After a shorter day of practice on Tuesday, the Giants conducted their fifth OTA on Thursday at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
Here's what I saw from the sideline:
See all the action from spring practices at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
CB Dru Phillips (22)
Steve Smith Sr., WR Malik Nabers (9)
QB Daniel Jones (8)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)
CB Nick McCloud (44)
RB Dante Miller (25)
Steve Smith Sr. ,WR Malik Nabers (9), WR Darius Slayton (86)
ILB Bobby Okereke (58)
CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver (36)
WR Isaiah Hodgins (18)
Steve Smith Sr.
CB Dru Phillips (22)
CB Nick McCloud (44)
CB David Long Jr. (20)
QB Nathan Rourke (3)
CB Darnay Holmes (30)
S Jason Pinnock (27)
RB Devin Singletary (26)
CB Cor'Dale Flott (28)
CB Deonte Banks (3)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17), Steve Smith Sr.
CB Tre Hawkins III (37)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17), Steve Smith Sr.
ILB Darrian Beavers (43)
ILB Darrian Beavers (43)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)
CB Deonte Banks (3), CB Dru Phillips (22)
QB Drew Lock (2)
RB Eric Gray (20)
ILB Bobby Okereke (58)
CB Nick McCloud (44)
CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver III (36)
C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61)
C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61)
QB Drew Lock (2)
C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61), OL Jermaine Eluemunor (72)
S Dane Belton (24)
QB Drew Lock (2), QB Daniel Jones (8)
QB Daniel Jones (8)
T Andrew Thomas (78)
ILB Bobby Okereke (58)
ILB Darrian Beavers (43)
S Dane Belton (24)
ILB Micah McFadden (41)
S Jason Pinnock (27)
ILB Micah McFadden (41)
QB Nathan Rourke (3)
CB Deonte Banks (3)
S Jason Pinnock (27)
S Tyler Nubin (31)
Steve Smith Sr., WR Malik Nabers (9)
Steve Smith Sr., WR Malik Nabers (9)
S Jason Pinnock (27)
T Andrew Thomas (78)
ILB Darrian Beavers (43)
QB Nathan Rourke (3)
ILB Darrian Beavers (43)
QB Drew Lock (2)
QB Tommy DeVito (15)
ILB Carter Coughlin (52)
* I watched the defensive backs work in individual drills over the last couple of days, and it's pretty obvious the new defensive scheme will continue to focus on trying to take the ball away. Last season, the Giants were tied with the Ravens with the most takeaways in the regular season with 31. Of those, 18 were interceptions, which was tied for the third-most in the NFL.
If the Giants do, in fact, employ a more zone heavy scheme under new defensive coordinator Shane Bowne, there could be even more opportunities for interceptions. There's an emphasis in practice on identifying the ball in the air and making plays on it. The drills concentrated on going after the football on vertical routes and routes where the cornerback has to break and come back toward the line of scrimmage to play the football.
* The defensive backfield had a strong day in practice. Dane Belton began the first part of team work by breaking on a short pass to Wan'Dale Robinson and nearly coming up with an interception. Deonte Banks played good coverage all afternoon. He ran step for step with Jalin Hyatt on a deep pass and undercut a throw to Darius Slayton. Fourth-year cornerback Stanley Thomas-Oliver prevented a completion to Miles Boykin, who otherwise has had a very productive set of OTAs.
* Darnay Holmes made the play of the day, knocking a ball loose and recovering it before bringing it back the other way. I'm not sure he would have turned it into a touchdown off the takeaway, but it would have put the team in great field position. In the final team period, Holmes also showed good coverage down the field on a deep route. Holmes has been in the middle of the action on a lot of plays throughout the spring.
* The offense made some plays throughout practice. At the end of the first team period, Drew Lock showed his pocket presence, stepping up and hitting Wan'Dale Robinson on a deep throw across the field for a 20-yard gain to the right side. Lock has shown the willingness and the ability to throw the ball off his back foot. He has more than enough arm strength to get zip on the ball in those situations. Lock also showed off his legs later in practice, running for a long again after being unable to find someone open down the field.
* Hyatt made a good hands catch on a high-velocity pass over his head coming back towards the quarterback.
* Later in practice, Lock found undrafted rookie free agent Ayir Asante on a touchdown over the top in the middle of the field. It was a perfect throw after Asante found a lot of separation behind the defense.
* Azeez Ojulari got into the backfield on one pass play, which could have been a sack if it were full-speed contact. Boogie Basham knocked a ball down at the line of scrimmage. Linebacker Darius Muasau showed off his coverage ability.
View photos of every move made by the Giants during the 2024 cycle.
RB Jacob Saylors - Free Agent Signing (June 18)
WR Chase Cota - Reserve/Injured (June 18)
CB Tre Herndon - Free Agent Signing (June 12)
TE Darren Waller - Reserve/Retired (June 10)
S Tyler Nubin - Selection List Signing (May 31)
DB Elijah Riley - Free Agent Signing (May 30)
RB Gary Brightwell - Waived, Injured (May 30)
TE Theo Johnson - Selection List Signing (May 22)
LB Darius Muasau - Selection List Signing (May 15)
CB Dru Phillips - Selection List Signing (May 14)
DL Elijah Chatman - Free Agent Signing (May 13)
OLB Jeremiah Martin - Waived (May 13)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. - Selection List Signing (May 10)
WR Malik Nabers - Selection List Signing (May 10)
K Jude McAtamney - Free Agent Signing: Exempt/International Player (May 10)
WR Ayir Asante, WR John Jiles, DB Alex Johnson, OT Marcellus Johnson, G Jake Kubas, DE Ovie Oghoufo, DL Casey Rogers - Free Agent Signing (May 10)
RB Deon Jackson - Waived, Injured (May 10)
WR Allen Robinson - Free Agent Signing (May 9)
QB Nathan Rourke - Claimed off waivers from New England (May 7)
DB David Long - Free Agent Signing (May 1)
Giants select LB Darius Muasau with No. 183 pick in 2024 NFL Draft
Giants select RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. with No. 166 pick in 2024 NFL Draft
Giants select TE Theo Johnson with No. 107 pick in 2024 NFL Draft
Giants select CB Dru Phillips with No. 70 pick in 2024 NFL Draft
Giants select S Tyler Nubin with No. 47 pick in 2024 NFL Draft
Giants select WR Malik Nabers with No. 6 pick in 2024 NFL Draft
DB Nick McCloud - Restricted Free Agent Signing (April 15)
LB Matthew Adams - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (April 12)
DL Jordan Phillips - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (April 11)
WR Miles Boykin - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (April 9)
S/LB Isaiah Simmons - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (April 5)
RB Dante Miller - Free Agent Signing (April 5)
WR Isaiah Hodgins - Free Agent Signing (March 24)
CB Darnay Holmes - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 22)
OT Matt Nelson - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 22)
OL Austin Schlottmann - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 18)
OL Aaron Stinnie - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 18)
TE Chris Manhertz - Free Agent Signing (March 16)
TE Jack Stoll - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 15)
OL Jon Runyan - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
OL Jermaine Eluemunor - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
RB Devin Singletary - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
QB Drew Lock - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
DB Jalen Mills - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
WR Isaiah McKenzie - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
WR/PR Gunner Olszewski - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
LB Carter Coughlin - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
OLB Brian Burns - Acquired via trade with Carolina Panthers (March 13)
LB Benton Whitley - Signed, Renegotiated Contract (March 12)
LS Casey Kreiter - Signed, Renegotiated Contract (March 12)
G Mark Glowinski - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (March 4)
C Jimmy Morrissey - Reserve/Future Signing (January 23)
WR Chase Cota - Reserve/Future Signing (January 23)
LB Tomon Fox - Reserve/Future Signing (January 10)
DL Ryder Anderson - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
OT Yodny Cajuste - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
DB Kaleb Hayes - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
WR Dennis Houston - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
RB Deon Jackson - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
ILB Dyontae Johnson - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
OLB Jeremiah Martin - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
G Jalen Mayfield - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
OT Joshua Miles - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
DB Stantley Thomas-Oliver - Reserve/Future Signing (January 8)
