Thursday night’s 23-21 preseason victory over the New England Patriots was the NFL debut of both of the New York Giants’ first round picks in this year’s draft.
Giant fans were eager to see their two new stars in action for the first time. It was a mixed bag, or as some have said, an empty bag for the two in Foxborough.
Outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, the fifth overall selection in the draft this year out of Oregon, started on defense and played 14 snaps (23 percent). He recorded one tackle and drew a false start penalty out of Patriots’ right tackle Justin Herron.
“I was using my moves and really putting everything I have been working on and making it happen in the game,” Thibodeaux said afterwards.
“I didn’t really know how much I was going to play. They told us a little bit, but didn’t tell us what exactly we were going to play. For me it was a little bit. I mean I was sad when it was my time to stop, actually I was really pissed. But you know. I mean I tried, but they told me I was done, and I said, ‘for this snap, for this drive?’ and he [Coach] said, ‘no for the game.'”
Right tackle Evan Neal, the Alabama standout who was taken seventh overall this year, started and played 19, or 22 percent, of the offensive snaps. He looked a bit lost on some plays but overall it wasn’t a bad start.
The key here is that both started and got their feet wet. Where they go from here is up to them.
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