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What We Learned: Malik Nabers to be used 'in a variety of spots'

DABOLL-NABERS-KONICA

The Giants returned to the practice field at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center for the first of many training camp practices.

General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll met with the media prior to the start of practice, while quarterback Daniel Jones and offensive tackle Andrew Thomas spoke after the training session.

Here are five things we learned on the first day of training camp.

1. Daniel Jones fully cleared for 11-on-11 drills

Over the last few months, Daniel Jones has repeatedly stated that he expected to be cleared for the start of training camp. With Day 1 finally here, Jones met those expectations. Brian Daboll told the media prior to the start of practice that the sixth-year quarterback would partake in 11-on-11 drills for the first time this year.

"He's getting all the reps today," Daboll said. "He'll get them with the ones every day. If we need to pull him back for whatever reason, maintenance, then we'll talk about that after every practice. But right now, he will be in there every snap that the ones are in."

"And, we have to see how the body reacts," Schoen added. "We don't know. In spring he did not do team drills. He's eight months off of it. So we're going to work with him and he's got to communicate with us on how his body feels, how the knee feels. That will determine how much he does moving forward. But the plan is to be a full go."

Sure enough, Jones took every snap under center with the starting offense. The signal-caller moved around the pocket well, scrambling outside on a few occasions while picking up a first down with his legs on one play. He connected on a couple of short passes, with wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson being his main target.

"It felt good to be back out there," Jones told reporters. "Playing 11-on-11. I thought for the most part it went well. A couple of plays here and there, but for the most part, we kept the ball moving forward and stayed out of negative plays. The first day, we are all getting our feet underneath us, so build on it and go from there."

View photos from Wednesday's practice as the Giants took the field for the first time at training camp.

2. Evan Neal 'not far' from return

The Giants made several roster moves Tuesday after veterans arrived for camp, including the placement of tackle Evan Neal on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list. Neal aggravated an ankle injury during last year's Week 8 game in Las Vegas and underwent surgery in early January. While he did participate in some of the team's offseason program, he was not on the field during minicamp last month. While speaking to reporters Wednesday morning, Joe Schoen indicated they don't expect Neal to be out for too long.

"He's got to get healthy," said Schoen. "Then we'll determine and all those other things will take care of itself. Right now, we're focused on him day by day. He'll be off to the side. The training staff is going to ease him back in there. How he plays and his contribution to the team will take care of itself from there…

"He's not far. He's not far. He's been working hard all summer. Yeah, he's been working hard all summer. He's been doing everything he can to get back on the field. And, again, we're going to communicate with our trainers and strength staff. When he's ready to go, then he'll be out there."

With Neal sidelined, Daboll told the media that free agent addition Jermaine Eluemunor, who spent the spring playing left guard, would slide over to right tackle, while Aaron Stinnie take over at guard. An apparent blow to his midsection midway through practice forced Eluemunor to leave early, which led to Joshua Ezeudu taking over for him at right tackle.

3. Malik Nabers will be used 'in a variety of spots'

Since the Giants selected Malik Nabers with the sixth overall pick in this year's draft, we have heard Schoen and Daboll discuss their plan to use the talented receiver all over the field. Nabers enjoyed plenty of success lining up both outside and in the slot at LSU last season as he racked up 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns. This likely gave the coaching staff plenty of confidence in positioning the rookie wideout just about anywhere on offense, which we already saw on full display on Day 1 of training camp.

"We're going to use him in a variety of spots," the head coach said. "Keep learning and growing in the offense. Do what he needs to do each day in practice. Do the things he needs to do outside of the building. Compete his tail off, which I know he will. Looking forward to watching him."

"It's been good," Jones said after practice about his chemistry with the rookie. "We spent some good time this summer together. It's the first day, and he made some plays, you haven't seen that (drops) much, but he'll be a big time for us. He's played well, played well in the spring, and it has been good to be with him this summer. I'm sure he'll have a good camp. So, we'll continue to grow and build chemistry, and the more time out there together, the better."

4. Andrew Thomas: Carmen Bricillo is 'very detailed'

The Giants struggles along the offensive line last season have been well-documented. A big part of that was the injury suffered by left tackle Andrew Thomas early in the season opener, which forced the former second-team All-Pro to miss the next seven games. While Thomas was on the field for some of the team's offseason program, he did not participate fully in 11-on-11 drills. With training camp finally here, this was no longer the case as the 25-year-old was out there at left tackle with the first-team offense.

"I'm excited, man," the left tackle said. "I had five weeks. It went by quick. I was down in Atlanta, spending some time with family but I'm excited to be back, I love football, it's the best time of the year."

While the Giants signed numerous free agents to help improve the offensive line, perhaps the biggest addition to the group came in the form their new position coach. Carmen Bricillo was a large factor in the Las Vegas Raiders' success on the O-line over the last two seasons, and has already earned rave reviews from every lineman that has spoken to the media this year. Thomas added to that praise on Wednesday.

"I would say he's very detailed," said Thomas. "He's been in the system for a while, he was in New England, that's where Dabs (Head Coach Brian Daboll) was, where he developed his offensive system. He does a great job, especially for the young guys because we have a lot of nuances going into the offense. He does a good with the NASCAR term, explaining exactly what it means, what's your assignment, and I think that's good for the young guys."

5. Theo Johnson should return 'soon,' other injury updates

Rookie tight end Theo Johnson was placed on the PUP list after rookies reported to camp last week. The fourth-round played well throughout the spring, and given Darren Waller's retirement last month, has an opportunity to compete for playing time right away. While sidelined for the start of camp, it does not sound like it will be that long before we see Johnson back out there.

"Theo should be back soon," Schoen stated. "You'll see him on the side. I don't anticipate him being out very long."

Cornerback Aaron Robinson is the third and final player to start the summer on the active/PUP list. We last saw Robinson in Week 4 of the 2022 season when he tore his ACL. The cornerback spent the entire 2023 season on the physically unable to perform list.

"He's still trying to get back…" said Schoen. "Every injury and the way the body reacts is different, and the individuals have to deal with the medical, and we don't know how they feel coming off the injuries. But, we're rooting for A-Rob (Aaron Robinson), obviously. You know, started some games early in our tenure here, and we're just waiting for him to hopefully get back."

Finally, two players were placed on the reserve/non-football injury list Tuesday – veterans Jalen Mills and Stantley Thomas-Oliver. Players placed on the reserve/NFI list are treated the same as guys on the active/PUP list, meaning they can be activated and return to practice at any point. The only difference is that these players suffered injuries outside of team activities. Schoen indicated that they expect both defensive backs to be back on the field soon.

View photos of every move made by the Giants during the 2024 cycle.

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