With the first week of spring practice in the books, the Giants.com crew members discuss who has caught their attention so far.
John Schmeelk: With permission from Dan Salomone, illustrious Senior Managing Editor, I'm going to give a little bit of a cop-out answer here and go with the rookie class, which has been fun to watch throughout OTAs.
No one is perfect, but Jaxson Dart does not look like a fish out of water. To stick with the H2O metaphors, learning the team's system for most rookies, especially quarterbacks, is like trying to drink out of a fire hose. There's so much coming at them that it is going to be impossible to take everything coming at them. Dart doesn't look completely overwhelmed and has made some nice throws. He has also showed off his athleticism a bit, which should be considered a win.
Tight end Thomas Fidone II has likewise showed that his athletic profile works in the NFL, with his speed and long arms making him a target during team drills.
Finally, with no pads, it is awfully difficult to judge any play up front but Adbul Carter certainly shows the get-off, burst, flexibility, twitchiness and overall athleticism to develop into an elite pass rushing edge player. I can't wait to see him when the pads come on.
Dan Salomone: With the ink still drying on his contract, quarterback Russell Wilson said the following about wide receiver Jalin Hyatt in his introductory press conference on March 26: "He's a guy that's been untapped in terms of what knows he's capable of."
Keep in mind, that's a 10-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion talking about his new teammate who had eight catches for 62 yards in 16 games last season, his second in the NFL.
A month later, at the start of the offseason workout program, Wilson once again mentioned Hyatt: "I think that he's going to have a great year this year."
A month after that, they took the field together for the start of spring practices and recently connected on one of Wilson's patented moonballs for a 40-yard gain. Hyatt also caught a pair of touchdowns in the first OTA, one from Jameis Winston and another from rookie Jaxson Dart.
It is a promising start for the former Biletnikoff Award winner as he enters his third season. He will also have more opportunities to showcase what he can do while the Giants play it smart with Malik Nabers, who is not participating due to a lingering toe issue.
Matt Citak: Over the last two offseasons, the Giants have made some significant changes to the secondary. Paulson Adebo and Jevón Holland were signed at the start of free agency this year, less than 12 months after two Day 2 picks were spent on defensive backs Tyler Nubin (second round) and Dru Phillips (third round). Because of these moves, fourth-year safety Dane Belton has somewhat flown under the radar. However, four practices into OTAs, it is clear that Belton is doing all that he can to make sure he does not get overlooked.
During OTA No. 2 last Wednesday, the first practice of Phase 3 that featured team drills, Belton recorded the first turnover of the spring when he made a nice play on the ball for an interception that he returned the other way for a touchdown. That play alone would have caught my eye. But then today (OTA No. 4), Belton jumped in front of a pass towards the sideline for another interception which he returned the other way for a likely touchdown. There have been only three days of team drills during OTAs and Belton already has multiple pick-sixes. The 24-year-old has been a bit of a ball magnet over his first three seasons with five interceptions and four fumble recoveries in 49 games, despite not playing more than 42 percent of the team's defensive snaps any of those years. If he keeps performing like he has so far in OTAs, it will be difficult to take him off the field too often.
View photos from OTAs as the Giants begin team drills at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
QB Jaxson Dart (6), QB Tommy DeVito (15), WR Jalin Hyatt (13)
ILB Micah McFadden (41)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
S Dane Belton (24)
Head Coach Brian Daboll
RB Devin Singletary (26), WR Jalin Hyatt (13)
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3),New York Giants running back Eric Gray (20)
S Tyler Nubin (27), CB Dru Phillips (22)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
New York Giants punter Jamie Gillan (6),New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (13)
Giants Alumni Howard Cross
CB Paulson Adebo (21)
Giants Alumni Howard Cross
CB Deonte Banks (2), CB Dru Phillips (22), ILB Darius Muasau (53), OLB Abdul Carter (51), ILB Micah McFadden (41), S Jevón Holland (8)
WR Jordan Bly (12)
Giants Alumni Howard Cross
TE Daniel Bellinger (82), TE Chris Manhertz (85), TE Thomas Fidone II (86)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
QB Russell Wilson (3), QB Jameis Winston (19), QB Jaxson Dart (6), QB Tommy DeVito (15), Head Coach Brian Daboll
P Jamie Gillan (6) , K Graham Gano (9)
T Jermaine Eluemunor (72), QB Tommy DeVito (15), QB Jaxson Dart (6)
P Jamie Gillan (6) , K Graham Gano (9)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
WR Zach Pascal (83)
OLB Abdul Carter (51)
WR Zach Pascal (83)
QB Russell Wilson (3)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
WR Montrell Washington (80), TE Theo Johnson (84)
RB Dante Miller (25)
T Evan Neal (73)
QB Russell Wilson (3)
Giants Alumni Howard Cross
WR Juice Wells Jr. (2)
P Jamie Gillan (6)
WR Montrell Washington (80), TE Theo Johnson (84)
CB Tre Hawkins III (37)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
CB Art Green (35)
Head Coach Brian Daboll
CB Dru Phillips (22)
QB Russell Wilson (3)
QB Russell Wilson (3)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
QB Russell Wilson (3)
S Jevón Holland (8)
QB Tommy DeVito (15)
S Jevón Holland (8), S Tyler Nubin (27), CB Tre Hawkins III (37)
S Jevón Holland (8)
QB Russell Wilson (3)
Giants Alumni Howard Cross
QB Russell Wilson (3)
QB Tommy DeVito (15)
CB Cor'Dale Flott (28)
S Raheem Layne (43)
CB Nic Jones (31)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
K Jude McAtamney (99), P Jamie Gillan (6)
Giants Alumni Howard Cross
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
P Jamie Gillan (6) , K Graham Gano (9)
G Austin Schlottmann (65)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
K Graham Gano (9), WR Dalen Cambre (5)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)
G Jake Kubas (63)
K Graham Gano (9), WR Dalen Cambre (5)
WR Jalin Hyatt (13), WR Darius Slayton (18)
P Jamie Gillan (6) , K Graham Gano (9)
C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61)
CB Korie Black (25)
WR Jordan Bly (12)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
DT Cory Durden (69)
S Jevón Holland (8)
RB Dante Miller (25)
RB Dante Miller (25)
S Dane Belton (24)
K Jude McAtamney (99), P Jamie Gillan (6)
S Jevón Holland (8)
DT Cory Durden (69)
K Jude McAtamney (99), P Jamie Gillan (6)
DT Elijah Chatman (94)
S Jevón Holland (8)
S Dane Belton (24)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
S Jevón Holland (8)
New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
S Jevón Holland (8)
S Jevón Holland (8)
S Jevón Holland (8)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
New York Giants running back Dante Miller (25)
New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston (19),New York Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger (82)
S Dane Belton (24)
New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston (19),New York Giants tight end Greg Dulcich (89)
S Dane Belton (24)
S Makari Paige (38)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
New York Giants tight end Greg Dulcich (89)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3)
S Jevón Holland (8)
CB Dee Williams (33)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3)
ILB Bobby Okereke (58)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston (19)
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart
OLB Tomon Fox (45)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
OLB Abdul Carter (51)
OLB Abdul Carter (51)
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3)
New York Giants linebacker Trace Ford (46)
DL Chauncey Golston (57)
Howard Cross
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3)
DL Dexter Lawrence II (97), ILB Bobby Okereke (58)
ILB Dyontae Johnson (54)
New York Giants running back Dante Miller (25)
Howard Cross
QB Russell Wilson (3)
Brian Daboll,Team huddle
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6)
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3),New York Giants running back Devin Singletary (26)
New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (13),New York Giants center John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61)
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (18)
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6)
