New York Giants Minicamp: Takeaways from Day 1

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The New York Giants held the first of two mandatory training minicamps at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Tuesday. Here are some of the points to remember.

Game of the day

Wan’Dale Robinson took a slant pass from Drew Lock to the house, which led to a nice celebration.

Defensive Player of the Day

The Giants kept cornerback Kaleb Hayes on their practice squad through the 2023 season, usually a sign that an organization likes something in a player’s potential.

The 6-foot, 195-pound Hayes stood out in practice Tuesday with two pass breakups. He covered Chase Cota on a deep ball from Drew Lock, pushing him away. Cota was injured during the game and ended up being sent off after appearing to land hard on his left shoulder. On the next play, Hayes batted away a quick throw from Lock to Dennis Houston.

Hayes posted an elite Relative Athletic Score (RAS) in 2023, but went undrafted:

Here is a draft scouting report before 2023:

Hayes has long arms with good play strength and is much better suited to play close to his receiver early in the route. He lacks the burst in a short area and the instinct to play with the ball. His strength and length complement his long speed, which could allow him to use a press and trail technique where he can stay close to the open sea. Elite athletic testing will have teams looking for a way to get more out of it than what we see on tape, but there is a lot of work to be done from a ball production standpoint.

Could Hayes become a serious challenger for a spot on the 53-man roster? This is to be determined. Tuesday, however, was a good day for the former Brigham Young University cornerback.

Evan Neal out until training camp

Head coach Brian Daboll said Tuesday that right tackle Evan Neal, recovering from ankle surgery, will not practice until training camp.

Neal, the 2022 No. 7 pick whose starting job is in jeopardy after two mediocre seasons, worked visitation periods earlier in the spring. During last week’s open OTA and this week, Neal did not take the field. On Tuesday, all Neal did was ride a stationary bike.

Daboll denied that Neal was doing less now than he was a few weeks ago, which meant he had a setback in his recovery.

“He’s pretty much the same. It’s pretty much the same. We’re going to roll it back here and hopefully we can get — the plan is now as it stands today, I think we should have everyone ready to go for training camp, which is important,” Daboll said. “He’s mixed up in this. He did various things. We figured for the next few days we would backtrack on him.

Andru Phillips Observation

The rookie cornerback, selected in the third round by the Giants, intercepted a pass from Tommy DeVito on Tuesday.

Phillips picked off a pass that should have been caught by wide receiver Dennis Houston, but slipped out of his hands.

Phillips, who worked as Nick McCloud’s backup cornerback this spring, received a handful of first-team reps.

What’s new with Bellinger?

Daniel Bellinger did not participate in the 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 work during the Giants’ Open OTA last week. He also did not participate in 11-on-11 work Tuesday, but ignored questions about whether or not he is dealing with an injury.

“Nothing physically. Just staying locked in mentally and watching Theo (Johnson) and Cage (Lawrence Cager) grow,” Bellinger said. “I wouldn’t say rest. It’s kind of like letting Theo grow and getting more mental growth for Theo, Cage and everyone to take a step as a whole instead of just taking all the reps.

If you’re scratching your head reading this and trying to figure out what Bellinger was trying to say (or not say), you’re not alone. Members of the media, myself included, were baffled by this response.

Bellinger rode a stationary bike for part of the workout.

The most improved giant?

Even after Darren Waller retired, Lawrence Cager could be considered an afterthought among the Giants’ tight ends. Cager had just four receptions in five games last season, spending most of the year on the practice squad.

The Giants added Theo Johnson in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, along with free agents Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz. This might make Cager seem like a strange man. But perhaps we should not jump to this conclusion.

“I’m very happy with Cage,” said head coach Brian Daboll. “Probably one of the most improved players over the offseason that we’ve had as far as playing fast, being able to use his speed, not thinking, being in the system here for a little while.

“I am very happy with his progress. He has a great schedule. He arrived very early. He was coached by (tight ends coach) Tim Kelly. He had a very good camp.

Malik Nabers and Daniel Jones

Malik Nabers had some curious things to say about Daniel Jones and the Giants’ quarterback situation ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. Partly because of that, and partly because of the fact that Jones has been limited this spring so recovering from a torn ACL, the development of the relationship between Jones and Nabers is worth paying attention to.

Nabers, for his part, didn’t seem too concerned Tuesday about the lack of time with Jones due to the quarterback’s limited workload. If you want to go so far as to consider the comment below dismissive, that’s up to you.

“When Daniel comes back, I’m sure he’ll be helpful offensively, but right now we’re just focusing on the guys we have right now,” Nabers said.

Jones, meanwhile, praised the rookie receiver.

“I think he can be a great weapon for us. He had a good spring. He looks good and has made a lot of plays. You know, it takes time and work and we’re going to put that into it,” Jones said. “I mean, he (Nabers) can do anything. There’s not much he can’t really do from a road racing perspective. He is dynamic with the ball in his hands and strong, fast, explosive, catches the ball well. Yes, he is doing very well.

Jones will hold a training session

The Giants quarterback traditionally gathers pass catchers together to practice for a few days between minicamp and training camp. The quarterback said Tuesday that his knee won’t force him to cancel the annual event.

“We’re going to get together like we always do and practice for a few days,” Jones said.

Jones said this year’s practice will take place outside of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Quarterback Stats

Here are the unofficial Giants quarterback numbers from Tuesday:

• Drew Lock: 10 for 17…Lock went 1 for 5 during one of his periods, but two of those misses came because receivers fell down.
• Tommy DeVito: 12 out of 16
• Nathan Rourke: 4 out of 6

Punt and kickoff returns

Players taking reps for punts and kickoffs during special teams periods is always a topic of interest. Here are Tuesday’s returns:

Punts

Ayir Asante, Isaiah McKenzie, Dante Miller, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson

Kickoffs

Devin Singletary, Tracy, Robinson, Miller, Asante

An interesting note on the kickoff return is that the Giants practice with two return men lined up ready to accept the kickoff.

I wish Waller the best

The Giants had nothing but nice things to say about Darren Waller, who retired from the NFL on Sunday after playing for the Giants in 2023.

“I would say the first thing with Darren is my concern for him as a person more than anything else. I’m glad he’s okay. I spoke to him yesterday. I communicated with him throughout the offseason,” Daboll said.

“It’s his decision, we were going to respect the decision and give him all the time he needed. Wish him luck. Here for him if he needs anything. This is what sometimes happens in the NFL.

Daniel Bellinger said:

“I wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but I was happy for him and happy that he was happy with his decision.”

Daniel Jones said:

“Darren was obviously a great player and we wish him the best in his retirement.”

Wrap

The Giants will hold another practice open to the media on Wednesday. On Thursday, they will meet around a barbecue before going on vacation for the summer.