What did we learn during Friday’s practice?
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants completed their third day of training camp on Friday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Here are some of the takeaways.
Overview
Today was my first day as a credentialed member of the media. Eclectic melodious tunes of Eminem and Mr. Brightside permeated the slightly windy, sunny day in late July. After listening to head coach Brian Daboll talk, we took the field to see every day drill periods with position groups. Alone, off on the far field, Gunner Olszewski fielded punts.
Rookie tight end Theo Johnson and safety Tyler Nubin were off on the side stretching with defensive backs Jalen Mills and Stantley Thomas-Oliver. Johnson and Mills were accelerating and striding out with their light sprints. Daboll said Nubin has a tight calf and it’s not a long term issue, alluding that it was more precautionary. Cornerback Aaron Robinson made a brief appearance on the side, and there was no sight of tackle Evan Neal.
Positional drills
Ed and I were next to the defensive backs for individual positional drills (indy). Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen mostly stayed with the secondary, bouncing between the cornerbacks and the safeties. The cornerbacks were initially focusing on simple backpedaling, breaking in one direction while staying square, and then high-pointing a pass from someone on the staff. They altered the drill to a click, close downhill, and carry a vertical before high-pointing the ball. They then performed framing and punch out drills at the catch-point.
To end the indy period, at half-speed, Bowen had the cornerback’s focus on leverage with specific receiver alignments on the the outside. The cornerbacks mid-pointed two receivers and reacted based on the routes.
The safeties handled something similar; they read the release of two receiver’s from a two-read split-field look, similar to what they’ll run with Bowen in Palms/Quarters, a middle-of-the-field open concept in the Cover-4 tree. It’s no secret that Bowen’s defense is different than Martindale’s, who focused mostly on middle-of-the-field closed looks. Although it’s early in training camp, the focus on the different approach is easy to discern.
The Giants had four team periods with one of them being the two-minute drill. They ended practice on a team period. The final play was a victory for the defense, as safety Dane Belton intercepted Daniel Jones in the red zone.
Daniel Jones goes deep to Malik Nabers! pic.twitter.com/sdqwBV0VHA
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) July 26, 2024
Up-and-down day for Jones
It’s impressive that Jones practiced three days in a row after tearing his ACL in early November. The Giants designed rollouts for Jones and even had him punch in a touchdown on a designed QB keeper in two-minute drill. However, Jones overall performance was inconsistent in team periods.
The sixth-year signal caller finished the day 15 of 22 (68%) with the aforementioned rushing touchdown and interception. Jones also fumbled the football; as he stepped up into the pocket, Dexter Lawrence tossed Aaron Stinnie to the ground off a stunt with center Jimmy Morrissey already engaged with Lawrence. It appeared like Kayvon Thibodeaux may have assisted in the fumble, but it was unclear from my vantage point.
Jones was efficient in quick game, albeit one or two of the completions would have been likely sacks by Brian Burns. His first team-period started well with a touchdown pass to Malik Nabers on a dig route that sent the sidelines into a frenzy.
The quick passes and bubble screens to Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, and Malik Nabers were solid throughout the four team periods, but Jones significantly struggled with his deep ball accuracy. He missed Wan’Dale Robinson wide open up the sideline. The ball was thrown too much on a line, and it was overthrown by a few yards, although he would have been sacked by Burns, who beat Andrew Thomas with a quick inside swim move, on that play.
The Giants designed a rollout to Jones’ right with Nabers crossing the field for a throwback play. Nabers beat Cor’Dale Flott with ease, and there was about 10-12 yards of separation between Nabers and the sideline. Unfortunately, Jones didn’t put enough air under the pass, leaving it behind Nabers, and Flott was able to play through the catch point. Jones also missed Daniel Bellinger on a 15-yard out route — high and to the inside.
However, Jones showed resilience in the two-minute drill. Jones connected with Nabers on a deep nine route. He quickly got the team to the line of scrimmage and found Jalin Hyatt on a beautifully placed back-shoulder pass that was marked down at the 3-yard line. The Hyatt catch set up the Jones’ touchdown rush.
Jones was 2 of 2 in three plays with a rushing touchdown in the two-minute drill. He saw the field one more time and completed three quick passes to Bellinger, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Malik Nabers. The catch by Bellinger would have generated at least 10 yards after the catch. On his final throw of the practice, Jones got baited into the flowing hands of Dane Belton, who undercut a wheel type of concept in the red zone.
Overall, it’s great that Jones is back healthy and practicing with no limit. There were issues with his accuracy beyond 10 yards in Friday’s practice, but he also made some important throws, specifically in that two-minute drill.
Drew Lock goes deep to Dante Miller! pic.twitter.com/7g7Bobkk4U
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) July 26, 2024
Other notes
- After practice, Jon Runyan, when casually talking with the media, said that Jermaine Eluemunor’s natural position was right tackle.
- Before the practice, Daboll praised Allen Robinson’s veteran leadership and acuity in the film room.
- After practice, Allen Robinson said Nabers, Hyatt, and Wan’Dale Robinson are detail-oriented and talented, which gives them a significant advantage over others in the league.
- Daboll said that tight end Jack Stoll and linebacker Micah McFadden, among others, would be slowly ramped up over the next few weeks.
- Eluemunor was back practicing with the first team, just two days after suffering the Dex Effect injury.
- Seemed like Deonte Banks and John Michael Schmitz received a lighter load at practice.
- Banks did have a pass defensed in the initial team period against Nabers; the ball was thrown slightly behind by Jones.
- Jimmy Morrissey received first-team reps over Austin Schlottmann in place of John Michael Schmitz in the latter half of practice.
- Josh Ezeudu took first-team snaps at both tackle spots when giving the Eluemunor and Thomas a breather.
- Daniel Bellinger started team-period with the third team before finishing with the first team. Chris Manhertz and Lawrence Cager received first-team reps as well.
- Running back Dante ‘Turbo’ Miller turned heads with two touchdowns. His second one was a long wheel route where he beat rookie LB Darius Muasau.
- Dante Miller’s first touchdown was a quick flare route from quarterback Tommy DeVito; it was from a much more condensed part of the field than his second.
- DeVito missed an open Bryce Ford-Wheaton up the sideline; the ball was slightly underthrown and too wide.
- Drew Lock overthrew a wide open Miles Boykin on a vertical.
- The Giants offense had designed QB runs for Lock and Jones; they also featured another end around for the third practice in a row — this one to Wan’Dale Robinson
- Ryder Anderson joined Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Dexter Lawrence on the first team; it appears obvious that Anderson has the inside track to earning snaps in BASE personnel
- Isaiah Simmons worked with the defensive backs in indy periods and Nick McCloud was teaching him different line of scrimmage techniques in press
- Dane Belton ended practice by intercepting Daniel Jones in the end zone
Gunner O took the initial reps as punt returner
Isaiah Mackenzie followed…Slayton, Wan’Dale, and Asante followed.
Tracy is also with the punt returners for the #Giants
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) July 26, 2024
Final thoughts
Overall, it was a fun first practice to attend. There were no one-on-one drills between the cornerbacks and wide receivers, but there were several verticals thrown throughout the practice. Jones did not have his best practice, but he showed strength in the two-minute drill to finish it for six in three plays. Steady drumbeats for certain roster long-shots like Dante ‘Turbo’ Miller are starting as the first week of training camp concludes. There are still a ton of positional battles to ensue, and roster spots to be earned. The next few weeks should be exciting and telling.