New York Giants Camp Report Day 3: A Brief Scare, O-line Concern, and More

It was a blistering hot day at Giants training camp as the team grinds its way toward padded practices.

New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston (19) calls a play on day two of training camp at Quest Diagnostics Giants Training Center. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Head coach Brian Daboll has been eager to have the players work in pads, but according to CBA guidelines, teams cannot do so until they have been acclimated to camp for five days.

That five-day period will end this weekend, with the Giants donning the pads for the first time starting Monday.

The current CBA limits the number of padded practices between the veteran reporting date and the final day of preseason training camp to 16. 

Most teams tend to take full advantage of the allotment. Still, in some cases, teams might scale back due to injuries or, in the head coach's opinion, if the team is already getting quality work and the full allotment of pads isn’t necessary.

Daboll hasn’t said what his plans are, as he’s likely going to take each day as it comes, but given how ill-prepared the Giants looked last year to start the season, it probably wouldn’t hurt for the players to take full advantage of their padded practices as much as possible.

Jalin Hyatt Held Out of Practice

Jul 24, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (13) with medical staff during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Receiver Jalin Hyatt, who during last month’s mandatory minicamp suffered a left hamstring strain, was held out of Friday’s practice due to some tightness and cramping he experienced in Thursday’s session.

With the players set to have a day off on Saturday, Daboll and the Giants are playing it safe with Hyatt, who has had a nice spring so far and who is facing a critical year this year after two relatively quiet seasons following the team’s investing a draft pick in a trade-up to acquire him in 2023.

Dealing with the Heat

New York Giants safety Tyler Nubin after a hot day at Giants Training Camp. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With temperatures soaring well into the 90s and the air quality somewhat oppressive, head coach Brian Daboll ensured that players received an extra three-minute water break about midway through practice to catch their breath and rehydrate.

Speaking of the heat, so far there have been no training camp squirmishes to speak of, which has been impressive. Of course, let’s see if that discipline continues once the pads go on and there’s another suffocatingly hot kind of day. 

Brief Injury Scare

Jul 23, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) looks on during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

There was a hold-your-breath moment during one of the team drills when outside linebacker Brian Burns collided down the field with receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. Both were able to get up and walk off, but both went with trainers to be checked out. 

The Giants have Saturday off, so if both players are just sore from their collision, there’s no reason to think they won’t be out on the practice field on Sunday when the team returns for the final day of the acclimation period. Still, stay tuned for updates in a couple of days. 

Andrew Thomas Sighting

New York Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

For the first time since the end of last season, Giants left tackle Andre Thomas was spotted on the field. Thomas, who is currently on the PUP list, went through the stretching period, a sight that sparked hope that he might be activated sooner rather than later.

The Giants are taking every ounce of caution with their left tackle to ensure his surgically repaired foot is ready to go by Week 1, and that likely means holding Thomas out of the first couple of weeks of training camp and all preseason games.

A best guess for Thomas’s return at the latest is Week 3 of the preseason, which would give him enough time to round into football shape. Head coach Brian Daboll, who usually declines to put timetables on the return of players, has always believed that when a rehabbing guy is ready, that’s when he’ll be activated.

The Giants, meanwhile, have been rolling with James Hudson III at left tackle with the starters.

Speaking of Offensive Line

Jul 24, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants center John Michael Schmitz Jr. (61) on the field during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It’s still rather early in training camp, as teams aren’t yet in full pads. However, a very early concern — and I want to stress the word “early” here — that I don’t think is being discussed enough is the center, John Michael Schmitz.

In two practices so far this camp, Schmitz has had poor snaps, though on one of his poor snaps during Friday’s practice, quarterback Russell Wilson did all he could to turn a negative into a positive (albeit unsuccessfully).

And then there was that one play which showed rookie outside linebacker Abdul Carter throwing Schmitz out of his way, the center being tossed to the ground. Yes, Carter is going to be a beast on the pass rush, but you’d at least like to see your starting center stay on his feet and at least put up more of a fight.

Therein lies the ongoing issue with Schmitz, the 57th overall pick in the 2023 draft, and the second center drafted that year (Joe Tippmann of the Jets was first).

In two seasons, Schmitz’s game has lacked physicality and nimbleness, which is a very tough combination of shortcomings to overcome. The lack of physicality is perhaps the more concerning deficiency in his game of the two. He regularly gets mauled and rag-dolled and has struggled to stay on his feet.

In the run game, Schmitz seldom hits his man at the second level; rather, he just seals them off. And while again it’s still early, if this continues, one has to wonder if when the dust settles, might the Giants move Greg Van Roten, who started two games for the Giants at center last year, in there.

Such a move that could make sense if Schmitz continues to struggle and if Evan Neal can show he’s ready to handle playing guard full-time.

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