Category: Giants Training Camp

Giants’ Isaiah Hodgins: ‘We are not satisfied’ after 2022 season

New York Giants WR Isaiah Hodgins wants more for himself and the team going into 2023.

Mid-season, the New York Giants found themselves thin at receiver. It was then that General Manager Joe Schoen had to get creative with the Giants being tight for salary cap space.

Schoen added wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins in early November, a player he and head coach Brian Daboll were very familiar with from their days in Buffalo.

Hodgins quickly became one of Daniel Jones’ favorite targets for the remainder of the season and was a catalyst in the team’s playoff berth, leading to his getting a new contract this offseason to return to Big Blue.

Although this is Hodgins’ first training camp with the team, he already feels comfortable while knowing the value of his play in system last season:

“I feel very comfortable in the offense and the scheme,” Hodgins said. “Just being able to take a different approach to my game and knowing that I’m not just thrown into the fire like I was last year. (I) kind of get to work on some mental stuff for me. Kind of like looking at coverages and disguising stuff and seeing stuff that I give away and stuff that I can work on in my game. So, I’m trying to take that next step myself.

“It was really beneficial,” he added. “Just being able to compete against top teams, to play in huge games and playoff games and be able to be in the grit and grind with this team. Coming back from being down or a big divisional game. It was good to be able to see the character in that locker room and whether we take a hit or whether we’re winning big games, just never change and keep working throughout the week. I definitely love the guys in the locker room, and it made me feel more a part of the team being in those moments with them.”
Even with Hodgins being all the Giants could have hoped for and more last season, he hopes to eclipse his performance from last season:

“I try to push myself to forget it completely about last year and just sit there and take it day by day and really eclipse what I did last year,” he said. “That’s our goal, we are not satisfied with that.”

This offseason, the Giants added a plethora of weapons including Darren Waller, Parris Campbell and Jalin Hyatt. Even with the additions, it’s likely Hodgins will be featured and continue to build chemistry with Daniel Jones.

Considering defenses will be heavily focused on Saquon Barkley and Darren Waller and given Hodgins a full offseason to work with the team, he could be primed for a big leap this season.

Giants’ Bobby Okereke talks linebackers room, stopping the run

After practice on Monday, New York Giants LB Bobby Okereke shared his thoughts on the linebackers room and stopping the run.

The New York Giants signed former Indianapolis Colts inside linebacker Bobby Okereke to help solidify the interior on the second level of their defense.

They think highly of the former Stanford star, enough to invest $40 million in him over the next four years.

Okereke, 27, signed with Giants because he sees himself getting more opportunities to do what he does best as an off-ball linebacker, plus rushing the passer more under defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s scheme.

On Monday, Okereke was asked if he could be the answer to the Giants’ middle linebacker woes the past few seasons.

“I just think I’m a good addition to the group,” he said. “Obviously, just trying to push everybody and make it a very competitive group, competitive training camp. Hopefully we just can contribute to this team as best we can.”

“Bobby O has been a good addition,” said head coach Brian Daboll. “He’s got good length, speed, practices hard. I think someone asked about his leadership. He’s done good in that regard. He’s been playing both spots. Someone asked about that as well. We’ll see where it goes.”

Okereke is going to be a starter inside, but who will line up next to him on the base defense is still to be determined.

The top candidates to replace injured veteran Jarrad Davis are two second-year players, Micah McFadden and Darrian Beavers.

McFadden was the only Giants draft pick to play in all 17 games last year, starting seven. He lost his spot to Davis, a late-season free-agent add.

Beavers tore his ACL in Week 2 of the preseason and was lost for the season but is back this summer participating in camp.

Daboll told reporters that Beavers was on a “pitch count” in camp while he rehabs the knee but continues to spin positive about the former University of Cincinnati standout.

“Still a young player, still has a ways to go,” said Daboll. “He’s done a good job since he’s been out here. Obviously fighting through that rehab and now getting an opportunity, he’s done some nice things.”

Okereke also likes what he has seen in Beavers since arriving back in March.

“He’s a big, athletic guy (6-foot-4, 255 pounds) that’s very physical and can run. He’s got smooth hips. He’s a really good athlete.”

Beavers told reporters earlier that stopping the run is the priority at inside linebacker. Okereke agreed.

“100 percent,” he said, while also adding that stopping the run was the strength of his game. But Okereke knows it will take a village to get the job done.

“It takes 11 guys to do their own job at the same time,” he said. “But also, once you fit your gap, go be a football player and tackle the ball. It takes that dogmatic mentality to go make the tackles, but you also have to do your one-of-11. Stay in your A-gap, stay in your B-gap, set the edge. It takes everybody.”

The Giants allowed 5.2 yards per attempt on the ground in 2022, second-highest in the NFL. Okereke and whoever plays next to him will have their work cut out for them.

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Giants’ Brian Daboll updates injuries, competitions, more ahead of Week 2 of camp

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll gave some updates on injuries, competitions and more ahead of Week 2 of training camp.

The New York Giants enter Week 2 of their 2023 training camp on Monday, with opening remarks from head coach Brian Daboll followed by another workout in shorts.

The weather is expected to be much more seasonable temperature-wise for the next four days, with little to no precipitation, so the Giants can expect to get some serious work in.

Daboll began by addressing some injuries.

Linebacker Jihad Ward (undisclosed but not considered serious) and tight end Ryan Jones (knee) will sit out again and center J.C. Hassenauer (torn triceps) will require surgery and be out long term. The injury was sustained during practice on Sunday.

Daboll said the rotation at center going forward would be John Michael Schmitz, Ben Bredeson, Shane Lemieux and Jack Anderson.

After making his impressive return on Sunday, wide receiver Sterling Shepard (knee) will not practice on Monday, which is part of his rehab schedule.

Like everyone else who witnessed it, Daboll was impressed by the one-handed interception by safety Jason Pinnock at the end of Sunday’s practice.

Daboll addressed the progress of first-round selection Deonte Banks, saying they are loading the corner up early on in camp.

In addition, the coach said he was going to continue to let jobs be won via competition on the field.

Asked what improvements he plans to make in Year 2 as the Giants’ head coach, Daboll joked, “my weight’, which he says he has not done a good job in managing.

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Giants’ Jalin Hyatt hitting absurd speeds in training camp

New York Giants rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt has been hitting absurd speeds in training camp.

New York Giants rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt was billed for having top-notch speed coming out of college, but he’s been hitting record speeds at training camp.

While interviewing the 2023 third-round draft pick on Sunday after practice, Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com was told by quarterback Daniel Jones, who was running by, to ask Hyatt about the top speed he hit during the session.

“Ask him if he hit 24 miles per hour today,” Jones suggested.

Naturally, Stapleton asked the rookie about reaching that ridiculous speed, to which Hyatt responded that he wasn’t sure about Sunday but he had done so “a few times” during camp, citing the team’s GPS tracked him going that fast previously.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill owns the current fastest speed in an NFL game at 23.24 MPH. While this is still training camp without full pads on, that is a ridiculous pace for the young speedster to hit.

Hyatt emerged onto the collegiate scene in 2022 as he helped lead the Tennessee Volunteers to the best season they had in years. The wideout recorded 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns on an insane 18.9 yards per reception as he consistently took the top off defenses.

This was most evident when he had a school record five touchdowns and career-best 207 receiving yards to upset no. 3 Alabama. His stellar play all season earned him the Fred Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s best receiver.

Despite that, Hyatt was still not a top wideout on draft boards, allowing him to fall to the third round. This was a perfect spot for Big Blue to take him as a low-risk, high-reward player who can help Daniel Jones further increase his deep-ball prowess.

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Giants’ Sterling Shepard: I’m more than just a slot receiver

New York Giants WR Sterling Shepard returned to practice on Sunday and made it clear he’s ready to help out wherever he’s needed.

The New York Giants loaded up on wide receivers in free agency and used their third-round pick on Tennessee speedster, Jalin Hyatt.

Most of those brought in size up as slot receivers.

So, why did they bother bringing back the oft-injured 30-year-old slot master, Sterling Shepard, who hasn’t played a full season since 2019?

The answer is simple: general manager Joe Schoen told us after the season that Shepard was one of his favorite players. His value, Schoen explained, goes beyond the playing field. He simply lifts up everyone around him — teammates, coaches, staff, et al.

Shepard missed the last 14 games of the regular season in 2022 due to an ACL tear and finally got back on the field on Sunday for the first time since the injury last September.

And, he looked pretty good.

“It feels great just to be back out there with the guys and actually going against somebody,” he said. “I’ve been sitting over there for months running routes by myself trying to visualize someone there.”

“To actually have somebody there it honestly was 10X better. I wasn’t even thinking about my planting or anything like that. I felt great. So it was good to be back out there with the guys,” he added.

Shepard is ready to do whatever it takes to help the Giants win. That includes abandoning his beloved slot role and lining up on the outside.

“I’ve always had that versatility, but I mean, it’s great having that experience being outside and knowing that I can win outside (and) I’m not just banked as a slot receiver,” he explained. “Especially when you’ve got guys like (Jamison) Crowder and (Cole) Beasley who’ve done it for many years at a high level, you want to be able to have that versatility. It’s the easiest way on the field and you know those guys work magic in there, so you want to have those guys in there. The more playmakers that you can have on the field — I mean, we’ve got a lot of guys that could flat out go, so I enjoy that out there.”

The Giants may or may not use Shepard out wide — they still have Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins and Hyatt to take those reps. But the inside is full, too, as he noted above.

Wherever Shepard ends up, he knows he’s fortunate to be healthy again and a Giant again.

“I don’t worry about how it’s going to shake out. I don’t worry about it. I just worry about where my feet are right now,” he said. “What can I do to get better? Whatever the training staff has me do, how can I get better if they’re going to have me sit out today? That’s the situation I’m in right there. I’m going to listen to them but when I’m on the field, that’s my job. I’m supposed to get open, catch the ball, that’s what I’m focused on. Whatever decision or however it shakes out, that’s just the way it shakes out. It isn’t anything that I can do about it but do what I do, so that’s the way that I approach it. Every day.”

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See it: Giants’ Jason Pinnock grabs ridiculous one-handed INT at practice

New York Giants safety Jason Pinnock pulled off a ridiculous one-handed interception at training camp practice on Sunday.

There are great plays, and then there are plays like the one New York Giants defensive back Jason Pinnock pulled off at training camp practice on Sunday.

A 2021 fifth-round pick of the Jets, Pinnock is competing for a starting safety spot in his second year with the Giants and has been gaining momentum during the offseason.

So, he didn’t necessarily need a standout play like the one he made on Sunday, but it sure as hell will help.

The rep saw quarterback Daniel Jones, who was pretty much sacked on the play by defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, loft one up to tight end Darren Waller in the end zone.

But Pinnock was having none of that and went up and snatched the pass out of mid-air with one hand, which promptly drew a proper reaction from fans and teammates.

Here’s another angle of the play.

So, that’s how you stop Waller, eh?

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Giants rookie CBs Deonte Banks, Tre Hawkins off to very different starts at camp

New York Giants rookie cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins are off to very different starts in training camp.

The New York Giants selected Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks in the first round of this year’s NFL draft. Big Blue is hopeful that he can win the starting job across from Adoree’ Jackson this summer and give the team a formidable pair of corners.

That is the hope, but through the first few days of training camp, Banks has yet to distinguish himself. He appears to have a lot of seasoning to do and the Giants will need him to shorten his learning curve.

“First, I take notes,’’ Banks told reporters on Friday. “I take notes on my stuff and learn what I can learn from my position, and then I try to see the bigger picture, and see what everybody else is doing. Also, ask vets what they’d do or how they’d look at this or things like that.’’

That’s fine, but on the field, Banks has been inconsistent, like on this one-on-one against tight end Darren Waller.

Granted, these are not full-go, full-contact drills, but Banks has allowed a number of plays to elude him.

That could change as the summer unfolds, though, and especially when the pads come on, as the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Banks is a physical player.

But for every big-ticket draft pick that gets off to a slow start, there’s always another that gets off to a fast one.

Such is the case for sixth-round draft pick, Tre Hawkins III, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound corner out of Old Dominion, who has been impressive thus far at camp.

Hawkins was an under-the-radar pick by general manager Joe Schoen, as he did not participate at the NFL Combine. But if he had, he would not have lasted until the sixth round.

At his pro day, Hawkins ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, which would have placed him in the top 10 at the combine. His 6.74 time in the 3-cone drill would have been good enough for second at the Combine.

He also logged in 17 reps on the bench press, a 37.5-inch vertical and a 4.22 time in the 20-yard shuttle.

Hawkins prides himself on his physical play and loves to tackle, which is why he has increased value as a special teamer.

Should Banks not be ready by opening day, perhaps Hawkins will be. Unlike in recent years, it appears the Giants might be back to finding gems in the late rounds of the draft.

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Giants’ Evan Neal may be ahead of the curve after change in diet

New York Giants right tackle Evan Neal recently talked about how he changed his diet and shed about 10 to 15 pounds while also adding more muscle.

This week, the New York Giants signed left tackle Andrew Thomas, who has gone from perplexed rookie in 2020 to one of the top players at his position, to a long-term deal that will lock him up in blue until the end of the decade.

The Giants’ right tackle, 2022 first-round pick, Evan Neal, is seeking to do the same. Neal went through some struggles as a rookie last year and wants to take the same type of jump as Thomas and fulfill his promise.

“I feel very comfortable. I felt great out there the past two days,” Neal told reporters via Zoom on Friday. “Just going to use the rest of camp to continue to hone in on those skills, just make small improvements every single day. I feel like I am never going to be a finished product, I am just going to take each day to get better and better.”

He knows he has a ways to go to get to Thomas’ level and is not shy in saying it.

“Andrew Thomas is himself and I am Evan Neal,” he said. “I’m just going to focus on being the best Evan Neal that I can be. Andrew is a great player and he’s a great role model for me as well. I’m just going to continue to get better every single day and control what I can control.”

Like every second-year player in this business, Neal is no longer a bright-eyed rookie. He knows the drill now and is ready to take the next step as a professional. A lot of that comes in the form of conditioning and, yes, nutrition.

Neal revealed he lost some weight over the offseason and even hired a personal chef to help him do that and replace fat with muscle.

“Probably (down) about 10 or 15 pounds. I definitely put on more muscle and got more lean,” Neal revealed. “I weighed in whenever we got here for training camp, I was 345. My final weight was 353, so I shed a few pounds, but I put on a lot more muscle for sure.

“I’ve always trained extremely hard but one thing I can say is I was a lot more conscious about my diet,” he added. “I hired a chef, and it was really helpful in terms of just what I was putting in my body. Just having meals there for me so that way I didn’t have to think about eating, it was already there ready to go for me so that was a big help.

Neal appears to be ahead of the curve when it comes to learning the ropes about NFL success.

The Alabama product is not looking backwards this summer. It’s all about the present and the future.

“Last year was last year, man. I’m really focused on the 2023 season,” he said. “I did feel like it made it more challenging for me because I had never got hurt during the season and had to play through it. So, I definitely feel like that was a factor but I’m not going to make any excuses. That’s the past, we are in the present now.”

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7 early takeaways from Giants training camp

A look at seven early takeaways from New York Giants training camp.

The New York Giants opened training camp this week at their headquarters in East Rutherford to high expectations.

Thankfully, the team was able to tie up some loose ends before arriving on Tuesday, with the most important one being the contract agreement with running back Saquon Barkley.

Barkley’s deal and arrival is just one of the seven early takeaways from Giants training camp so far.

Giants’ Brian Daboll talks fighting the heat, Jalin Hyatt’s ‘adjustment period’

The New York Giants are looking for ways to stay cool as they battle the heat early on in training camp.

The New York Giants are cruising along in training camp thus far, but the oppressive heat and humidity in the past week has them re-thinking their process. They held Friday’s workout in the early evening, which was a welcome respite from the weather.

Head coach Brian Daboll is always thinking about how he can work smarter rather than harder.

“We met on it last week, just getting ready for this week,” Daboll said. “So, I think the training staff, nutritionist, sports science, we have tried to get them to a spot these last few days where they are doing what we need them to do to try to stay as healthy as they can with all this heat. That’s training camp.

“We will keep an eye on everybody and make sure we have the cooling tents and all these different drinks to help them stay hydrated. I’m sure they will be sweating a lot out there today.”

Daboll likes to switch things up to keep the players and staff from getting complacent. Some night practices were always in the plans.

“We’re going to do that a few times,” he revealed. “Plus, it gives them a little bit more recovery time, kind of on the third day. And it’s a different feel for the day. So, you know, there will be times during the season we have different schedules. I thought that that was a good thing to do.”

On Friday, reporters were curious about the progress of rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt. Daboll was quick not to judge the third-round pick after just two days, one of which saw Hyatt leave practice early due to a heat-related issue.

“Regardless of the position, when you’re a rookie, there’s always an adjustment period,” Daboll explained. “I coached receivers early in my career for six years or somewhat. Drafted quite a bit of receivers. They’re all different, just like every player. Every position is different. So, the job of the coaching staff is, again, to get these guys as prepared as we can. To get them to buy into the program and do the right thing. Certainly, a lot of stuff to learn. That’s why we are here to try and help them the best we can. He’s got to put the work in, too.”

Hyatt is expected to help the Giants stretch the field in the passing game with his speed and explosiveness. But the rookie has a long way to go before the team thrusts him into a position of trust.

“It’s going to be up to him to go out there and show what he can do,” said Daboll. “We have had two days. We had an OTA, but we’ve had two days. He has a lot of work ahead of him, just like everybody on the team does. Everybody will earn their role, whatever that may be.”

At Tennessee, Hyatt was in a pro-style offense under head coach Josh Heupel. Daboll was asked the difference between that offense and the one he’s building with the Giants.

“I wouldn’t say it’s really that different. I think Josh (Heupel) does a fantastic job there. He runs a lot of good football plays. He executed well, Jalin did. Everybody runs a different offense, it’s not exactly the same. Josh has had a pretty dynamic offense ever since he has coached.”

Daboll also gave updates on some injuries, such as defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches, saying “hopefully he’s getting close.”

Daboll also mentioned that rookie Geverrius Owens (bruise) and veteran wideout Cole Beasley (quad) would not practice. As for the six players on PUP, Daboll offered nothing new except that everyone was “getting closer” to returning.