Organized team activities treated Adrien Robinson well this year. As a rookie in 2012, the tight end missed OTAs due to an NFL rule that made him wait until his alma mater, the University of Cincinnati, completed its academic year.

However, that wasn't the case this offseason, and with a full program, the Giants' fourth-round draft pick from a year ago has turned a corner. But that's not to say there aren't more roadblocks waiting for him.  

"Adrien Robinson has appeared to have gone to the Land of the Believers," tight ends coach Mike Pope proclaimed after Thursday's practice. "Yes, he has made some good progress. He's understanding assignment-wise, just in our most recent meeting, but the plays are still not the lines on the page that we give them for instruction. So he's doing a lot of the assignment things correctly. Now we have to get him to adjust to the way the defense is playing on each particular play and to make the best decisions based on how the defense is playing."

Robinson, who -- for what it's worth -- caught a touchdown in the Giants' eighth OTA practice, noticed the difference this time around.

"I'm finally able to get in and work with the guys and work with the offense from day one versus jumping in basically in the middle of minicamp," he said. "It's a lot different than last year.

"I feel like I've been doing better. Now the biggest thing is going to be consistency and setting that bar and staying at that level and not taking steps back."

The opportunity to do so is there for Robinson. By chain reaction, fullback 's injury could create more opportunities for Robinson. Known for his versatility, fellow tight end Bear Pascoe has experience playing fullback, which would free up snaps at tight end until Hynoski returns. 

But it's all about first gaining the trust of No. 10 for Robinson.

"[He's] running well, he's got his weight down some, and the quarterback is starting to find him," Pope said about Robinson. "He's hard to miss. He's the tallest tree in the forest out there. He is a good target, but we're more than mildly pleased with the progress that he's made from an assignment standpoint."