EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — My NFL training camp tour is coming to a close here with my 26th team visit, this one with the Giants, who are quietly re-energized and confident …
• The optimism here starts, interestingly enough, with the quarterback room. I’ll admit I was skeptical on how Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and a highly drafted rookie (wound up being Jaxson Dart) would coalesce when this started to come together in March. By all accounts, Wilson’s been good thus far in being a vocal leader in the meeting room and on the practice field, setting the bar as far as preparation, work ethic and the overall level of expectation. Winston’s personality and experience have been a nice complement to Wilson’s, Tommy DeVito has more background in the offense than the others, and Dart’s soaking everything up—and is everything the Giants expected him to be thus far. So how will it look on the field? Wilson seems energized by the coaches’ buy-in on him, and Brian Daboll’s building an offense to lean into what he does well, in an effort to get him playing fast with the ball coming out quickly. As for Dart, there is some carryover in what the staff is building for Wilson, and what it’ll look like whenever the rookie takes over, be it at some point this year or next. All of this, of course, has to come together on the field, and the Giants feel good about that happening.
• Malik Nabers has had a strong summer, and part of it has been the time he’s spent bonding with Wilson. One story I heard about Wilson setting the tone was the room he rented for recovery and rehab in the team hotel for camp—a room that younger teammates started to gravitate to, with some borrowing from the quarterback’s methods. Nabers was at the top of the list of guys to do that, and it’s shown in how consistent he’s become, as the violent, aggressive, fast style of play he brought into the pros has started to conform to the NFL. Of course, if Nabers takes another step, then that means reliable vets Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson can settle into complementary roles, and things could open up for rising young tight end Theo Johnson, too.
• The biggest question, on either side of the ball, is on the offensive line, and concerns the health of left tackle Andrew Thomas. He missed all of camp returning from the Lisfranc fracture he sustained in October. While the Giants are optimistic he’ll be ready for the opener, that’s a tough one for a big man to return from, so what form he’s in will be worth watching as well. New York did sign Browns swing tackle James Hudson III, who was Thomas’s stand-in during camp. And the other four spots are handled (left to right) by Jon Runyan, John Michael Schmitz Jr., Greg Van Roten and Jermaine Eluemunor. The Giants are at least encouraged with how the group played the first six weeks of the season last year, while Thomas was in there, and feel it should be a precursor for the group to improve in a big way this year.
• The defensive front, conversely, has the talent to be the team’s biggest strength. Dexter Lawrence might be the best interior lineman in the league, and the crew of edge rushers around him has a sky-high ceiling. Brian Burns had a fantastic camp, looking way more comfortable in his second year in DC Shane Bowen’s scheme. His work ethic and discipline throughout set the pace for Kayvon Thibodeaux and rookie Abdul Carter. And Carter, for what it’s worth, looks not just like a monster as a rusher, but capable of playing all three downs. So Bowen will go to battle with Burns and Carter both able to play on the line and off it, and Thibodeaux there to exploit matchups. Now, the Giants’ front has to stop the run better to generate more long-yardage chances to create such chaos.
• The secondary is another area where the Giants expect a fair level of growth. Part of it is Jevon Holland (Miami) and Paulson Adebo (New Orleans) coming aboard via free agency to supplement a very young group. By all accounts, both are embracing their leadership roles. I saw it for myself, with Holland working one-on-one with rookie Makari Paige and Adebo working with rookie Korie Black long after Monday’s practice ended. Holland’s presence should help promising young safety Tyler Nubin, who’s had a great summer, and Adebo’s been suitable for second-year nickel Dru Phillips. That leaves the most significant question at the outside corner opposite Adebo, where 2023 first-rounder Deonte Banks and Cor’Dale Flott are jockeying for position. Both have ability, with the light seeming to come on a little for Banks. How that spot turns out, regardless of who wins it, will go a long way in determining the ceiling for the secondary—and even the defense as a whole.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five Takeaways From Giants Training Camp.