The New York Giants conducted their first practice of rookie minicamp on Friday and it was quite the spectacle as the media masses descended upon East Rutherford in order to get their first look at quarterback Daniel Jones.
There was a lot to unpack after the team’s rookies met with the media, which was followed up by a Pat Shurmur press conference. But what about on the field? Who were some of the studs and who were some of the duds from Day 1?
Let’s take a look:
Stud: QB Daniel Jones
Jones put on quite a show early in practice, showing off his athleticism and impressive accuracy by completing a string of passes, ultimately finishing the day going 10-of-18 with at least four dropped passes.
The dropped passes are nothing new for Jones, who dealt with similar issues at Duke. And true to form, he didn’t dress down any of his receivers, simply getting back under center and preparing for the next play.
Jones was accurate with his deep ball, accurate on the run to both his left and right and quick on his feet. It was an impressive all-around performance.
Dud: WR Darius Slayton
It was a really rough start for Slayton, who opened practice by dropping consecutive passes and then several more throughout the day. There were also a few instances where he appeared to break out of his route too soon, causing confusion with the quarterback.
Many will liken Slayton’s Day 1 performance to David Tyree’s pre-Super Bowl XLII practice where he couldn’t seem to catch a cold.
However, Slayton did finish practice with two beautiful receptions, salvaging what was otherwise a forgettable first day.
Stud: CB Deandre Baker
Baker opened Day 1 by telling reporters that size isn’t a skill and he’s not fazed by being an undersized cornerback in the NFL. He lived up to that swagger on the field, allowing just one completion on the day.
The one completion Baker did allow also tells a story.
On the play, Baker properly diagnosed the route and where the ball was going, undercut the receiver but wasn’t able to come down with the interception as Daniel Jones placed the pass perfectly. Had it not been a perfect throw, Baker was headed in for a pick-6.
Dud: DB Julian Love
Love had a mixed bag sort of debut for the Giants, getting beaten by quicker receivers early in practice before being moved to safety.
The Giants had addressed the possibility of Love being moved to safety shortly after he was drafted, and it didn’t take long for that transition to take its first steps.
While his day at corner started out rough, it finished on a high note as Love was able to display his athleticism and physicality at the free safety position.
Stud: TE C.J. Conrad
Of the undrafted free agents attending Giants minicamp, Conrad seemed to have his star shine the brightest on Friday.
Conrad stood out at times by hauling in a slew of bad passes — some at his knees, others behind him and even more over his head. He was able to contort his body on the move in order to haul in each throw, turning incompletions into completions.
Because it wasn’t a padded practice and contact drills weren’t run, there’s no way to assess how well Conrad blocks, but he made the best of the opportunities he was given on Day 1.
Dud: CB Henre Toliver
Toliver, an AAF import, had a bit of a rough start for the Giants, living up to his reputation as a “handsy” defensive back by making early contact on a number of occasions.
There were no referees present to throw flags, but when Pat Shurmur & Co. watch the film back, they’re going to see Toliver commit holding and pass interference repeatedly.
With a suddenly deep pack of defensive backs on the roster, Toliver is going to have to ease up on the early contact and just let his talent take over.
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