On Saturday, the New York Giants were once again in full pads for practice. It was an intense occasion with a few minor scuffles as the team prepares for their first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday night.
Here are three things we learned at Giants training camp on Saturday.
1. Evan Engram will be a huge part of the Giants’ offense
This might be stating the obvious but after Saturday’s practice, it’s clear that rookie Evan Engram will be a huge part of the offense.
Eli Manning already has a nice rapport with the rookie as they connect on crossing passes, curl routes, and had Engram split out wide running fade routes against the first team defense.
Engram has impressed his teammates and coaches with his athleticism and how he’s grasped the offense.
“It seems like he’s got more power than most DBs expect because he gets his body into you and propels himself off of you and gets open, or he can just beat you with speed,” he said. “So, he’s definitely a threat. He’s definitely shown that, especially in one-on-one’s, it seems like he’s always getting open and catching the ball.” said cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie after practice.
2. Backup quarterback competition is tight
Last week Josh Johnson seemed to have a firm command of the backup quarterback spot as he saw the majority of reps with the second team offense.
On Saturday, it was Geno Smith who was also more accurate with the football. Johnson admitted after practice that he wished he would have performed better and would have liked to have some of his throws back.
3. Sterling Shepard is OK
Giants’ fans received a scare early this week as Sterling Shepard was carted off the practice field. It was diagnosed that Shepard only suffered a sprained ankle and on Saturday he was back on the practice field. He didn’t participate in practice but he was in uniform and did some light running and drills.
If the Giants had a regular season game coming up this week, it’s safe to say Shepard would be available to play. It’s possible the Giants will keep him out of their preseason opener Friday against the Steelers as a precaution.