The New York Giants will open their two-day rookie minicamp on Friday, one day after their newest draft class arrived in East Rutherford. It will provide the first glimpse of quarterback Daniel Jones in a Giants uniform and much more.
While Jones will command a majority of the attention, there are several other interesting storylines and talents that will likely catch the eye of those looking on.
Here are five things to watch over the next two days in New Jersey.
Daniel Jones’ on-field debut
This is obvious for a number of reasons, and as noted previously, will be the most-watched portion of rookie minicamp over the next two days.
The Giants took Jones at No. 6 overall much to the chagrin of just about everyone, so the pressure is naturally on for the young Duke signal caller. And while it’d be unfair to evaluate Jones based on his first few moments in a Giants uniform, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.
It’s important to remember that during Eli Manning’s first minicamp practice in 2004, he looked downright dreadful. In fact, it may have been the worst practice of Manning’s entire life, but we all know how that story played out.
Don’t put too much stock in how Jones looks over the weekend.
Which undrafted rookie stand out?
Just about every year, some undrafted rookie takes the league by storm. The Giants have found a few of those players themselves, including the wildly popular Victor Cruz, and they’ll be looking to do that again here in 2019.
Here’s a look at the 13 undrafted free agents under contract:
- C James O’Hagan (Buffalo/Seaford)
- DB Jake Carlock (LIU Post/Babylon)
- QB Eric Dungey (Syracuse)
- OT Paul Adams (Missouri)
- TE C.J. Conrad (Kentucky)
- DE Jeremiah Harris (Eastern Michigan)
- DE Nate Harvey (East Carolina)
- RB Jon Hilliman (Rutgers)
- DB Mark McLaurin (Mississippi State)
- LB Josiah Tauaefa (UTSA)
- DB Jacob Thieneman (Purdue)
- WR Alex Wesley (Northern Colorado)
- WR Reggie White Jr. (Monmouth)
In addition to those 13, quite a few more will attend rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. Needless to say, some of these names will filter to the top by the conclusion of the weekend.
The young puppies
Corey Ballentine will not be attending minicamp after suffering an injury in an off-campus shooting shortly after being drafted by the Giants, but his two defensive back counterparts will be.
Both Deandre Baker and Julian Love are considered “steals” of the draft, and it just so happens New York managed to land both. They will make their Giants debut on Friday, and while Janoris Jenkins won’t be available to teach them, we’ll at least get a first glimpse at what defensive coordinator James Bettcher has in store for them.
It’s unclear whether or not Sam Beal, the team’s third-round pick in the 2018 Supplemental Draft, will be in attendance, but should he show up, he’ll add an interesting third party to that mix.
The veterans
Although it’s called “rookie minicamp,” there will be several non-rookies in camp, including players who spent some time on the practice squad a season ago.
While the Giants haven’t announced which veterans will be attending or working out for a spot on the 90-man roster, there are always a handful and sometimes they turn into gems.
Giants fans will probably be less interested in the familiar faces and far more interested in any new faces, so it’ll be worth keeping an eye out for which veterans the Giants have in on a tryout basis.
Dexter Lawrence and the rest
For as much guff as the Giants received over selecting Daniel Jones at No. 6 overall, they received almost as much for taking Lawrence at No. 17 overall.
Lawrence may not carry the same weight on his shoulders as Jones will, but expectations are that the mountain of a man will come in and start on Day 1, filling a key role vacated after the trade of Damon Harrison.
In addition to Lawrence, rookie minicamp will provide and opportunity to get a firsthand look at edge rusher Oshane Ximines, linebacker Ryan Connelly, wide receiver Darius Slayton and offensive lineman George Asafo-Adjei.
The Giants need more than a couple of those guys to step up and help out of the gate.
