New York Giants first-round pick Andrew Thomas and the rest of the Giants rookies, as well as the quarterbacks, are finally in camp.
Head coach Joe Judge will finally be able to spend time face to face with some of his players on Thursday, as the New York Giants rookies and quarterbacks will report to camp. The players will report for testing and once the results are in, they’ll likely take the field.
These are unprecedented times as we’re all dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, the Giants and Jets announced that fans will not be in attendance this season for games unless the pandemic takes a dramatic turn for the better. With details still needing to be worked out between the NFL and NFLPA, nobody knows exactly what to expect when teams report to camp, and when the season starts.
However, we do know that despite the fact that Matt Peart and Tae Crowder are the only draft pick the Giants have signed, all of the rookies reported on Thursday.
There’s always a limited amount of contact in rookie camp and they’ll be even less contact than usual this year. It’s tough to assess a player in rookie camp, but there will be some things to keep an eye on when and if the rookies and quarterbacks take to the practice field.
Does Andrew Thomas take more reps at left tackle or right?
One of the reasons there’s optimism that the Giants might be better this year is because they took arguably the best offensive tackle in the draft with the fourth pick in Andrew Thomas.
Thomas will be a day one starter, the only question is will he start at left tackle or right tackle? One of the biggest decisions Judge and offensive line coach Marc Colombo must decide is will it be Thomas or Nate Solder that protects Daniel Jones‘ blindside.
Colombo will work on footwork and technique. Thomas will likely take reps at both tackle positions. But where he takes the most reps will be our first indication on which tackle position he’ll play this season.
How much will Daniel Jones throw?
The development of Daniel Jones from year one to year two is one if not the biggest storyline for the Giants this season. With the quarterbacks reporting, this will give Judge and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett their first chance to work with Jones in person.
Ideally, the Giants would have Jones throw all day if they could to try to make up for the time lost without having minicamp and OTAs, and to work with the undrafted rookie receivers. But with other quarterbacks need to take reps and with the limited amount of practice time, along with the safety protocols, there’s no telling how practice time Jones will get.
Will Darnay Holmes be worked in as a possible replacement for DeAndre Baker?
When the Giants took the 5-foot-9 195 pound Holmes in the fourth round of the draft (110th overall), the belief was that he would compete to be the team’s starting slot corner.
But with the uncertainty of DeAndre Baker’s availability due to his armed robbery charges, the Giants may have Holmes take some reps at outside corner. His height and size make him more ideal to play slot in the NFL, but he’s a playmaker and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham may give him a chance to play on the outside.
