New York Giants OTA No. 8 Takeaways

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll is far from being ready to release any sort of depth chart, but given how the coaches have been integrating certain players into certain lineups, there are a few clues to be gleaned.

For example, rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger has caught passes from starting quarterback Daniel Jones, including a short touchdown pass during a 7-on-7 drill Wednesday. We have also reported that Bellinger has had an impressive spring as a pass catcher, and we're most anxious to see him in action as a blocker.

The thing about Bellinger as a receiver is that while he's not smooth or ultra-athletic, he catches everything thrown his way, and he's certainly big and sturdy enough to knock people out of the way. We're certainly looking forward to seeing some contested-catch situations involving him this summer.

Here are a few more thoughts from the Giants' in-house media's practice report for OTA No. 8.

More on the Receivers

With Sterling Shepard, Kenny Golladay, and Kadarius Toney all sporting red jerseys (which means they cannot participate in team drills due to undisclosed medical issues), a guy who keeps getting some reps with the first team is receiver Travis Toivonen.

Toivonen, per reports from the Giants, has made a few nice catches, including three touchdown catches on Wednesday, including a reported 4th-and-1 conversion.

Toivonen, who was on the Giants practice squad last year, has impressive size, standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 212 pounds. He played his college ball at North Dakota.

In 42 games played for the Fighting Hawks, he caught 139 balls for 1719 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging 40.9 receiving yards per game. He also had ten rushing attempts for 89 yards and two scores.

Toivonen, who had just two dropped balls in college and hauled in 50 percent of his contested catches, could be a guy to keep an eye on as the Giants try to sort out the bottom of their receiving depth chart.

David Sills V, who has done just enough to hang around on the practice squad, had a strong practice Wednesday where he was on the receiving end of two touchdowns, one thrown by backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor and the other by Davis Webb.

Sills is another big-bodied receiver, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 211 pounds. He began his NFL career on the Bills practice squad in 2019 but then was released and signed by the Giants that same season,

Taylor and C.J. Board connected on two touchdown passes. Board is not quite the skyscraper as some of the other receivers on the roster, but at 6-foot-2 and 182 pounds, he's no shrimp either. Board brings special teams value to the Giants and is looking to ride that wave toward a roster spot.

The Growth of Daniel Jones

Xavier McKinney picked off Daniel Jones on the first play of 11-on-11 drills, but no big deal.

Remember, the coaching staff wants Daniel Jones (and the rest of the quarterbacks) to not be afraid of trying to fit the ball into tight windows during practice.

Based on the Giants' reports and our observations from practice, Jones is taking full advantage of that invitation, and it's allowing him to play more confidently and faster, probably because he's thinking less.

Barkley the Receiver

One of the things to watch for this summer is how Saquon Barkley is called to contribute to the offense. Brian Doll has traditionally run a passing offense supplemented by the run--last year, the Bills, under Daboll, passed 655 times and ran 461.

This is important to note because one of the most underrated strengths of Barkley's skill set is his ability to get into space as a receiver. And it looks as though Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka realize that and are going to do something to tap into that skill set.

This spring has seen Barkley line up all over the formation. Sure enough, he almost always wins the matchup when the ball comes his way. And on the final play of Wednesday's practice, Barkley caught a 25-yard pass from Jones in stride for a touchdown.

Up Next

The Giants are back on the field Thursday for OTA No. 9, a practice that will be open to the full media.

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