the Ravens.

“He helped me a lot, actually, with just kind of how to disguise certain things and how to be on the same page with Wink and things like that,” McKinney said of Weddle. “He really helped me out in terms of looking at film, studying film, how he did it when he had Wink.”

McKinney, 23, has called plays in the past.

“The last two years, it has been the [linebacker] … I talked to Wink, and it’s not something that’s new to me. I’ve done it before — I did it at [Alabama],” McKinney said.

“It’s different when you’ve got grown men in the huddle and you’re trying to get the call to everybody. Obviously being on the back end of it, you might have to run 30 yards and run back to get the play to everybody.”

That is one potential downside to having a safety calling plays in the huddle. The other, mentioned by Casillas, is that in two-minute or hurry-up situations, it could be difficult for the safety to communicate with the defensive line — especially if there is significant crowd noise. The call might at times have to go from the safety to the linebacker to the defensive line, adding an extra layer of communication compared to when the middle linebacker calls the plays.

But Martindale and Daboll clearly aren’t afraid to think outside the box or adjust on the fly.

“Well, I don’t think that’s written in stone yet …” Martindale said of McKinney being the playcaller all season. “That could change week to week on who we have wear the green dot.

“The biggest thing is to get them all communicating.”

In Martindale’s scheme, with constantly changing positions as they rush the passer or bluff seemingly on every play, that might be more important than who is calling the plays on the field.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The dreaded cart. The courtesy clap for the injured.

New York Giants offensive lineman Nick Gates wanted no part of it. He had never needed it before the Thursday night game against Washington in Week 2 of last season.

Not until he heard his left leg go “crack, crack, pop” and started flopping back and forth while he laid on the grass at FedEx Field. The fibula and tibia were broken. There would be seven surgeries to follow, and a rehab that is still in progress.

The injury was so gruesome that NFL Network, which was broadcasting the game, refused to show the replay of Gates’ leg getting caught underneath Washington defensive lineman Daron Payne. The Giants’ training staff and doctors stabilized the leg in an air cast and Gates was taken off the field smiling and waving to signify he was OK.

“I’ll be all right. I’m good,” then-teammate Billy Price remembers Gates telling the Giants. “Now go kick some ass!”

It was a strange reaction given the circumstances and severity of the injury — unless you know Gates.

“I’m good,” Gates recalled telling his mother and brother during a FaceTime call soon after he was taken off the field. “I broke my leg. It snapped in half. But I’ll be good.”

Gates was smiling on that call while his mom, Sonya, was hysterical and his older brother, Matt, was crying for the first time that Nick remembers. It was Gates — pre-pain medication — providing the reassurance for his family as he was being prepared for a trip to Virginia’s Inova Fairfax Hospital with his leg and career in jeopardy.

“That’s exactly what he was saying: ‘Mom, I’m fine. I’m fine. Stop crying,'” Sonya told ESPN. “He was telling his brother, ‘Matt, I’m good. I’m good.'”

When he was in the ambulance, he could feel — and hear — the bones in his injured leg rubbing together.

“‘Hey, you trying to hit every pothole or what?'” he asked the driver with a chuckle.

This is how it was for most of the early weeks of his recovery. Gates, who started three games in 2019 and all 16 in 2020, was taking it all in stride as if dealing with a sprained ankle. He spent most of that time with his leg elevated — either in a hospital room or at his New Jersey home — and his mom at his side.

There was a moment he feared losing his leg. There was a surgery this spring when doctors removed the rod and had to clean out the bone. Doctors have assured Gates he will return to the field, but it’s unclear when that will happen or how effective he will be when he does.

“This guy has been rehabbing unbelievable,” coach Brian Daboll said. “He’s made a lot of strides. Where he’s at and when he’s ready, I couldn’t answer that right now.”

Gates was put on the physically unable to perform list this week as the Giants open training camp, but his mindset remains positive.

“What does being negative about this do for me? … What, am I going to feel sorry? It’s broken,” said Gates, who in a 45-minute interview with ESPN nonchalantly talked about all the ugly details. “I’m not going to be down in the dumps. No use for that.”

‘He never complained once’

From the moment he was carted off the field to now, Gates’ approach has been inspiring and perfectly on brand according to those who know him best.

“The guy saw his leg facing a different direction. … He had multiple surgeries, he never complained once,” said his agent, Jon Perzley of Sportstars. “That’s just Nick.”

Gates, 26, says his leg broke in the best way possible. Right in the middle.

“Toughest dude on planet Earth” is how Perzley described Gates the week after the injury.

Said Sonya: “Nicholas is very tough. There are only three times in his life he’s ever told me something’s hurt. I know when he says that word [‘hurt’] I better pay attention.”

The first was when he broke his hand at age 6. That required surgery and involved screws being placed in his hand. And there was the appendicitis when he had COVID-19. The third time happened early in this recovery when Gates’ leg swelled too much and required a procedure called a fasciotomy. Doctors told him that losing his leg was among the possibilities if it swelled for too long.

While waiting for his doctor to come out of surgery, Gates cried.

“[Losing my leg] was in play,” he said. “But then I asked a question: ‘Should I be worried about it?'”

“‘No. You’re good,'” the doctor said.

“I calmed down after that,” Gates said.

Always an underdog

His initial surgery was Sept. 17, and the next day doctors wanted Gates to take a few steps. That was like giving a drag racer the green light. A few steps? He walked laps, and released a video of himself on social media hobbling around the hospital floor.

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Two days after snapping his leg and one day after surgery, Giants OL Nick Gates was back up and walking. Beast! 💪💪

🎥 nick_gates68 on IG pic.twitter.com/g5UPeSLbUO

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 19, 2021

It was a gritty response by Gates, who at 6-foot-6 and 318 pounds is a tough guy in a sport full of them. He once started a scrum with Los Angeles Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, and he always seems to be involved in pushing after a play or the first to defend his quarterback when necessary.

That attitude has served him well on a difficult path from undrafted rookie out of Nebraska (2018) to NFL starter to team captain for the Giants. Gates regrets not being there for his teammates most of last season and vows to be there for them this fall.

His first question to every doctor: “Am I going to make it back onto that field?” Sonya said. “And they all assured him he would.”

Gates started running in the spring and is finally starting to regain strength in his legs. There are still plenty of hurdles to clear. The leg is stable, but there is a difference between being able to jog and anchoring to stop a 350-pound nose tackle.

There might be doubters who believe he’s just putting on a happy face, but Gates views his situation as just another career obstacle.

“I’ve always been kind of the underdog,” he said. “Nobody expected me to win the job in college. I won the job in college. Nobody expected me to be anything as an undrafted free agent. I became something. I was a captain. I think that is cool. I was undrafted and was a captain in the NFL for the New York Giants! There isn’t much better than that.”

And if he doesn’t make it all the way back?

“I don’t know if it would hurt me, but it would be weird,” he said. “I’ve never had a job, technically.”

The Giants are going to give Gates time. They signed Jon Feliciano from the Buffalo Bills this offseason knowing the challenge Gates faces.

“When I got here, I was just worried about his quality of life,” first-year GM Joe Schoen said of Gates. “The fact that he is where he is and may be able to play in the preseason is amazing. Credit to the kid. He’s been working his butt off.”

Whenever Gates returns, that moment will be special given the severity of the injury and the speed bumps he has hit.

“I have no doubt [he’ll be back],” Sonya said. “I don’t think there is any doubt in his mind either. It’s going to be an amazing day when he steps on the field to play.”

Then the smile he had on his face while being carted off will make more sense to the rest of us.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants‘ offense trotted onto the field for the first play of 11-on-11 drills at mandatory minicamp last week. Flanking quarterback Daniel Jones were wide receivers C.J. Board and David Sills V. Richie James was in the slot.

Running back Saquon Barkley was in the backfield, but the projected top three receivers — Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay (unspecified injuries) and Sterling Shepard (Achilles recovery) — were in red non-contact jerseys. And receiver Darius Slayton, working with the second-team offense, dropped a potential long touchdown for the second time in two weeks as his spring struggles continued.

The more things change for the Giants, who have a new head coach (Brian Daboll) and general manager (Joe Schoen), the more they stay the same. Every Giants starter at the offensive skill positions missed at least two games because of injury last season, and this spring hasn’t provided much reassurance things will change.

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“You would love for everybody to be out here, particularly the skill guys to get reps with the quarterback, but that doesn’t happen usually in most places,” Daboll said. “There is always some guy dinged up or you’re giving them an off day. We’ll get plenty in the summer here.”

Toney, Golladay and Shepard were in attendance doing what they could during most of the voluntary offseason program. They were able to learn much of the offense even if they didn’t run any routes for Jones.

“They’ve thrown with Daniel before. They’ve done a good job,” Daboll said. “Again, you can learn different ways, and we’re just teaching them how we got to teach them right now.”

Veterans missing spring reps can be brushed off in many cases, but all three of New York’s top three receivers fit the injury-prone label.

Toney, picked No. 20 overall in the 2021 NFL draft, dealt with various injuries as a rookie — hamstring, ankle, quad and oblique among them. He also missed time because of positive COVID-19 tests and ill-fitting cleats. He appeared in 10 games, finishing with 39 catches and no touchdowns.

Golladay, who signed a four-year deal for $72 million last offseason, also was hampered by injuries (hip, hamstring and knee) that limited him to 37 receptions and no touchdowns last year. He has played 19 games over the past two seasons, totaling 57 catches for 859 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Shepard, who ruptured his left Achilles late last season, has played in 16 games once in the past five years.

Daboll has said on multiple occasions he expects all three to be ready for training camp next month, and Golladay participated in some drills during minicamp, so there is optimism for a group that struggled badly last season.

“There’s a time to be smart and there’s a time to make sure you’re pushing through things the best you can. You have to balance those,” Daboll said. “You push guys through in training camp — maybe it’s the same exact thing and they don’t have a red jersey on. … All we’re trying to do is try to be as healthy as we can be when training camp gets here.”

Jones had his ups and downs at OTAs and minicamp while often surrounded by reserves. If that sounds familiar, it should. It continues a trend of Jones dealing with difficult circumstances, something the Giants have been desperately trying to stop.

Part of the contingency plan at receiver is rookie Wan’Dale Robinson, drafted in the second round this year. He had a strong spring that included a diving grab on a deep pass from Jones over cornerback Aaron Robinson in the back of the end zone during OTAs.

“He’s quick, he’s fast, he’s explosive,” Slayton said of the rookie. “I would say he is as advertised.”

Slayton, in the final year of his rookie contract, had 26 catches last season and led New York’s wide receivers with two touchdown receptions. He was curiously running behind the likes of Sills and Travis Toivonen at times this spring. It doesn’t bode well for his future under the new regime.

However, Barkley, another playmaker who had a disappointing 2021 season impacted by injuries (torn ACL in his right knee), was perhaps the biggest standout of the spring. It appears he might be used more as a receiver in the scheme run by Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.

Barkley was used all over the field — out wide, in the slot, in motion, out of the backfield — throughout OTAs and minicamp.

“It’s helpful, not only for myself but opening up other things for the offense,” he said. “[I] haven’t really moved like this since college. Kind of went back and watched a little bit of my college stuff to see stuff that I was able to do there and transition.”

The No. 2 overall pick from 2018 looks healthy and explosive after missing at least three games in each of the past three seasons.

“He’s frickin’ huge. He’s over here squatting what linemen are squatting, and one day he was yelling about [Cleveland Browns running back] Nick Chubb putting his squat video up. He’s like, ‘I got to beat that [675 pounds],'” center Jon Feliciano said of Barkley. “It’s good to see … him having the motivation, him not staying stagnant and being a great player that he is.”

If the spring foreshadows anything about the coming season, it could be a big one for Barkley. The future is cloudier for the Giants’ other playmakers.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants defense will look different this season, which isn’t a bad thing considering it ranked 21st overall last year. When teams wanted — and needed — to score on them, they usually did.

The Giants were outscored 79-0 in the final two minutes of first halves in 2021. They were spared even more embarrassment because the opposition usually didn’t need to do it again in the final two minutes of the game during a 4-13 season that included 10 double-digit losses.

Defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale inherits a group that pressured opposing quarterbacks on just 24.2% of dropbacks last season, fifth worst per NFL Next Gen Stats. General manager Joe Schoen addressed the issue, using the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft on edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux to headline what is expected to be an aggressive defense that relies on the perception of pressure from all over the formation to stress opposing offenses.

“You want to dictate to the offense instead of sitting there and letting them dictate to you,” Martindale said last week. “I think this is a game of adjustments and matchups and everything else, but I would rather them have the headache and stay up five nights before we play them figuring out what we’re going to do and [we will] try to present different looks every time we play, because pressure does break pipes. That’s our philosophy.”

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It is embraced by his players.

“Oh, Wink, it’s really fun. I think we’re all enjoying it,” safety Xavier McKinney said. “You know, just so much aggression. It’s just giving us energy. We’re able to go out there and play without worrying about making mistakes, so it’s just giving us a lot of freedom to just go play, go attack and be the playmakers that we have on our defense.”

Martindale blitzed more than anyone in the NFL during his four years as the Baltimore Ravens‘ coordinator, when his defenses ranked first (2018), fourth (2019), seventh (2020) and 25th (2021) overall. Those units led the league in blitzing in his first three seasons at 39.6%, 54.9% and 45.3%, respectively, before dropping to sixth last season (31.1%) according to Pro Football Reference.

“Puts a lot of people at the line of scrimmage,” is how one scout described a Martindale-led defense. “He doesn’t coach scared.”

Enter Thibodeaux, whose first step and speed will be utilized throughout this defense. The belief is he’s the high-end pass-rusher the Giants have been missing for years, a player who can be the centerpiece for Martindale. New York has had only one true edge rusher (Markus Golden in 2018) record double-digit sacks over the past seven seasons. Baltimore also only had one edge rusher (Terrell Suggs, 2017) reach double-digit sacks during that same span, yet Martindale had defenses ranked among the top 10 in three of his four seasons as coordinator.

Martindale and outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins’ viewed Thibodeaux as the top-ranked edge rusher in the draft, in part because they can envision him rushing from various positions, including inside where they believe his speed can be a matchup nightmare against an overmatched interior lineman.

“He was just such a great fit for us in Wink’s defense,” Wilkins said. “He has all the skill sets we look for. He can be a dominant edge-setter, explosive, violent, relentless pass-rusher and then everything else you can see that is required.”

Martindale’s pressure often leaves his cornerbacks on an island, and in his four seasons as coordinator Baltimore played the fifth-most man-to-man defense (39.9%) in the NFL according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

It proved to be a problem last season when an injury-ravaged secondary contributed to the Ravens’ ranking last in pass defense.

“Don’t go to DoorDash to find a backup corner,” is what Martindale said he learned.

It could get tricky this season in New York, because the Giants lost top cornerback James Bradberry recently as a salary-cap casualty. Adoree’ Jackson, who has missed 22 games over the past three seasons, is their No. 1 corner and 2021 third-round pick Aaron Robinson is the favorite to win the other starting job.

The Giants secondary has a combined 111 career starts, which makes it a serious question mark entering the season considering what Martindale wants to do. Jackson welcomes the challenge.

“I feel like everything, it turns into [man-to-man coverage],” he said. “Whoever comes down and I’m playing whatever it is, zone, I’ve pretty much got them. I end up matching [up]. … It’s third-and-5 and he runs an 8-yard out? You’re going to match it … You’re not just going to stay in your third [of the field] because that’s what your task tells you to do. At the end of the day, it’s about being a football player and understanding what’s going on.”

With a retooled pass rush and questions in the secondary — the Giants signed unemployed former Ravens cornerbacks Maurice Canady and Khalil Dorsey on May 18 — the bar is set rather low for Martindale’s defense this season. He doesn’t seem to care.

“Look, we’ll control the narrative. That’s what I’ll tell you,” Martindale said. “People can say what they want to say. We’ll see when it’s time to kick it off down there in Nashville [against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1]. We’ll see where we’re going to be at by then. But we control the narrative in the room, and I’m excited about this season.”

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — There was no ease-in period for Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal, the New York Giants‘ first-round picks in the 2022 NFL draft.

Thibodeaux, a linebacker selected fifth overall, was working alongside starting defensive lineman Leonard Williams and in front of linebacker Blake Martinez during drills at Thursday’s OTA practice. Neal, an offensive tackle taken seventh overall, was protecting for quarterback Daniel Jones and blocking for running back Saquon Barkley.

The Giants’ top selections have quickly made their presence known.

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“Evan has looked great so far, and you can tell he really wants to learn it,” Jones said. “It’s important to him.”

Said Williams of the Giants’ newest pass-rusher: “It’s just been a few practices so far, but you can still see [Thibodeaux’s] attributes, and in the three practices we’ve had so far he’s shown great speed.”

Coach Brian Daboll apparently has no qualms about throwing his top picks right into the mix, because the Giants are expecting a lot from them this season.

Thibodeaux and Neal are not alone. General manager Joe Schoen was limited this offseason by an undesirable salary-cap situation, so the Giants couldn’t make any splash signings in free agency (their biggest moves were for guard Mark Glowinski and backup QB Tyrod Taylor). That adds pressure to get production from their 11-player draft class.

Here is a look at what the Giants can expect from their picks this season after seeing them at rookie minicamp and OTAs:

Thibodeaux: He’s going to play a lot. That is obvious after just a few weeks. Thibodeaux moved around the defensive front during OTAs and dropped into coverage on a play when the ball was completed in the right flat to Barkley (not sure if Thibodeaux would’ve made the tackle). Regardless, he adds something this defense has been missing with his explosive first step and personality. “He brings a little bit of juice,” Daboll said recently.

Neal: He’s the replacement for Nate Solder at right tackle, and looks the part. Listed at 6-foot-7 and 350 pounds, Neal shouldn’t have much trouble making the NFL transition physically. He made most of the Giants’ other linemen look small at OTAs. The focus is on getting him reacclimated to the right side after playing left tackle last season at Alabama. “Really just transitioning everything back over,” he said. The Giants will get him as many reps as possible. Neal will face Titans pass-rushers Bud Dupree (42.5 career sacks) and Harold Landry (12 sacks last season) in Week 1, and the Panthers’ Brian Burns (9.0 sacks last season) in Week 2. Welcome to the NFL!

WR Wan’Dale Robinson, second round, No. 43 overall: He will be part of the receiver rotation immediately. Daboll hinted during the draft at a lot of four- and five-receiver sets, which would allow Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Sterling Shepard, Robinson and Darius Slayton to get plenty of work. “I think when you put together an offense, you try to build it around the strengths of the players that you have,” Daboll said during the draft. “And if that’s a bunch of receivers, it’s a bunch of receivers.” Robinson could also get snaps out of the backfield alongside Barkley. It’s something he did in college.

G Joshua Ezeudu, third round, No. 67: He was the second-team left guard to start OTAs. Shane Lemieux, now healthy after missing almost all of last year with a knee injury, is getting the first crack at the starting spot. But it’s an open competition, and Ezeudu will get his opportunities. “Compete to start, probably inside [at guard],” Schoen said during the draft of the North Carolina product. Ezeudu could crack the starting lineup at some point this season.

CB Cor’Dale Flott, third round, No. 81: He will compete for a starting job. It appears it will be at slot cornerback, not on the outside where last year’s third-round pick, Aaron Robinson, took first-team snaps the first week of OTAs. “Ideally, [Flott’s] inside,” Schoen said during the draft. Third-year corner Darnay Holmes has the inside track in the slot, but given his inconsistent first two seasons, he’s hardly a lock to start Week 1. Flott is extremely slender (6-1, 165) for the NFL but doesn’t lack confidence though. “I’m ready,” he said at rookie minicamp about earning a starting job.

TE Daniel Bellinger, fourth round, No. 112: Bellinger should play immediately, in part because of the Giants’ lack of depth at the position. He worked with the starters for most of Thursday’s practice, though it could be because veteran Ricky Seals-Jones was dealing with a personal matter. Bellinger can provide value as a blocker, but is more of a project as a receiver. He had just 31 receptions as a senior at San Diego State, but has upside that might flash this season. “I think I have a lot to show, and of course a lot to improve on,” he said. “I want to come out and show that I can be a receiver and not just a blocker.”

S Dane Belton, fourth round, No. 114: The starting safeties are Xavier McKinney and Julian Love. Belton and converted cornerback Jarren Williams appear next in line. But if the Giants sign a veteran this summer, it could limit Belton’s contributions on defense as a rookie unless he convinces them he’s ready. Regardless, he should contribute immediately as a core special-teamer.

LB Micah McFadden, fifth round, No. 146: The Indiana product reminds of a slightly smaller version of Blake Martinez on the field and should be Martinez’s caddie this season. Maybe he will fit in some specific packages for his coverage in zone or as a blitzer. McFadden’s role could increase depending on how Martinez, returning from a torn left ACL, holds up.

DT D.J. Davidson, fifth round, No. 147: He has a chance to be a part of the interior defensive line rotation considering the Giants are thin at that spot. Expect Davidson to play some right away.

OL Marcus McKethan, fifth round, No. 173: McKethan (6-7, 335) will start out as a guard, but the plan appears to be for him to add tackle flexibility. This makes him a potential backup on a crowded line as a rookie.

LB Darrian Beavers, sixth round, No. 182: The inside linebacker out of Cincinnati worked alongside McFadden on the second-team defense during OTAs. He should fit in on special teams and specific defensive packages, likely as a pass-rusher with his experience playing on the edge in college.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants‘ 2022 schedule was released along with the rest of the NFL slate Thursday.

The 2022 NFL season will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 8 with the Buffalo Bills vs. the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. ESPN opens its schedule with Monday Night Football on Sept. 12 featuring the Denver Broncos at the Seattle Seahawks.

The NFL expanded to 17 regular-season games last season. The final regular-season games for the 2022 season will be played Jan. 8, 2023. The playoffs begin Jan. 14 and continue through Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.

Here’s what’s in store for the Giants:

Schedule

Sept. 11: at Tennessee

Sept. 18: vs. Carolina

Sept. 26: vs. Dallas (MNF)

Oct. 2: vs. Chicago

Oct. 9: at Green Bay in London

Oct. 16: vs. Baltimore

Oct. 23: at Jacksonville

Oct. 30: at Seattle

Nov. 6: Bye

Nov. 13: vs. Houston

Nov. 20: vs. Detroit

Nov. 24: at Dallas (Thanksgiving)

Dec. 4: vs. Washington

Dec. 11: vs. Philadelphia

Dec. 18: at Washington

Dec. 24: at Minnesota

Jan. 1: vs. Indianapolis

Jan. 8: at Philadelphia

Strength of schedule: 29th, .465

Biggest takeaway

The Giants are playing on Thanksgiving Day! It’s only the fourth time they have played on the holiday in the modern era, and the first time against the Dallas Cowboys since a 30-3 loss in 1992. In fact, the Giants haven’t won on Thanksgiving Day since 1982. And a Monday night matchup with the Cowboys on Sept. 26 is circled as the Giants’ only prime-time game this season, their fewest since 2004. Quite the dropoff from the usual three to five prime-time games they were accustomed to playing in recent years.

The Giants face a tough start with the Tennessee Titans (12-5 last season), Dallas (12-5), Green Bay Packers (13-4) and Baltimore Ravens (8-9) among the first six opponents. All will enter training camp with rosters significantly more talented than New York’s. The saving grace might be that only once in their first six games will the Giants face a hostile opposing crowd — in Week 1 against the Titans.

Revenge game

Cowboys at Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 3. Quarterback Daniel Jones and the Giants are looking to get their revenge in prime time. Jones is 0-8 as a starter in prime time, and New York has lost its past 10 night contests dating to 2018, when it beat the San Francisco 49ers and QB Nick Mullens on Monday Night Football. Did we even mention yet that the Giants were swept last season by the Cowboys and have dropped nine of the past 10 meetings against their NFC East rival? This is New York’s chance to prove its doormat days are in the past.

What the oddsmakers think

The oddsmakers have the Giants’ win total at 7, which seems ambitious. This would be a three-win improvement from last season’s 4-13 finish. Is the chance that Jones stays healthy (he hasn’t yet in three seasons) and a new coaching staff really enough to bring the four wins it would take to hit the over?

Bold prediction

The Giants will win twice as many games after the bye as before their break in Week 9. So that’s two wins in their first eight games and four in their final nine. It’s a byproduct of the tough early schedule, the easier post-bye matchups (beginning with home contests against the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions) and the time it takes to get acclimated to a new coaching staff.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants got worse this week when they released cornerback James Bradberry. Their secondary now has just two proven starters — cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and safety Xavier McKinney — and a slew of question marks.

Bradberry was the team’s top cornerback, but general manager Joe Schoen needed money to sign his rookie class and operate throughout the season. The Giants had just under $7 million in salary-cap space prior to the move, according to the Roster Management System. That wouldn’t have been enough to get their 11-man draft class signed.

“I like the kid. I like the skill set,” Schoen said before the team released Bradberry. “It’s just the situation we’re in from a financial standpoint. … People say, ‘Why don’t you cut or trade him?’ Then there’s a huge void.”

A huge void, it is.

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This was always the expected outcome. Bradberry was on the last year of his contract and set to make $13.5 million, which made him hard to trade. The Houston Texans reportedly had interest, but weren’t able to reach an agreement on a new deal with the 2020 Pro Bowler. Bradberry knew the Giants needed to unload his contract, and why wouldn’t he rather be cut (preferably before free agency in March than after the draft in May), allowing him to choose his next team?

So, here we are in mid-May with Bradberry looking for a new team and the Giants also in a difficult situation. Defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale is left with a secondary that has 107 career starts combined. By comparison, Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay has 124 career starts.

The departure of Bradberry also thrusts Jackson into the No. 1 cornerback spot. The Giants reworked his contract to create cap space by moving almost $6 million of his cap hit into future years, and he could be asked to match up with receivers such as A.J. Brown (Eagles), CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys) or Terry McLaurin (Commanders) twice a season in Martindale’s defense, which traditionally calls for a lot of man-to-man coverage. That will be asking a lot of Jackson, who lacks ideal size (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) and has minimal experience working out of the slot, where Lamb and McLaurin thrive.

Jackson and McKinney have at least proven to be solid starters, and McKinney has the potential to keep ascending following a strong second season in which he was Pro Football Focus’ 15th-ranked safety with a 75.4 grade.

Alongside McKinney at safety is Julian Love and fourth-round pick Dane Belton. Love has been versatile, playing safety and cornerback over his first three seasons. But can he handle a full-time role without being exposed?

No matter who starts at safety, the biggest question in the secondary is who will fill the Bradberry void across from Jackson? As it stands, the Giants will choose from among several young options:

Aaron Robinson: It is clear the new regime thinks highly of last year’s third-round pick. “He’s definitely going to be competing for a starting job,” Schoen said on draft weekend. Robinson started his rookie season slowly because of core muscle surgery in the spring. But his role expanded late in the season, when he appeared to get more comfortable. This is a big opportunity for him. He’s the early favorite to start opposite Jackson.

Rodarius Williams: The previous regime was also high on Williams. But he tore the ACL in his right knee last season, so it could take him some time to return to previous form. It’s hard to count on much from last year’s sixth-round pick early this season.

Jarren Williams: The former undrafted rookie impressed when given opportunities last season. He’s a physical player (which might endear him to Martindale), but at 5-11, pairing him with Jackson could be troublesome. Williams seems more suited for a backup role.

Darnay Holmes: He finally put it together midway through last season before a rib injury forced him to miss the final six weeks. But Holmes (5-10, 195) seems like a better fit for the slot.

Cordale Flott: The Giants have already said they view their third-round pick this year as more of a slot corner as well. Maybe Flott (6-1, 175), who turns 21 in August, can grow into something more, but at this point it seems unrealistic to expect him to seriously compete for a starting spot on the outside.

The Giants are also expected to add an inexpensive veteran or two in the secondary. Cornerback Jimmy Smith, a former Ravens starter, is a name to watch given his connection to Martindale. Among the remaining free agents at safety, Jaquiski Tartt, Tashaun Gipson, or dare we say, Landon Collins (the Giants’ second-round pick in 2015) would give New York another starting-caliber option. Or maybe Schoen can swing a trade for Ravens veteran backup Chuck Clark, who is familiar with Martindale’s scheme.

After releasing Bradberry, it seems something needs to be done to bolster New York’s secondary.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — In a span of seven minutes on Friday evening, general manager Joe Schoen did something that should have made the New York Giants and their fans realize they finally have a chance. He traded back (twice!) before you could even blink in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft to add extra picks.

It might not sound like anything special, but it shows a level of competence the organization didn’t have as recently as the beginning of this year. In that seven minutes Schoen traded back as many times as Dave Gettleman did in nine years as general manager of the Carolina Panthers and Giants. And the two times Gettleman did trade back, sources say it was at the behest of former coach Joe Judge last year.

“We just thought it was what was best for us at this time. More picks would benefit us the most, we thought, based on who was on our board,” Schoen said Saturday. “We had deals in place before the draft started. So we were confident. We knew we could move back. That was part of the plan.”

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A plan that made sense. Again, the bar is low — perhaps below the basement — for a franchise that went 19-46 under Gettleman.

Schoen began the second round on Friday by sending Pick 36 to the New York Jets for Picks 38 and 146 (a fifth-rounder). Moments later, he moved back again, shipping No. 38 to Atlanta for No. 43 and a fourth-rounder (114). The two picks he netted by moving down seven spots became Iowa safety Dane Belton (No. 114) and Indiana linebacker Micah McFadden (No. 146).

This is how rebuilding teams are supposed to operate. Remember this in a couple of years if Belton or McFadden become starters or even consistent contributors.

We can argue about the merits of the player the Giants ended up selecting 43rd overall in the second round, Kentucky receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. Some analysts, including ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr., say the diminutive wide receiver was selected too early. And the Giants might have missed out on a cornerback they liked by moving down. Auburn’s Roger McCreary went 35th to the Tennessee Titans, Washington’s Kyler Gordon went 39th to the Chicago Bears and Clemson’s Andrew Booth Jr. went 42nd to the Minnesota Vikings.

It doesn’t really matter. This Giants team, bereft of talent, got extra dart throws during the draft because of Schoen’s elasticity. Contrast that with Gettleman’s ill-fated decision during the 2019 draft to trade fourth- and fifth-round picks to move up seven spots to No. 30 for cornerback DeAndre Baker. At least two other teams told ESPN that spring that they had concerns about the Georgia prospect. Baker was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list in 2020 because of legal issues and released that September by the Giants.

Schoen’s draft résumé with the Giants is already off to a better start. He began by taking Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux fifth overall and Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal at No. 7. Those picks were pretty much universally lauded, even if the rest of the class of 11 players was met with some skepticism. It was New York’s largest draft class since 2003.

“I don’t love the Giants’ class after their first two picks, but Thibodeaux and Neal are good enough to keep this grade on stable ground,” Kiper wrote in his explanation for giving the Giants a B grade.

Like every team’s draft class, the newest group of Giants comes with some warts. Robinson lacks ideal size at 5-foot-8, 178 pounds. Third-round guard Joshua Ezeudu, selected 67th, was ranked 151st overall by Scouts Inc., which said he lacks polish and grades out as a versatile backup with a chance to develop into a starter. And during the pre-draft process, some scouts and coaches told ESPN they view Thibodeaux as “good, but not special” — a player who isn’t very big (6-foot-4, 254 pounds) for his position and doesn’t possess any counter moves as a pass-rusher.

The reality is nobody knows whether any of the 262 players drafted this weekend will be any good. That is analysis for another day down the road. What we can judge is Schoen’s logic.

What he did throughout his first offseason and draft at least makes sense. In Gettleman’s first draft as Giants GM (2018), he selected running back Saquon Barkley No. 2 overall following a 3-13 season, trying to prop up soon-to-be-38-year-old quarterback Eli Manning.

Schoen realized he couldn’t get it all done in one swoop and began what appears to be a methodical roster overhaul. He had a realistic goal for his first draft class.

“We wanted to add depth and competition to the roster, which I think we did,” Schoen said. “Again, not every guy is going to come as a starter. It takes time. Guys have to develop. … Over time, you have to have depth players and frontline players. I think the idea was to get the best we could.

“Defensively, the guys with versatility. And offensively, as you’re around [coach] Brian [Daboll], you’ll see, he’ll take the pieces and whatever we have and develop the offensive scheme around those pieces that we have, and [defensive coordinator] Wink [Martindale] kind of adheres to the same philosophy.”

For now at least, it all sounds good. The Giants’ roster might not be in great shape at this point — look at the thin secondary — but there is reason to feel good with how they’re operating and where they seem to be going. It seems coherent rather than slapped together.

Schoen deserves most of the credit for that.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — General manager Joe Schoen has stressed the New York Giants‘ multitude of needs every time he’s spoken publicly over the past month. He has insisted that will allow New York, which holds the No. 5 and No. 7 overall picks in the 2022 NFL draft, to take the best player available on Thursday in Las Vegas (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN/ESPN app).

Usually, those kinds of comments can be brushed off as typical GM speak, specifically during the pre-draft process. However, in this instance it really does seem to apply.

“I think where we are in our roster, there’s several needs,” Schoen said last week. “To put a finger on what exactly the biggest need is would be difficult. If you can find two really good football players at [Nos.] 5 and 7, that’s how we stacked the board. Let’s just throw need, whatever [the] perceived need is, out. Who are the best football players in this draft?”

That is only possible because the Giants have enough needs — at premium positions, no less — to fill their entire draft board. Offensive line, edge rusher and cornerback all could use an influx of talent. We can also add safety, tight end, running back and most likely, quarterback, to the list.

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Luckily for the Giants, the top of the draft is filled with players at most of those premium positions (sans quarterback). The top 10 could include two offensive tackles (likely three), four edge rushers and two cornerbacks.

It’s perfect for Schoen and coach Brian Daboll. It gives them options, even if multiple sources within the organization and around the league have insisted they want to land an offensive tackle at pick No. 5.

Wanting, however, doesn’t mean it needs to happen at all costs. In this case, it could depend on Alabama tackle Evan Neal. Discussions with sources over the past few months indicate he is the top offensive lineman on their board, ahead of Mississippi State’s Charles Cross.

Which brings us to what has become an annual exercise: providing a list of prospects who make sense for the Giants with an informed projection of the most likely to be selected by New York in the first round.

This process has produced pretty respectable results — in five of the past eight drafts the Giants’ scheduled first-round picks have appeared on this list. Twice they have been the projected pick — offensive lineman Ereck Flowers in 2015 and running back Saquon Barkley in 2018. The big whiffs came with New York’s picks in 2016 (cornerback Eli Apple at No. 10) and 2017 (tight end Evan Engram at No. 23). Last year was an outlier because the Giants traded back from No. 11 to No. 20.

So let’s take another crack at it. Here are the prospects most likely to be selected by the Giants at No. 5 and No. 7 overall on Thursday:

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Pick No. 5

OT Evan Neal (Alabama): It feels like a coin flip between Neal and Cross here, but Neal has a higher grade and fewer flaws to nitpick. The biggest question seems to be whether Neal or Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner will be selected at No. 3 by the Houston Texans. That is the pick to watch. But Neal makes a ton of sense for the Giants. You can plug him in at right tackle, where he played a season for Alabama. He’s strong, good in the run game, and moves well for his size (6-foot-7, 337 pounds).

2. CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner (Cincinnati): Another player whom sources have said the Giants are really high on. Gardner is widely considered the best and safest cornerback in the draft. Again, this marries need and evaluation. New York needs to add to its secondary, especially if top cornerback James Bradberry is traded this weekend, and Gardner is a strong option. He didn’t allow a single touchdown reception in three seasons for the Bearcats.

3. OT Charles Cross (Mississippi State): It’s too hard to ignore all the smoke connecting Cross to the Giants, especially considering sources have told ESPN there are people in the building who “love” him. There is also the seemingly ideal fit in Daboll’s offense thanks to his pass-blocking prowess. However, at one point this offseason there was a belief among some in the organization that he was more of a mid-first-round pick. To be selected at No. 5 seems like quite the jump, but the fit makes sense. “Athletically, he’s got everything you need,” a scout said. “Best pure pass-protector in the draft,” offensive line consultant Duke Manyweather added. The Giants need to keep quarterback Daniel Jones upright and Cross would certainly help.

4. Ikem Ekwonu (NC State): Here we are back at offensive tackle with a third option. Ekwonu is ranked the lowest of the three tackles here because he likely has the best chance of the tackles to be selected in the top four picks and isn’t an ideal fit. He’s more of an “elite run-blocker,” according to multiple evaluators. Still, several teams have Ekwonu rated as their top offensive lineman. It just doesn’t seem the Giants are one of them.

5. Travon Walker (Georgia): Had to include him on this list for pick No. 5 because he made it to the Giants in our annual NFL Nation mock draft. It’s hard to see that happening on Thursday though. Walker is considered the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick at the moment. There seems to be a really strong likelihood he goes in the top two selections. But a front-seven player with his ability, strength and versatility sure would fit well in defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale’s system.

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Pick No. 7

1. Gardner: The question with Gardner is whether he makes it this far. There has been some buzz about him going third overall to the Texans. If he makes it to No. 5, the Giants can likely wait to take him with their second pick because the Carolina Panthers will go in another direction after selecting cornerback Jaycee Horn at No. 8 overall last year. However, waiting to take Gardner at No. 7 could allow someone to trade up and snag him before the Giants. Risky? Sure, especially after the Philadelphia Eagles did it last year to get receiver DeVonta Smith one pick in front of New York. It’s the game of chicken that Schoen must ponder.

2. Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson II (Florida State): This is a name that has been gaining a lot of traction of late. He seems destined to be chosen in the top 10, so why not No. 7? The Giants have a massive need for a high-end edge rusher, and several evaluators believe his skills translate to the point that he will ultimately be the best pass-rusher in this draft.

3. Cross: Can the Giants wait until No. 7? Maybe. If at least two of the top three offensive tackles are available at five, Schoen can be patient and potentially still grab Cross at seven.

4. Kayvon Thibodeaux (Oregon): There has been a lot of talk about Thibodeaux’s motivation and his focus on his personal brand. That could create some hesitation to have him in New York, but the Giants have done a ton of work on him, and don’t appear turned off by that stuff. His perceived fall from the top five picks has more to do with potentially being a good (not great) player. Thibodeaux, however, does have the ideal first step and pass-rush production to make this a pick the Giants need to make. Schoen didn’t fly across the country to attend his pro day for no reason.

5. Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (LSU): He has all the skills, and some believe he will be the best cornerback in the draft. There is just a little too much risk for Stingley to be higher on this list. He hasn’t played at an elite level since his freshman year at LSU in 2019, and missed most of last season with a foot injury. But he’s a really good player with a high ceiling at a position of need whom the Giants like. Don’t completely count him out.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The joke about the New York Giants being in [checks notebook] Year 10 of their offensive line rebuild is no longer funny. It is downright scary.

The Giants have been trying for a decade to get their offensive line back in order after it disintegrated following their win in Super Bowl XLVI. In the 2013 draft they began trying to restock the unit with the selection of Syracuse offensive lineman Justin Pugh in the first round (19th overall).

It continues into next week’s 2022 NFL draft, with the Giants scheduled to select fifth and seventh overall (April 28-30 on ESPN, ABC and ESPN App). Coach Brian Daboll said last month during the NFL’s annual meeting that the Giants are “looking to add” to the position, and it has been widely speculated that if the Giants keep both first-round selections, one will be an offensive tackle. That is what ESPN’s Todd McShay projects in his latest mock draft with Mel Kiper Jr.

“That’s an important spot,” Daboll added.

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There are strong tackle options near the top of the draft. If you want NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu (6-foot-4, 310 pounds), Alabama’s Evan Neal (6-8, 337), Mississippi State’s Charles Cross (6-5, 307) or Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning (6-7, 325), it will need to be within the top 12 to 15 picks, one source predicted.

It makes sense. Offensive tackle is a premium position, and there are a lot of line-needy teams.

As of right now, the Giants have Andrew Thomas, the No. 4 overall pick in 2020, entrenched at left tackle. The unproven Matt Peart, Matt Gono and Korey Cunningham are the top options on the right side. It seems a lock that a highly regarded rookie will be added to the mix with one of the Giants’ five picks in the top 81 selections.

A survey of 13 evaluators ranging from general managers to scouts to coaches to personnel executives to draft analysts saw a clear gap between the top tackles. Neal received seven first-place votes and Ekwonu had six. But Cross did sneak in four second-place votes, and one executive considered him the best left tackle in the draft.

Neal is considered the prospect with the least risk. He’s “athletic, strong” and can be plugged in immediately on the left or right side according to one offensive line evaluator. Perhaps the lone knock is that he’s doesn’t always keep his feet while attempting to climb to the second level of the defense, something that can be rectified with more experience.

Ekwonu is considered an “elite run-blocker,” according to multiple sources. He improved his pass blocking enough this past season that he’s believed to be in the running to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars. And almost half the evaluators thought enough of his pass blocking that they ranked him as the top tackle in a good tackle draft.

Some with the Giants are especially high on Cross, according to multiple sources. The question is how much input they will have in this year’s draft. Giants GM Joe Schoen was hired in January in the middle of the evaluation season, and like most new GMs who inherit an entire scouting department he’s expected to make changes to his staff after the draft.

Cross is the “best pure pass-protector in the draft,” according to longtime O-line scouting and development consultant Duke Manyweather. Cross trains with Manyweather, but it’s a statement that was backed by several scouts who studied the first-team All-SEC tackle.

In a way, Cross makes the most sense for the Giants.

“Athletically, he’s got everything you need,” one scout said.

Manyweather insists Cross can play on the left or right side, even though he played exclusively at left tackle for Mississippi State. This is important for the Giants with Thomas on their roster. He had a strong 2021 season at left tackle, and it would make more sense for any newcomer to plug in on the right side.

Schoen has said the Giants are willing to trade back, likely with their eyes on adding some 2023 draft capital. The Carolina Panthers at No. 6 and the New Orleans Saints at Nos. 16 and 19 are tackle-needy teams the Giants must monitor closely in that scenario. The Saints in particular are said to have serious interest in Cross, according to a source.

With what the Giants are trying to do with their new offense, Cross and Neal seem like ideal fits.

“The job of an offensive lineman, particularly for our tackles, is … to be able to keep the width of the pocket … inside out, and get movement at the line of scrimmage,” Daboll said. “Those are the two main things we look for in our offensive linemen. … Some guys are better at one than the other thing, but at the end of the day, they have to be able to do both to be an effective player for us.”

The Giants are prioritizing the ability of their offensive linemen to move in their new offense. All four of the top tackles in this year’s draft do that relatively well. Penning ran the fastest 40-yard dash of the top linemen (4.89 seconds) at the NFL scouting combine. Cross has good feet, and Neal carries his weight with amazing ease.

It gives the Giants some pretty good first-round options as they work to make their line a strength again, as it was for their last Super Bowl team.