With the calendar inching towards September, the curtain is closing on the Giants' 2024 training camp.
After nearly eight months of waiting, the Giants will soon take the field at MetLife Stadium for a regular season contest. The September 8 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings will serve as the first real NFL game action for rookies, a group that consists of numerous players that could be key contributors early on.
The Giants finished the 2024 NFL Draft with six draft picks, all of whom made the 53-man roster:
- WR Malik Nabers – Round 1, Pick No. 6
- S Tyler Nubin – Round 2, Pick No. 47
- CB Dru Phillips – Round 3, Pick No. 70
- TE Theo Johnson – Round 4, Pick No. 107
- RB Tyrone Tracy – Round 5, Pick No. 166
- ILB Darius Muasau – Round 6, Pick No. 183
In addition to the draft class, two undrafted rookie free agents made the initial 53-man roster – defensive lineman Elijah Chatman and offensive lineman Jake Kubas.
Let's take a closer look at the Giants' rookie class.
View photos of the Giants' 2024 rookie class in their first NFL season.
WR Malik Nabers
It's difficult to imagine a rookie coming in and creating more buzz than Nabers has. The sixth overall pick was high on the Giants' draft board, and after watching him over the last few months, it is easy to see why. Dating back to spring OTAs, Nabers has made some impressive, acrobatic catches during practice on a daily basis. Listed at 6-feet and 200 pounds, Nabers has put his elite quickness on full display this summer, creating separation from defenders with ease. He's also used his speed to get behind the defense on some deep balls to catch some big touchdown passes from quarterback Daniel Jones, who's been impressed with the rookie wide receiver this summer.
"He can do everything," the veteran quarterback said about Nabers early in camp. "His competitive spirit, his drive. I think when the ball's up in the air, he expects it to be his, and he's going to go get it. He's got all the physical ability in the world, and size, strength, speed, quickness, great hands, and he's got the attitude that he's going to go get the ball, and it's going to be his. We've got to keep working and keep building our chemistry, but I thought he's had a good camp."
The only preseason game that saw Jones and Nabers on the field together was the matchup against the Houston Texans. Jones targeted the rookie six times in the first half, which led to four receptions for 54 yards, a couple of which were eye-opening. Nabers' longest reception of the day came on a 21-yard catch, a play in which after he beat his defender off of the line of scrimmage, he was able to adjust to the ball in the air, secure possession and get both feet down inbounds. The 21-year-old should play a big role in the offense this year and could end up leading the team in targets as a rookie.
"Very impressive," quarterback Drew Lock said about Nabers a few weeks ago. "He's going to be a game-changer the first day he steps out there. People are going to have to worry about him; teams are going to have to worry about him. That's going to help everybody on this team. He's been impressive. He's got a lot of work to do. He's still a rook (rookie). He's got a lot that he needs to prove. He hasn't done it on a Sunday yet, so he's got to prove that to everybody and himself, but he's a confident guy and he's ready to roll."
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S Tyler Nubin
A calf injury sidelined Nubin for the start of training camp, but the rookie safety has been working to make up for lost time over the last few weeks. The second-round pick has put his high football intelligence and toughness in the spotlight since his first day on the practice field, which has left the coaching staff impressed.
"He continues to get better," defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said a few weeks ago. "He continues to improve each day. I think the one thing with him is he's finally out there. He's healthy. We missed him those first two weeks. And he's had ground to make up to get back in that competition. He's been good. He's taking advantage of the opportunities. Doesn't make the same mistake twice. I've been encouraged by where he's at right now."
Nubin was on the field for 18 total plays against the Lions in the preseason opener. It was a solid showing for his first outing in the NFL, but there was one play in particular that stood out. With the Lions facing a third-and-two, Nubin blew up offensive lineman Michael Niese, planting the 295-pound lineman into the ground as Dyontae Johnson flew in to tackle the runner short of the line to gain. This was just one example of the physicality Nubin intends to bring to the Giants defense this season, as the rookie safety is pushing towards significant playing time in his first year.
"He's really competitive, really confident," added passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson earlier in camp. "You just watch the [college] tape — and even here — his intensity, his energy and his focus just jumps off the tape at you."
CB Dru Phillips
An ankle injury suffered in practice after the preseason opener forced Phillips to miss the Texans game, but not after the rookie cornerback made a strong first impression. Phillips performed well during the two joint practices against the Lions, including his time matching up against All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, where the rookie did not back from the elite wideout. Phillips then followed that up by making a strong tackle for loss in the game against the Lions.
"Look at our rookie Dru Phillips and him matching up with Amon-Ra St. Brown. He didn't flinch," assistant general manager Brandon Brown said last week. "I think the toughness, the quiet toughness that Dru has, and his ability to be sticky in the nickel, him getting really good work every day, going against (wide receiver) Wan'Dale (Robinson), and matching that twitch at the top of routes. Seeing a savvy polished route runner like Amon-Ra and not flinching and being able to match up for two consecutive days. It was really good to see."
Phillips returned to practice last week and has seen his practice reps increase each day. Coach Brian Daboll named the rookie cornerback among the group of players that have been working back from injury that should be good to go this week. Phillips could be the Giants' starting nickel corner against the Vikings in Week 1.
"I love Dru," inside linebacker Bobby Okereke said early in camp. "I didn't realize how much, he's like 195, 200. He's a physical guy. He popped out when the pads came on. So, I think he'll be a great addition to our defense."
TE Theo Johnson
Johnson was originally placed on the physically unable to perform list when rookies first reported on July 16, which delayed the start of his first NFL training camp. But the rookie tight end passed a physical less than two weeks later, which got him back on the practice field only a handful of days after the rest of the team. The 6-foot-6, 264-pound tight end has flashed his athleticism throughout training camp with some impressive grabs in team drills.
"Theo (Johnson) is a rookie, and he's right on schedule with where he's at in his development," assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said recently. "He was one of those guys that kind of started a little bit later in training camp, just getting back from the injury. But he's doing a really nice job. I'm happy. I'm excited about him. Going to keep inserting him into the offense and continue to find ways to get him involved."
Johnson has gotten some reps in practice with the first team offense, due in part to injuries at the position. But the rookie has taken advantage of the opportunity and has shown he can be a contributor in the passing game. The 23-year-old could see an expanded role in the offense this season.
"He's big, he's fast and he hasn't made a lot of mental errors for a rookie," said Daboll. "We've lined him up in multiple spots and he's been productive with the opportunities that he's had."
View the best photos from training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Tracy was perhaps the most intriguing prospect in the draft class given his collegiate experience. The 24-year-old spent four seasons playing wide receiver at Iowa before transferring to Purdue, where he had his most successful season as a running back. It's easy to see that former wide receiver skillset when he's on the field, too. Tracy showed strong hands all summer, catching most passes thrown in his direction, while also displaying great explosiveness in the run game. Perhaps more importantly, the rookie has done well with his pass protection.
"He's done a good job of really picking up all the little nuances, the protections, the identifications, the route concepts, the alignments," Daboll said the first week of August. "He's a smart player. I'm glad we got him."
We only saw Tracy on the field for one preseason game before his injury scare that sidelined him for a few days. But in that one game, the rookie back shined. Tracy ran the ball five times for 26 yards against the Lions, good for an average of 5.2 yards per carry, while forcing four missed tackles. Tracy could have a role right away as the team's primary pass catching back. If he continues to develop, it might be hard to keep him off the field.
ILB Darius Muasau
The team's final 2024 draft pick, Muasau has flown a bit under the radar this summer. A sixth-round pick who played at both Hawaii and UCLA before being drafted, Muasau received some practice reps with the first team defense after several players ahead of him on the depth chart got injured.
Muasau played 34 defensive snaps in the preseason opener against the Lions, according to Pro Football Focus, which listed the rookie linebacker as one of the team's top defensive performers that night. He finished the game with four tackles (two solo) and did not surrender a reception on his 19 coverage snaps. Muasau played 15 defensive snaps against the Texans the following week and finished the game with three tackles (two solo).
Injuries at inside linebacker could lead to Muasau seeing more defensive snaps towards the beginning of the season than originally expected. Either way, the 23-year-old figures to be a contributor on special teams right away.
DL Elijah Chatman
Now we get to the undrafted rookies. Chatman took an interesting route to the 53-man roster, which began with a tryout at rookie minicamp. After impressing the coaching staff, he earned a top-90 spot and a chance to showcase his skills during training camp, which is exactly what the young defensive lineman did.
Chatman boosted his chances of making the 53-man roster with a strong performance against the Lions in the preseason opener. The undersized tackle had one of the defense's four sacks that night and led the unit with five total pressures and a 17.9 win percentage on pass rush snaps. Chatman seemed to solidify his spot on the roster the following week against the Texans when he chased down running back J.J. Taylor 45 yards down the field.
This hustle play clearly caught the eye of the front office and coaching staff, who have long been impressed with the 23-year-old's athleticism.
"When you look at Elijah, you go through the spring process, and you have your workout warriors from pro-day," Brandon Brown said last week. "Well, Elijah was a 31-vert(ical) guy, a 4'8 40 (yard dash) guy, a 32 bench rep guy, a 9'4 (nine feet, four inches) broad jump guy. All those explosive metrics give him an opportunity for being an outlier, and even though he's 5'11, he's got almost 33-inch arms. So, there are redeeming traits where you take the intangibles of how he's built, how he's wired, and figure out what he can do best.
"The coaches are motivated, especially (Defensive Line Coach) Dre (Andre Patterson) and (Assistant Defensive Line Coach) Brian Cox, and that's why I affectionately call Dre, Dr. Dre because there's probably nobody that he thinks he can't fix. We love that mindset. It was a group effort from scouting, analytics, and coaching. We're glad Elijah (Chatman) is here."
OL Jake Kubas
If Chatman helped himself the most in the preseason, Kubas was a close second. The undrafted rookie saw action in all three preseason games and was one of the team's most consistent linemen throughout.
Against the Lions, the former North Dakota State guard was on the field for 23 pass blocking snaps and allowed just one pressure. He followed that up by surrendering just one pressure on 17 pass blocking snaps against the Texans. Kubas played another 43 snaps against the Jets on Saturday, including 28 snaps in pass protection, and did not allow a single pressure. PFF gave Kubas solid marks in all three games, including listing him as one of the Giants' top three linemen in two of the three outings.
"He has the right mindset. He's working extremely hard at it," Daboll said the day after the Texans preseason game. "Again, he's got some style, play style that we covet in terms of being aggressive, being tough. But there's a lot of things that we're working on with him, just like all the other rookies. But he's acquitted himself well to this point. He's played well in the games. Again, there's a lot of things that we got to go ahead and improve with him. But I like his mindset of where he's at."