Category: New York Giants

Giants rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. fumbles away the game despite otherwise elite performance

Giants rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. fumbles away the game despite otherwise elite performance in Week 10

It was a heartbreaking sight to witness in Munich during a ground and pound match between the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers. Both Chuba Hubbard and Tyrone Tracy Jr. were the features of their respective offenses and both took over the game when given the opportunity. Things seemed to be swinging the way of the Giants in overtime until their feature player made a costly mistake that ultimately lost New York the game.

This was a harsh reality check for the young rookie who has been a bit of a phenom for the Giants as of late, and while you hate to see it for a young player like him, it will be an opportunity to grow in the immediate future. Aside from that rather glaring mistake however, Tracy was a monster for the Giants, garnering 103 yards and a touchdown on just 18 carries. Tracy was clearly the best offensive player in the Giants’ arsenal and was the reason they even got to overtime in the first place.

Despite Tracy’s hiccup he will almost certainly maintain his status as the feature back for a desperate New York Giants team. With the offense searching for any answers, Tracy has been an absolute stud and bright spot given he was drafted in day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Tracy will have a chance to make up for the error through the rest of the season as he looks to be one of the finalists for ‘Offensive Rookie of the Year’ if he can stay on course in this offense.

Rookie surprise Tyrone Tracy Jr. dominates as lead back for the New York Giants

Rookie surprise Tyrone Tracy Jr. dominates as lead back for the New York Giants after being taken in the fifth round

After the departure of longtime New York Giants staple Saquon Barkley, there was heavy speculation on whether the team could even come close to replacing the level of production he provided. The Giants did bring in free agent Devin Singletary, who has been a nice piece, but the real surprise of the season has been 5th-round rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who is now clearly the starting back.

 

In an eventual loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tracy was far and away the best offensive player for the struggling Giants offense. On the night in primetime Tracy managed 145 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, this left him with a staggering 7.2 yards per rush for the contest. Tracy looked explosive and agile, zipping through holes and forcing Pittsburgh to play up to the run. While Daniel Jones couldn’t quite cash in on the relief, it was still a fantastic night for the unexpected superstar.

Tracy looks very promising in his new role as the Giants top running back, and as the season moves on, he becomes a real threat to eclipse the century mark. Though the Giants are not a very good team for a number of reasons, the breakout of both Tracy and fellow rookie Malik Nabers leaves a lot of promise for the future in New York.

Malik Nabers proves he’s a special rookie in Giants first four games

Wideout Malik Nabers proves he’s a special rookie in the New York Giants first four games

The football viewing world got a chance to see New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers play in primetime on Thursday night. For many, it was the first real exposure to the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Nabers put on quite a show against the Dallas Cowboys. He caught 12 passes for 115 yards from Daniel Jones, not noted for being one of the NFL’s top-tier quarterbacks. Nabers flashed a little of everything a team could possibly want out of a wide receiver, rookie or otherwise.

The route running was expert-level tactics. Take this play where Nabers leaves Cowboys CB Andrew Booth all sorts of lost,

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1839461067996721556

Nabers wins from the slot. He wins from outside. He wins over the middle. He wins on short throws and transitioning to a runner quickly.

In short, there’s just not much that indicates Nabers is a rookie. In his first four NFL games, the LSU product has 35 receptions for 386 yards and three TDs. For perspective, the Los Angeles Chargers entire wide receiver room has caught 25 passes through three games.

In a season with a lot of rookies off to impressive starts, it’s hard to imagine Nabers not being the front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Giants rookie WR Malik Nabers posts elite numbers against the Commanders

Giants rookie WR Malik Nabers posts elite numbers against the Commanders

While Marvin Harrison Jr. was more or less the consensus top receiver of the 2024 NFL Draft, Malik Nabers was seen as razor thin rival in the positional rankings. After the New York Giants selected Nabers with the sixth overall selection they hoped they had snagged a number one receiver for Daniel Jones, and after a big performance last Sunday it’s looking to be the case.

https://twitter.com/awthentik/status/1836028889480544571

Nabers was far and away the go to for the offense, locking in 18 of the teams 27 passing targets and catching 10 of them for 127 yards and a touchdown. Nabers abused Washington’s corners with quick short yardage passes and turning them into big plays, along with a handful of his trademark explosive plays down the field. Nabers’ efforts saw him be nominated for Rookie of the Week after becoming youngest player ever with 10+ receptions, 100+ receiving yards & a TD catch.

https://twitter.com/Giants/status/1836094531575656653

Though the Giants ultimately lost the game to fellow rookie Jayden Daniels and the Commanders, the team has to feel good about their budding star receiver. The offense as a whole hasn’t been quite right with Jones under center, but whoever does ultimately take snaps in the future is going to have a number one target for the foreseeable future.

New York Giants allow rookie WR Malik Nabers to wear a retired number

New York Giants allow rookie WR Malik Nabers to wear the retired No. 1, which hasn’t been used since 1934

In a move that may be a first within NFL circles, rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers is going to bring a number out of retirement for the New York Giants. Nabers, who wore the number 8 in college, will now take over the number 1, which was previously retired by franchise legend Ray Flaherty.

Nabers was given expressed permission from the family of Flaherty to make the swap to what was the first retired number in NFL history all the way back in 1934. This obviously creates some added pressure for Nabers to succeed in New York, having a number unretired for a rookie is unheard of and it doesn’t get much bigger than the first number to ever be retired.

With the regular season rapidly approaching, Nabers will be counted on early and often as the Giants’ number one receiver. Given the magnitude of this move, fans will be eager to see how the first player to wear #1 since the 1934 championship team will fare in the Brian Daboll offense. Let’s hope Nabers can live up to the expecations and the hype.

Day 2 rookie CBs thrived in the Lions vs. Giants preseason game

Day 2 rookie CBs thrived in the Lions vs. Giants preseason game, with Detroit’s Ennis Rakestraw and New York’s Andru Phillips shining

The rain-soaked preseason opener between the Detroit Lions and host New York Giants on Thursday night didn’t feature much offense. New York prevailed 14-3 in a game where the two teams combined for under 500 total yards and 29 first downs.

Bad offense was a big factor, but a couple of rookie cornerbacks taken on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft also played a part in the defensive dominance. It was a brilliant night for Lions second-rounder Ennis Rakestraw and Giants third-round pick Andru Phillips.

Rakestraw, from Missouri, started at outside cornerback and provided lockdown coverage. The one reception he allowed, to speedy Jalin Hyatt, showed Rakestraw’s ability to terminate post-catch yardage with a brilliant open-field stop on third down. His coverage directly led to Detroit’s interception in the game, too.

Phillips started in the slot, and the third-rounder from Kentucky was also very impressive in coverage. He ceded just one short reception. Where Phillips stood out was in run defense. This is artwork for a rookie:

Both Phillips and Rakestraw have ramped up their play in recent practices, with Phillips scoring a great INT in joint practices between the two teams during the week. They’re proving worthy of considerable playing time as rookies in crowded secondaries with their squads.

Giants rookie QB Tommy Devito stuns the world with comeback on Monday Night Football

Giants undrafted rookie QB Tommy DeVito stuns the world with comeback on Monday Night Football

It doesn’t seem that long ago in New York that Big Blue was looking hopeless as the franchise ever has. Previously sitting at a record of 2-5 and losing their “franchise quarterback” for the season, they have now rattled off three wins in a row to suddenly return to playoff contention behind the arm of their stunner rookie quarterback Tommy Devito.

Last night against the Green Bay Packers the rookie showed up when the lights were brightest. Devito enjoyed a turnover free game and rattled off over 70 yards rushing on the ground while also being efficient through the air. Devito completed 17/21 passes, for 158 yards, and a touchdown.

If that wasn’t enough after Green Bay went up by a point late into the fourth quarter, Devito cooly and calmly turned on the charm and drove New York right down the field to kick a game winning field goal as time expired. You can’t write a much more fitting story for this New York team, and Tommy Devito could be well on his way to making it his full time job should his play continue to be this good.

New York Giants rookie quarterback looked out of place in first start

Tommy DeVito looked like how you would expect an undrafted rookie to play in his first start for the Giants

There was certainly an interesting news cycle for the newfound starting quarterback of the New York Giants, Tommy DeVito. He talked about living with his parents in nearby New Jersey. While that storyline was certainly interesting, his play on the field Sunday against the division rival Dallas Cowboys was less so.

It’s truly hard to evaluate what DeVito brings to the table in this completely anemic offense that gave him virtually no shot to succeed. It didn’t help that DeVito was facing off against one of the more ferocious defensive units in the entire league. That being said, DeVito looked almost out of place on the field Sunday as he delivered a middling performance. To his credit, DeVito was able to deliver on a pair of touchdowns, but outside of that, there wasn’t much to be excited about. With just 86 yards passing on 27 attempts, there was clearly nothing working with the undrafted free agent under center.

It’s unfair to pass judgment this early in the young quarterback’s career, and he still has plenty of room to grow, but the entire offense last week left many wondering if this unit could outscore the Alabama Crimson Tide, let alone the Dallas Cowboys. Hopefully, the Giants can figure out a way to put DeVito in a more advantageous position next week against the Washington Commanders and not leave the rookie quarterback out to dry.

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Draft reaction: Giants select IOL John Michael Schmitz No. 57 overall

Breaking down what the Giants are getting in center John Michael Schmitz at the No. 57 overall pick

The New York Giants add a huge piece of their rebuilt offensive line with their second round pick in Boston College’s rock solid starting center John Michael Schmitz.

A college veteran who saw five years worth of playing time, Schmitz brings a sense of reliability to the frontlines of New York’s offense. Over the last two seasons with the Golden Gophers, Schmitz surrendered just two sacks, one quarterback hit, and an excellent ten quarterback hurries. He was a durable, and reliable starter for Minnesota, and should bring those same traits to New York.

The Giants selected Schmitz to be the starter at center, as he was one of the top interior offensive lineman in the class. He will be among a group of young and growing offensive lineman that this New York team has been heavily investing in over the last three years. It will be a unit that grows together, and Schmitz could be the player that ties the group together for years to come.

Rookie stat projections: New York Giants

Projecting the rookie stats for the New York Giants draft class of 2023

With the NFL draft over and rookie camps underway, it is a good time to evaluate the draft picks and see what kind of impacts the projected contributors will make.

Let’s take a look at the Giants draft picks and project some stats for the team’s early draftees:

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