Speed on Display and More from Giants Training Camp Practice No. 7
If speed kills, then the New York Giant opponents this season better watch out.
It's been quite a while since the Giants had multiple skill position players with the type of speed offered by tight end Darren Waller and receivers Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell, and Jalin Hyatt.
That speed has been on full display this summer, and fans are loving every minute of thrilling play after play featuring those and other players getting the chance to torch the defense.
So imagine how thrilling it might be to watch them torch their 2023 defensive opponents.
Leading the way has been rookie Jalin Hyatt, the team's third-round draft pick this year. Hyatt initially got off to a slow start but has since picked it up to where he's now making routine spectacular catches deep down the field.
"He's doing a nice job in the classroom, studying, prepping, making sure he's prepared for practice," said offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
"On the field, he’s working, and working through all the fundamentals and techniques we want him to work through. He's made a couple of plays, and he's got to just take it day by day."
Hyatt is taking his progress in stride.
"The only thing I want to show is to (quarterback) Daniel Jones and (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor), the quarterbacks for us. I just want to get comfortable with them, making sure they understand my speed and I understand how they throw the ball," he said.
Hyatt, who aspires to be the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, has made it a point to get open consistently and make plays when the ball comes his way. He credits his growing comfort level in eh offense with having done more extra work with Jones.
"Yeah, it feels different. Just getting a little more time with DJ now and just getting comfortable out there with the starters," he said. "I think for me, just day by day. That's one thing I want to do, just get better every day. Whatever my opportunities are, whatever the reps are, I'm just going to take advantage of it.
Injury Report and Lineup Notes
Receiver Parris Campbell was working on the side. Campbell told The Athletic he had a little tendinitis in his knee that they were trying to get out in front of. He also expressed confidence that he'd be back for Friday's practice.
Defensive lineman Leonard Williams was not spotted on the practice field, so it's unclear what, if anything, was wrong with him or if he was just getting a maintenance day.
Also not spotted on the field were receiver Jeff Smith (knee) and offensive lineman Jacks Anderson (unknown). Outside linebacker Jihad Ward (unknown) did a few warmups with his teammates before going back to the side with the trainers.
Defensive lineman Ryder Anderson left the practice with what appeared to be a right arm injury and did not return.
Some notes on the first-team offense and defensive lineups: John Michael Schmitz worked at center. Ben Bredeson got snaps at right guard, with Mark Glowinski, the incumbent, playing right guard with the twos.
Joshua Ezeudu worked at left guard. Micah McFadden was the second inside linebacker. Darnay Holmes was the slot cornerback. And Jason Pinnok, who appears well on his way to winning that starting safety role alongside Xavier McKinney, was again with the ones.
Quote to Note
"I don’t know if you’ve seen or stood next to him yet. It’s like going to California and standing next to a redwood (tree)." -- Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale on Giants seventh-round draft pick Jordon Riley, 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds.
Practice Observations
• Jalin Hyatt put on a show for the fans in attendance, easily winning the best offensive player nod for the day. On his first deep catch, which went for a touchdown, he split defenders Darnay Holmes and Xavier McKinney to make the catch.
• Jones and Hyatt would later connect again on a deep ball on a play that was almost identical to his first big one., including the splitting of defensive backs.
• With Parris Campbell sidelined, Cole Beasley worked with the ones as the slot receiver. Beasley made a nice reception against Darnay Holmes during 1-on-1s and then beat the cornerback later on for a touchdown inside the 5-yard line.
• Saquon Barkley made a sick-looking one-handed catch in 1-on-1s on a ball that was slightly behind him, beating linebacker Bobby Okereke.
• The Giants keep taking a look at a defensive alignment featuring Hawkins and Banks on the outside and Jackson in the slot.
"I don’t mind. It’s all about helping the team at the end of the day," Jackson said. "It just lets me hone in on my craft and make sure I’m doing what I can in my reps when I go in at the slot. I’m just trying to make myself more valuable and versatile."
• Deonte Banks has quietly turned the corner after a rough start to his first NFL camp. He managed to get a hand in to break up a pass intended for Darius Slayton during a 1-on-1.
• We had a couple more bad snaps in this practice. John Michael Schmitz's shotgun snap to Daniel Jones was too low. Then it was Shane Lemieux's turn, except he airmailed a high snap over Tyrod Taylor's head.
• Micah McFadden managed to swat away a deep ball intended for Darren Waller over the middle. The ball was underthrown, but good job with McFadden to stay with Waller, who has mostly been uncoverable.
• Interestingly, the Giants' offensive linemen were spotted doing a sideline-to-sideline lap after their turns in the team drills. Sometimes they were joined by a skill position player, making me wonder if the lap was done as a sort of slap on the wrist if they messed up in the 11-on-11s.
• This practice was done in shorts and shells, so on the surface, the defense won the day with several more pressures and "sacks." Wink Martindale continues to send the house whenever he can, but without the actual physicality of things, it's probably not fair to get too excited either way about the play in the pit.
• The internal theme for this year's camp is "We>Me." That's the slogan emblazoned on black T-shirts worn by members of the Giants staff. Last year, for those who don't remember, the slogan was "Be a Pro."
• A crew of NFL officials that included referee Clay Martin worked in practice for the first time and will spend the next couple of days in camp.
What's Next
Two more practices are open to the public, both of which will see the team in pads. On Friday, the team will work from 10-noon, and on Saturday, they'll have an evening practice (5-7) before getting a day off on Sunday.
On Monday, they'll have a non-padded practice before hitting the road for their week of work against the Detroit Lions ahead of their preseason opener next Friday.
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