The information on the margin from OTAs is that Daniel Jones is getting a lot of snaps this Spring. This means that his return from the ACL injury is going better than expected. Jones’ trajectory is clearly ahead of Lock going into training camp. Any ideas of Lock (barring a new injury to Jones) coming into/out of training camp as the starter are fading away.
Lock took the contract with the Giants specifically because he was told he would have a chance at the starting job. This development in OTAs where Jones is getting a lot of work in tells us that Jones is ahead of schedule and has the inside track as the first team starter.
Jones certainly has more experience than Lock. While I was looking forward to seeing Lock get (1) a lot more training camp experience in a first team role (2) along with coaching from Daboll the QB whisperer, that is now unlikely.
So now it’s Jones. If the OL can keep him upright, he’ll need to stretch defenses and put the ball all over the field. He has the WRs to do that. BBB recaps incremental news on both the OL and Malik Nabers. Summarized, Eluemunor is lining up at LG, Runyan at RG, and Neal at RT. That appears to be the plan.
The second takeaway is Nabers. I had zero doubts about this guy being a stud WR. While not my preferred route, he was clearly the choice if you stayed at 1.06, which the Giants did. Nabers was the #1 WR on our board, and that’s with two other elite prospects in Harrison and Odunze. It’s very early, but Nabers is already getting buzz that he has “it.” I love hearing that he’s got professional work ethic and that he’s picking up the playbook. This was part of Schoen’s process that was lacking when Neanderthal Gettleman was hell bent on WR after trading down, completely blowing the pick on Toney. No, we didn’t know about Toney’s inability to learn the playbook during the draft, BUT NEITHER DID DAVE. All the reports about Nabers were that he was laser-focused on killing it in football, unlike Toney, who flippantly mixed in plenty of other priorities in his life. It’s impressive that (minute 26:45) Nabers is not only picking up the playbook, but at multiple positions. If you’ve got a rookie who is progressing in Spring, it means he’s going to make the most of training camp and be ready to contribute meaningfully from Week 1.
Big big big things are coming from Nabers. Before I listened to this podcast I was chatting with some work colleagues that Nabers was going to make his mark as a rookie in fantasy. Hearing that he’s picking up multiple positions in May means I’d be very aggressive about his value. No, I’m not projecting Nacua numbers, but I think it’s under the radar. Remember that Jones in 2022 was very competent. As long as Neal (BRICILLO) holds that edge, these WRs are going to flourish. It’s just as important to remember that Nabers is going to have help from Robinson, Hyatt and Slayton. That’s a lot of weapons and a lot of separation.
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