Tag: 529582

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. — 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. — 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.