NEW YORK GIANTS ROSTER MOVES…
The Giants have made the following roster moves:
Placed OL Joshua Ezeudu on Injured Reserve with a toe injury that he suffered in the game against the Buffalo Bills. Head Coach Brian Daboll said he did not know if Ezeudu will return this year; his season may be over.
Waived OT Jalen Mayfield from the 53-man roster and re-signed him to the Practice Squad. Mayfield was signed to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad on Saturday.
Waived TE Lawrence Cager from the 53-man roster.
Re-signed OL Tyre Phillips to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Signed OT Josh Miles to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad of the Atlanta Falcons.
Signed OL Justin Pugh to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad.
The Giants originally claimed Tyre Phillips off of waivers from the Baltimore Ravens in early September 2022. He played in 12 games with five starts, including four games at right tackle when Evan Neal was out and the regular-season finale at left tackle. The 6’5”, 330-pound Phillips was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Ravens. He has experience playing both guard and tackle.
The 27-year old, 6’5”, 325-pound Miles was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He has played in 17 games with no starts. Miles missed all of 2022 with an undisclosed injury and was signed by the Falcons in March 2023.
The Carolina Panthers signed S Alex Cook off of the Giants’ Practice Squad to their 53-man roster.
OCTOBER 18, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The following five players did not practice on Wednesday:
OL Andrew Thomas (hamstring)
OL OL John Michael Schmitz (shoulder)
OL Evan Neal (ankle)
OL Matt Peart (shoulder)
WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee – maintenance day)
The following seven players were limited in practice:
QB Daniel Jones (neck)
RB Saquon Barkley (ankle)
OL Mark Glowinski (quad/ankle)
OL Shane Lemieux (biceps/groin)
CB Adoree’ Jackson (neck)
CB Cor’Dale Flott (ankle/shoulder)
PK Graham Gano (knee)
The following three players fully practiced:
RB Gary Brightwell (ankle)
DL D.J. Davidson (knee)
CB Tre Hawkins (knee)
Daniel Jones has not yet been cleared for contact. “He’s doing better,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll before practice. “He’ll be out here today at practice doing some stuff. We’ll see where we’re at… He’ll be throwing, and I would say he’s eager to come back. He wants to play, but obviously, just like any player, if you’re not ready to play based on the doctor’s evaluation, we won’t put him out there, but he’s getting better. That’s why we’re going to have him out here today.
“Andrew Thomas will not participate but he is getting better. He’s going to be doing stuff with the trainers. He is getting closer… (Evan Neal’s ankle is) swollen a little bit, so we’re going to rehab him.”
HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.
THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:
SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Tuesday (VIDEO):
Q: Injury updates?
A: Injury. Yeah, that’s okay. That’ll come out on Thursday. I’ll just say everybody has been rehabbing, they’re getting better. I’ll give you an update on Thursday but we’re making progress with everybody who has been on that report or missed, we’re making progress.
Q: Is (guard Ben) Bredeson in protocol still?
A: No, he’ll be good to go. Ben will be good to go.
Q: What is (running back) Saquon (Barkley) able to do today?
A: Well, we’re doing kind of a jog through, so I don’t think he’ll do much today. But he’s really now, I’d say, in the day-to-day category. Feels a lot better today but we’ll kind of take that all the way throughout the week and see how he improves.
Q: (Tackle) Andrew (Thomas) a lot better?
A: He’s better, yep. Again, we’ll get here Thursday, get out here and give them a couple more days but I’d say all of them are making progress.
Q: Nothing from the game is long term?
A: No. Nope.
Q: If Andrew returns, do you have some decisions to make about offensive line and how you want to configure it? I think you’ve had three different configurations in three games.
A: Yeah, I’d say if those guys are back, it’ll look like it looked when Ben and Andrew were out – when they were back playing. But again, we’ll see where they’re at. I don’t want to make a decision right now. We’ll see where we’re at Thursday.
Q: Does that mean you’ll stick with (offensive lineman Marcus) McKethan at that other guard spot?
A: Yeah. Yep.
Q: What has he shown you?
A: I think he’s done a good job. Again, he’s only played a couple games, he was out all last season. Improving. Big body, moves well, so again, the experience that he’s played in the first couple of games will help him.
Q: You guys were, I know it’s a different year but very effective as a running team last year, especially early in the season and it helped you guys a lot. Is there part of you that wants to get back to that this year and obviously it’s difficult to do against a team like Seattle, who is very good at stopping the run.
A: I’d say again, each week we’ll look at the team, we’ll do what we need to do. We really need to improve in every area so that’s certainly one of them.
Q: How do you feel about the way the cornerback configuration has worked out after three games? Moving (cornerback) Adoree’ (Jackson), getting (cornerback) Tre (Hawkins III) in there?
A: I’d say again, much like the run game, everything’s a work in progress. We’ve got to get better in a lot of areas and that’s what we’re going to try to do.
Q: But you’re comfortable with it? Nothing you would change.
A: Yeah. Look, each week we’ll go into it and we’ll look at how guys are doing. They’ve been competing but there are a lot of improvements that need to be made.
Q: When you come back after a little longer break, do you treat it in terms of with the players as a reset a little bit?
A: Not really. They’ve had a couple of days off, been grinding on some things as a coaching staff. Again, this week is its own week, like every NFL week, and we’ve got to do everything we can to get ready to play a really good team that’s won the last two games, scored 37 points in each game, and continue to work on our process, refine things that we need to refine, improve things we need to improve and have a good week.
Q: You obviously embrace the process every week, process over results, but there is also urgency I’d imagine. I know you attack every week with urgency but the next time you take the field for a game, it’s in October already. The season flies by very quickly. How do you in your communication with the team express that on the daily basis?
A: You have to live in the moment in our profession and you have to address the things that need to be addressed each week. Every year is different, every week is different. It’s a week-to-week league so stay in the moment, focus on the things we need to improve on, all of us, and that’s what we try to do every week. There’s urgency every week. This is a one-game season – every game is a one-game season. You just focus on doing the best you can do each week, prepare the right way, and then ultimately go out there and perform the right way.
Q: Seven days between when you’re playing, and you said you’re doing a walkthrough today —
A: Yeah, so we’re going to make it a normal week leading up. We’re going to get an extra day here with our mental reps. The guys have been in working in the weight room, doing their conditioning stuff. We’ve been working on Seattle, so this is a really good day to go ahead and implement the game plan, the first and second down stuff. Come out here and have a good mental day and then we’ll treat it (like) the normal week. So tomorrow will be like a Tuesday and Thursday will be like a Wednesday.
Q: After the game some of the 49er’s players said “yeah, we knew that they were going to blitz, and they were going to keep blitzing.” (49ers quarterback Brock) Purdy ended up saying something like “it’s a four-quarter game” meaning that they were able to adjust. Do you have any concerns about the level of blitzing or the fact that when it doesn’t get home what happens?
A: I think each week you go into a gameplan with the things you need to do and throughout the game you’re always adjusting. So, it’s not just the first quarter, second quarter, maybe it’s a different blitz, maybe it’s not a blitz. Focus on the things we can improve on and keep improving.
Q: Does the CBA allow you to have a practice today or are you only allowed to have like three practices?
A: The way we set this up was come back, have this right here, have this walkthrough/jog through, have some good meetings. Take tomorrow to go ahead and as a coaching staff, kind of adjust things that we’ve talked about and then just have a normal week. That’s the way we’ve planned it out.
Q: Obviously, the tackling has been a problem, right? The missed tackles in the games. What can you do during the season, how much can get guys in pads, how much do you believe in getting guys in pads and working on that throughout the season?
A: Yeah, we’ll be in pads Thursday. And again, you are always focusing on your fundamentals, so we do that every practice, whether that’s press coverage, tackling, ball disruption, shedding blocks. Those are things that you work on. Same thing with the offense, double teams, pass protection, games, pass protection for the backs, press releases, those are things that you constantly evaluate. Leading up to a week and getting ready for, in this case Seattle, you always adjust practice and things individual wise or maybe team wise of things that you are really putting an emphasis on.
Q: So, you plan to do more practicing tackling wise with what you can?
A: We normally, like during the early part of the year, we normally practice once a week in pads and that’s an important day for us.
Q: (Defensive lineman) Leonard Williams said last week before the game, so that with context, but the idea of if you don’t have sacks defensively and you don’t have takeaways, sometimes you chase that and was very conscious of saying we can’t do that. Do you see that a little bit defensively that maybe guys are starting to chase things, that you kind of have to reel them back in again and focus on what you need to focus on?
A: Yeah, I think it’s important that we all do our job. And again, those are points of emphasis every week of creating some negative plays or getting turnovers and we’ve got to continue to work them during the week and ultimately we’ve got to get them done on Sunday. Monday.
Q: Do you think too much pressure can cause a quarterback to see it when it’s not there because it’s just so often happening that they have to get sped up in the process.
A: In the pocket?
Q: Yeah.
A: I think there is always an element to that. When you can affect the quarterback, I think it speeds up things. Again, there is always when you are game planning, shorter routes, get it out quicker, less of the protection. You want to run deep routes, you have some more protection in. So, definitely an area that we’ve got to improve is making sure that we give our quarterback a clean pocket and it’s not just always the line. There is backs involved, there is timing in the passing the game, there is receivers getting open, so it’s really a collective thing when it comes to that.
Q: Is there anything you can glean from last year’s game against Seattle or is it two completely different teams?
A: No, you certainly look at it. They have the same coordinators. That’s something that you go back, like you are playing a team that’s right there in your division. They are in our conference, we played them at their place, hard place to play at, obviously with some noise and things like that, but certainly some matchups and things that they’ve done. (Seahawks head coach) Pete’s (Carroll) done a heck of a job; he’s been there for a long time. Some of the same players, obviously some different players, but yeah that’s definitely a game you watch and evaluate.
Q: Is there anything you can do as a coach to get your team to start faster? I think the number is 77 to 6 or something like that.
A: Yeah, not very good. So, we are working on it, yeah, we are working on it.
Q: Can you open up like in a no-huddle offense or just things to put an offense …
A: Yeah, you can do a lot of different things. Something we need to do better collectively and something that will be, it’s always a point of emphasis, hasn’t shown up, understand that. No excuses for it, so we are working on that.
Q: With Saquon how much do you factor or how much have you talked to him about, he’s had ankle injuries before, right? He’s had that before, he’s come back, hasn’t played at the level that he’s like and then in retrospect has basically said I might’ve come back too early, so how much have you talked to him about that and how much do you factor that in?
A: Yeah, again, to me I think every injury is different, even though it’s the same body part. Let him rehab, let him get with the trainers, get a feel for where he’s at. Let’s talk to the trainers and see where they are at with his injury and then make the decision when it comes time to make the decision, but he’s getting better. We’ll see how it goes.
Q: Do you see (offensive lineman) Josh Ezeudu now as a swing tackle or is he still a reserve guard or a reserve tackle?
A: I think he can play four spots for us. So, both tackle spots and then he can also go inside and play, having done that some, so I think he’s done a good job of filling in, but he has, I’d say, four-position flex for us.
Q: Is there as much value or maybe even more value in Ezeudu playing that role than it is to, you know what we’ve got to get him to as one of our five guys. I mean I know you would play him if he was one of your five, but the value of having a guy like that, that you know if someone goes down you can plug him in four or five spots, I would imagine that’s pretty high in this day and age.
A: That’s why we move guys around a bunch during the preseason and training camp months because you can. If you’re not starting five, you better have some position flexibility to play multiple spots, so certainly an important aspect for us.
THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:
WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the team on Wednesday as the players have the day off. The Giants practice on Thursday afternoon (12:45-2:45PM) with Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players also addressing the media.
With New York Giants training camp beginning in late July, BigBlueInteractive.com (BBI) breaks down each of the team’s positional groups until the players report at Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
2022 YEAR IN REVIEW: The offensive line was not a disaster in 2022, but it did not play as well as expected or hoped for. While Andrew Thomas continued to develop, becoming one of the best left tackles in the game and earning second-team All-Pro Honors, there was a revolving door at left guard due to injuries, and inconsistent play at center, right guard, and right tackle.
Rookie offensive linemen often struggle, but more was expected from the 7th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, Evan Neal, at right tackle. He missed a month with a knee injury and was seen favoring his left arm/shoulder in another game. Neal had issues in pass protection and was flagged with six false starts. He was replaced by Tyre Phillips for those four games. Phillips had issues in pass protection as well. Right guard Mark Glowinski was a bit too up-and-down for his 3-year, $18 million contract. The Giants also signed Jon Feliciano to a 1-year deal in March after he was cut by the Bills. They converted him to center, where he started 15 games. But he was also inconsistent.
The initial plan appeared to be to start Shane Lemieux at left guard, but he missed virtually the entire season with a toe injury that landed him on Injured Reserve twice. Ben Bredeson started the first seven games until a knee injury sidelined him for six games. Joshua Ezeudu started two games at left guard until he suffered a neck injury. Nick Gates then stunned everyone by returning to the starting line-up despite a career-threatening leg injury he suffered in 2021 that required seven surgeries. Including the playoffs, Gates started the last nine games at left guard.
Overall, this group did help the Giants become the NFL’s 4th-best rushing team, averaging 148 yards per game, more than the Eagles. On the other hand, the Giants allowed 49 sacks, which tied them for 5th-worst in the NFL. Daniel Jones was pressured on one-fourth of his drop backs, which was 4th worst in the NFL.
ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS: The Giants re-signed Wyatt Davis and Jack Anderson as exclusive rights free agents. They also re-signed Practice Squad players Solomon Kindley, Devery Hamilton, and Korey Cunningham. (Kindley was waived in May).
However, both centers, Jon Feliciano and Nick Gates, somewhat surprisingly departed in free agency. Gates received a 3-year, $16.5 million contract from the Commanders and Feliciano a 1-year, $2.3 million contract from the 49ers.
The offseason additions were few, but one was significant, the drafting of center John Michael Schmitz in the 2nd round of the draft. The team also signed center J. C. Hassenauer from the Steelers. The team did not sign any rookie free agents after the draft at the position.
In short, the Giants stood pat at the position except at center where they exchanged Schmitz and Hassenauer for Gates and Feliciano.
TRAINING CAMP STORY LINES: Most of the attention will be on Evan Neal. Some have lowered their expectations on Neal, saying he just has to play at an average level. Teams don’t draft right tackles with the 7th overall pick in hopes they will just be average. Neal is likely to still experience growing pains, but he needs to drastically cut down both pass blocking mistakes and penalties while becoming a stud in the running game. The better Neal becomes, the easier it will be for this team to run and throw the football.
That all said, the same could be said for each of the starters in the interior of the line. The Giants need Glowinski to become a steadier player at right guard. If he doesn’t, it will be interesting to see if Marcus McKethan or one of the other back-ups presses him for playing time. Assuming that John Michael Schmitz will start at center, he will have his hands full in a division loaded with stud defensive tackles. Expect rookie growing pains. The left guard position still is unsettled. The leading candidates are Ben Bredeson and Joshua Ezeudu. I would not discount Shane Lemieux. The now injury-prone lineman was an ironman in college, and had he not been hurt the past two seasons, he would have been the starter at left guard under two different coaching staffs.
One of the unexpected developments this offseason is how much the team stood pat at the position. No new tackles or guards were added to the roster. This at least partially suggests the team was not down on many of the lesser known back-ups. Tyre Phillips (former 3rd round pick), Wyatt Davis (3rd round), Jack Anderson (7th round), Matt Peart (3rd round), Devery Hamilton (undrafted), and Korey Cunningham (7th round) also factor into the competition and someone could surprise.
ON THE BUBBLE: There are currently 15 offensive linemen on the 90-man roster. The Giants will likely keep nine on the 53-man roster. The locks are Andrew Thomas, Ben Bredeson, Josh Ezeudu, John Michael Schmitz, Mark Glowinski, and Evan Neal. That leaves nine players fighting for three spots. The leading candidate for the swing tackle is probably Tyre Phillips. Bredeson’s flexibility to play both guard and center helps the team if they feel another guard is better than Hassenauer at center. Marcus McKethan was impressing before he got hurt last summer.
FROM TEAM GENERAL MANAGER/COACHES/PLAYERS: General Manager Joe Schoen on the center position before the draft: “We knew Jon (Feliciano) was on a 1-year contract last year at this time. We didn’t know if Nick Gates was even going to be able to play football again. Heck, we didn’t know that until midway through the season. We had contingency plans in place. We claimed Jack Anderson. He was with us in Buffalo. He’s been working at center. Ben Bredeson is a guy who we are very comfortable with playing center. Shane Lemieux was playing it as well before the injury… We’ll be patient. We’ll continue to look. But we have confidence in Ben Bredeson, Jack Anderson, and Shane.”
Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on why the Giants offensive line has struggled to form an identity in recent years: “You look at our line, before I got here and even now, it’s different. I’m like the sixth or seventh coach in the last five years. There have been just a line of (players) who have come through here. What we need to do is develop our identity… you need to continue to develop guys… the fans don’t know everything in house. Some of the guys we have on the roster they’ve never seen play. And so they assume they are not good enough, that’s why they haven’t played. Well that’s not necessarily the case… We only have three players that are older than 26 out of the 15. It’s a young room. There’s a lot of potential, a lot of room for growth. I see these guys getting better every day.”
Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on Evan Neal: “Evan’s a worker. So I have no reason to believe (he won’t improve) with the work ethic put in, the attention to detail, and pushing to be a really good player. We’ll see better results… Now it’s not new to him.”
Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on Josh Ezeudu: “He’s rehabbed very well from the injury, he’s another year in the system, he’s got confidence in what we’re doing. Some things we decided to work on from a technique standpoint he’s really worked hard at. I’m seeing good results. I expect to see even more when we get to training camp.”
Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on John Michael Schmitz: “He’s progressing quite well. He’s got all of the intangibles you look for. He’s got all of the physical traits you look for. We’ll find out more when we get to training camp… He’s progressing the right way… It will be an eye-opener for him when he has to block (Dexter Lawrence in training camp).”
Evan Neal on what he did this offseason to improve: “Really just everything. I want to get better across the board. I tweaked my stance. I got a lot healthier. I got a lot more flexible. I worked a lot on flexibility. Just being able to move throughout my lower body and my hips. Making sure that I am in a stance that I am comfortable in, that I can load up my front leg and press out of it and be explosive and also be balanced and under control at the same time… I’ve been doing a whole bunch of yoga.”
Marcus McKethan on his status: “Just trying to get healthy. That’s the main thing of my offseason so far. I’m pretty close, just getting over that final hump and I feel like that I’ll be there. My timeline right now is training camp… I (am still working at) guard and tackle.”
Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on what Giants fans can realistically expect this year: “You’re going to see an improved offensive line in a number of areas. We are going to start to show an identity and some consistency… I think for the first time in a long time the fans are going to be proud of their lineman… I think we’re going to put a product out there on the field that the fans will have pride in. Because I know the players that are going to put those jerseys on will have pride in that jersey.”
PREDICTIONS/CLOSING THOUGHTS: If you told Giants fans in January that the team would not add any tackles or guards to the roster this offseason, they probably would have freaked out. But the confidence in this front office and coaching staff right now is so high that given that now-known outcome, fans are not now panicking in June. Not adding a tackle or guard in free agency, the draft, or the rookie free agent signing period is pretty telling. It seems to suggest the team wants to develop players already on the roster.
Giants fans are all thinking the same thing… we’re set at left tackle with Andrew Thomas. Now we need Evan Neal to rapidly improve at right tackle and for John Michael Schmitz to show signs he will be a long-term answer at center. There is also hope that the two second-year, North Carolina guards will eventually press for starting roles.
Assuming Schmitz starts at center, the only training camp battle for a starting spot is at left guard. In the spring, Ben Bredeson and Josh Ezeudu were splitting snaps with the first team with Bredeson also receiving first-team snaps at center. Glowinski is probably entrenched as a starter at right guard for at least one more season, unless he falters and someone like Marcus McKethan presses him. I’m in the minority on this, but I still would not count out Shane Lemieux. He started his rookie season. He was set to start in 2021 and 2022 before training camp injuries ruined both seasons. In four years in college as a starter, Lemieux never missed a game. The last two seasons seems like flukes.
Andrew Thomas has not reached his ceiling yet. Keep in mind this is the first offseason he did not have surgery and this is the first time he will have the same offensive line coach for two years in a row.
This brings us to Evan Neal. We all know Neal struggled as a rookie. But too many fans seem to be focused on him and not the interior line spots that were also an issue last year. Neal needs to improve but the team needs better center and guard play just as much. Especially in this division. My prediction is Neal will improve as the year progresses, but he will be nitpicked to death by fans in September and October. That’s OK. I’m old enough to remember Giants fans being sure that Brad Benson, Jumbo Elliott, David Diehl, and Andrew Thomas were crappy players. Neal will be better but I think the real dividends will come in year three and beyond.
FINAL DEPTH CHART: Andrew Thomas, Evan Neal, Tyre Phillips, Mark Glowinski, Ben Bredeson, Josh Ezeudu, Marcus McKethan, Shane Lemieux, John Michael Schmitz
NEW YORK GIANTS 20 – WASHINGTON COMMANDERS 12…
The New York Giants won their biggest game in six years by defeating the Washington Commanders 20-12 on Sunday night at FedExField in Landover, Maryland. With the victory, the Giants improved their overall record to 8-5-1 while the Commanders fell to 7-6-1. The Giants also now own the head-to-head advantage over Washington in the race for a Wild Card playoff spot.
In terms of overall team statistics, Washington held advantages in first downs (20 to 19), total net yards (387 to 288), net yards rushing (159 to 128), and net yards passing (228 to 160). The Giants had a 1-minute advantage in time of possession. Both teams were terrible on 3rd-down conversions with New York being 2-of-10 (20 percent) and Washington 1-of-10 (10 percent). The big difference in the ball game was turnovers, with the Giants recovering two critical fumbles.
The Commanders received the ball to start the game, gained 41 yards and three first downs, but punted. In turn, the Giants went three-and-out on their first possession. Washington then drove 47 yards in nine plays to set up a 41-yard field goal that gave them a 3-0 advantage. New York only gained one first down before punting again on their second possession.
The first key moment in the game came early in the second quarter. The Commanders began their third possession from their own 18-yard line. After picking up two yards, a holding call pushed Washington back to their own 10-yard line. On 2nd-and-18, outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux beat the left tackle, stripped the ball out of quarterback Taylor Heinicke’s hand, recovered the loose ball at the 2-yard line, and scored. The Giants were now up 7-3.
Washington’s offense did somewhat compose itself, picked up 28 yards and two first downs, but then punted with the punt being downed at the New York 3-yard line. The Giants’ offense did not do much on Sunday night against the NFL’s 4th-ranked defense, but they did on this drive, the best of the season for Big Blue. New York’s third possession lasted over eight and a half minutes, traveling 97 yards in 18 plays, and accruing eight first downs. Key moments included a 10-yard pass from quarterback Daniel Jones to wide receiver Richie James on 3rd-and-9 and an 11-yard pass from Jones to James again on 4th-and-9 from the Washington 35-yard line. Three plays later, running back Saquon Barkley took a direct snap and scored from three yards out on 2nd-and-goal. The Giants now led 14-3 with 1:43 left in the second quarter.
The Commanders picked up one first down, but were forced to punt again before halftime. At the break, the Giants still led 14-3.
The Giants received the ball to start the second half, gained one first down, but punted, with the punt being downed at the 9-yard line. However, it took Washington only six plays to travel 91 yards to cut the score to 14-9. The Commanders picked up chunk plays of 18, 13, 15, 20, and 11 yards before Heinicke threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jahan Dotson. An offensive pass interference penalty wiped out a successful 2-point conversion and then Washington missed the extra point.
The Giants responded with a 10-play, 43-yard drive that set up a successful 50-yard field goal by place kicker Graham Gano. New York was now up 17-9 with 3:11 left in the third quarter. After both teams went three-and-out, the Commanders chipped into the Giants’ lead again with a 7-play, 25-yard possession that ended with a 51-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
New York responded with a couple of first downs, crossing midfield, but punting again. On Washington’s first snap of following possession, Heinicke connected with Dotson on a 61-yard pass that moved the ball from their own 9-yard line to the New York 30-yard line. Four plays later came another monumental turnover. On 3rd-and-4 from the 5-yard line, Heinicke was sacked by defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari. An instant replay challenge by Head Coach Brian Daboll showed that the ball came loose before Heinicke was down. Since defensive lineman Leonard Williams had recovered the football, the fumble was awarded to the Giants at the 14-yard line with 6:06 left in the game.
Barkley and his blockers responded with four runs that gained 44 yards to the Washington 42-yard line. Jones picked up a first down with his feet and Gano kicked another 50-yard field goal right after the 2-minute warning. The Giants were now up 20-12.
However, the game was not over. The Commanders returned the ensuing kickoff 43 yards to their own 43-yard line. Heinicke then threw passes of 27, 6, and 14 yards to the New York 10-yard line and ran for nine yards to the 1-yard line. On 3rd-and-1, a touchdown run by the Commanders was wiped out by an illegal formation penalty, moving the ball back to the 6-yard line. After an incomplete pass with pressure from Ojulari, Heinicke’s last attempt, on 4th-and-goal, was broken up by cornerback Darnay Holmes on a play where defensive pass interference could have been called. The Giants took over with 48 seconds left and knelt on the ball to seal the victory.
Jones finished the game 21-of-32 for 160 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. He was not sacked and only officially hit four times. Barkley and wide receiver Darius Slayton led the the team with five catches each, but only for a total of 56 yards. Barkley ran the ball 18 times for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Thibodeaux had a monster game, being credited with 12 tackles, one sack, three tackles for losses, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery that he scored on. Ojulari (2 quarterback hits) and Lawerence (3 quarterback hits) split the other huge sack that led to turnover. Defensive lineman Ryder Anderson was also credited with a sack.
Gano nailed both his 50-yard field goal attempts. Punter Jamie Gillan’s net punting average was 41.8 yards with three punts downed inside the 20-yard line. James returned two punts for 32 yards.
ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants activated (standard elevation) QB Davis Webb and LB/S Landon Collins from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster.
The team also placed OG Joshua Ezeudu (neck) on Injured Reserve and activated OG Ben Bredeson (knee) from Injured Reserve.
Inactive for the game were CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee), OG Shane Lemieux (toe), QB Davis Webb, WR David Sills, OG Jack Anderson, ILB Tae Crowder, and CB Rodarius Williams.
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux was poked in the eye on the defense’s last play of the night.
POST-GAME REACTION…
Video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Brian Daboll and the following players are available at Giants.com:
NEW YORK GIANTS OTAs #4 and #5…
The New York Giants held their fourth and fifth Organized Team Activity (OTA) practices on Monday and Tuesday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. While these two practices were not open to the media, the Giants did provide the following practice reports:
The Giants will hold their sixth OTA on Thursday, with media access. No live contact is permitted during OTAs, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed.
Remaining offseason program schedule:
May 26: New York Giants OTA #6 (media access).
May 31-June 1: New York Giants OTA #7 and #8.
June 2: New York Giants OTA #9 (media access).
June 3: New York Giants OTA #10.
June 7-9: New York Giants mandatory mini-camp (media access).
GIANTS TWO MORE 2022 DRAFT PICKS…
The Giants have signed 2022 NFL Draft selections OGJoshua Ezeudu(3rd round) and CB Cor’Dale Flott (3rd round). Other picks previously signed include OLBKayvon Thibodeaux(1st round), OTEvan Neal(1st round), ILBMicah McFadden(5th round), NTD.J. Davidson(5th round), OGMarcus McKethan(5th round), and ILBDarrian Beavers(6th round).
Remaining unsigned are WRWan’Dale Robinson(2nd round), TEDaniel Bellinger(4th round), and SDane Belton(4th round).
NEW YORK GIANTS TO PLAY GREEN BAY PACKERS IN LONDON…
While the full 2022 NFL regular-season schedule will not be released until May 12th, the NFL announced on Wednesday that the New York Giants will play the Green Bay Packers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England on Sunday, October 9th. This will be the third time in franchise history that the Giants have played a regular-season game in London. The first was in 2007 against the Miami Dolphins and the second in 2016 against the Los Angeles Rams.
JOE SCHOEN HITS THE AIRWAVES…
New York Giants General Manager Joe Schoen was interviewed by the following media outlets on Wednesday:
GIANTS ROOKIE MINI-CAMP ON MAY 13-15…
While the 9-week offseason program that began on April 4th continues, the New York Giants will hold a 3-day rookie mini-camp on May 13-15. Those in attendance will include the team’s 11 draft picks, signed undrafted rookie free agents, and tryout players.
On the final day of the 2022 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected:
TE Daniel Bellinger (San Diego State University)
S Dane Belton (University of Iowa)
LB Micah McFadden (Indiana University)
DL D.J. Davidson (Arizona State University)
OG Marcus McKethan (University of North Carolina)
LB Darrian Beavers (University of Cincinnati)
Sy’56’s Scouting Report on TE Daniel Bellinger: Senior entry from Las Vegas, NV. Three-year starter than earned Honorable Mention All-Mountain West honors in 2020. Bellinger has the tool set and ability to play the traditional Y tight end spot. While his skill set is more receiver-friendly, he does show enough upside and ability to create impact as a blocker. He plays a twitchy, sudden game and understands his role well. Bellinger may not have the man-strength quite yet to have a big role, but he should fill the back end of a depth chart early on. He is a plus-athlete with some sneaky upside to him when it comes to getting open and making things happen after the catch.
*It would not surprise me one bit to see Bellinger sneak into the end of round two. The triangle numbers are really solid, and he didn’t drop a single ball over his last two seasons. I just wish he got more looks in the passing game at San Diego State. He will likely be a year two guy at earliest because he had a hard time with defensive linemen in the Mountain West. I think NFL guys will eat him early on.
Sy’56’s Scouting Report on S Dane Belton: Junior entry from Tampa, FL. Two-year starter that earned All Big-10 honors in both 2020 and 2021, first team in 2021. Belton played a hybrid safety/linebacker role that saw him involved in the box more often than not. He has a sturdy, strong frame with plus-power and straight line speed. He factors well in pursuit sideline to sideline and had a high success rate as a tackler. Belton started to turn a corner as a junior in coverage. He showed quality ball skills and plus-body control out of his breaks. He shows minimal wasted motion once he made up his mind. He can get into trouble when trying to forecast routes and throws, as he seems a step behind mentally and shows tightness in his hips laterally. He projects as a nickel or dime safety that can creep up toward the line and he will be a weapon on special teams.
Sy’56’s Scouting Report on LB Micah McFadden: Senior entry from Tampa, FL. Three-year starter that earned honorable mention All-Big 10 honors in 2019, first team in 2020, second team in 2021. Also a third team All-American in 2019. McFadden is a well-put together, quick and sudden linebacker that flies all over the field and brings a high success rate as a tackler. He can defend the inside run with stout power and will get to the sideline against the outside running game. He excels in pursuit. McFadden does have the occasional lapse in concentration and will over-pursue his intentions, leaving him vulnerable and top heavy. He does not factor well in man coverage, as his hip tightness and eager mentality can be easy to toy with. He projects as a solid special teamer that could develop into a rotational inside linebacker in a 3-4 front.
Sy’56’s Scouting Report on DL D.J. Davidson: Fifth year senior from Mesa, AZ. Took an additional year off between high school and college. Three-year starter that earned second team All-Pac 12 honors in 2021. Davidson will best project to a zero-tech in a 3-4 front. There, his natural power and ability to two-gap will be used most effectively. In an even front, he will not offer much as a pass rusher, but he could fit into a situational role as well. Davidson can play with quick feet in addition to a hard-to-move presence against the run. He has a natural sense to feel blocks and flow to the ball. He needs to work on lower body bend and techniques so his pad level can be better. The lack of leverage wins will eat him up at the next level. Davidson needs to fully buy into fixing his body and skill set for a couple years before he can be trusted.
Sy’56’s Scouting Report on OG Marcus McKethan: Fifth year senior from Barnwell, SC. Three-year starter that has the body of a tackle but played right guard all three seasons. Two-time Honorable Mention All-ACC. McKethan looks like a tackle prototype with elite girth and length from head to toe. His power and lockout game are enough to stop professional defenders in their tracks right away. The issue with him revolves around reaction time and bend. He does not keep the feet active post-engagement and he will always struggle to win the leverage battle. McKethan is a project that a team will want to develop in undrafted free agency most likely, as the holes in his game are both hard to fix and far away from being pro-ready.
Sy’56’s Scouting Report on LB Darrian Beavers: Fifth year senior from Cincinnati, OH. Spent 2017 and 2018 at Connecticut before transferring to Cincinnati. Four-year starter between the two programs. Second team All-AAC in 2020, first team in 2021. Was also a Butkus Award Finalist in his final season. Beavers brings a unique tool set to the table and it was used all over the front seven in college. He primarily lined up off the ball, but he saw over 250 snaps along the edge on-line over his three years at Cincinnati. The heaviness in his hands and overall ability to play both stout and fast should get the attention of versatile defensive schemes. He does not play very sudden and there are too many inconsistencies with his tackling and aggression in space. There won’t be a fit for him in every scheme but at the same time, he can bring versatility to a multiple-front defense that others cannot.
*I have in my notes from the 2021 season that Beavers “…looks like an old school Steeler or Patriot…” Some make the mistake that Baltimore (Martindale/Ryan) went after the same personnel. I don’t agree. Martindale wants a bit more speed and twitch in his linebackers and even though Beavers tested OK with times, he doesn’t always play fast. I will say this though: He is an alpha. Beavers is a mean, powerful dude and he did line up all over the front seven. That said, he was not a very successful outside rusher.
Media Q&A with General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll (Video):
JOE SCHOEN: Daniel Bellinger was our first pick today, tight end out of San Diego State. A guy that we liked, size, speed, athleticism, should be able to help us on special teams, was in Senior Bowl, was at his pro day, too, and a guy we’ve liked throughout the process.
Dane Belton, another guy we liked, the versatility in the player, he’s got ball skills, he can play from depth and down in the box, can pay nickel.
So the common theme you’ll hear is versatility on a lot of these guys.
Micah McFadden from Indiana, another guy with very good size, speed. He was a captain, he’s athletic. I think he’ll help us out. He can play inside, outside, and he’s a good blitzer as well. Again, another versatile piece.
D.J. Davidson, see him more as a nose, out of Arizona State, be a good depth player that has some upside. We are excited about working with him inside, again, trying to add some depth up front there.
Marcus McKethan, another guy obviously we spent some time with, the North Carolina kids. Huge human being. Very good size, length. Again, some versatility, he’s played tackle and he’s played guard. Again, going to add depth and competition to the roster. We’ll probably start him at guard, but he does have tackle flex.
Darrian Beavers is another guy that we really liked, versatile piece, he played inside and he played outside. I was at his pro day. He did some stuff as an outside rusher and that looks like something that may be part of the package. Like his versatility to be inside, outside, and play on special teams.
Excited about the young men that we added today. Again, everybody is going to come in here and compete, no matter where you were drafted, and these guys are no different, so we are excited about the players we added.
Q. A few of the guys said that they had 30 visits here, the tight end had dinner with Brandon Brown. Did you identify these guys early and then honed in on? How does that process work?
JOE SCHOEN: Typically, that’s what happens. When I first got here, the first meeting with the scouts was in February. So we kind of identified players that we were interested in and then who we needed to get around a little bit more.
A lot of these guys — not to show my hand in the future, but you guys are good at tracking this stuff — but, yeah, we want to feel comfortable with the individuals as well as the player, and I think pretty much all these guys we spent significant amount of time with, whether it was coming here or going to see them.
Q. What did you think of your first draft? Anything surprise you?
JOE SCHOEN: Have to reflect on this tomorrow and throughout next week. It’s just different. You come in with a whole new staff, so you have a process in place, but where you used to look for answers when you had questions, you’re looking to different people, different scouts in the room that you haven’t worked with, and our staff did a tremendous job. The coaching staff did a tremendous job.
So just still getting to know our roster as it is. Again, not being around a lot of these guys for a while, getting to know the new coaches. That’s just all that will come with time in working with each other. But overall, it was a good process, and I really enjoyed it.
Q. Joe, did this go very much like you’ve been accustomed to the last four years in Buffalo and other places, or did you have to adjust this year?
JOE SCHOEN: It went pretty much how I would plan it to go. The only difficult part was with the players being in here two weeks early with the next head coach. So our schedule when we typically would have had an uninterrupted meetings for a week or two with the coaches involved, those days were a little choppy. We had to move our schedule around.
Overall, the process will stay the same that we had this year. It will start now. May and June, we’ll already start looking at the players for next season, and our scouts have already gotten a list of the Top-5 UFAs, Top-5 players from their areas. Next week, I may take a week, but we’ll start looking down the road what the players look like through free agency and the draft next week.
Q. You have a pretty big class with 11 players. Do you anticipate bringing in many undrafted free agents — how big of a class do you anticipate?
JOE SCHOEN: As soon as the Draft is over and we can start working on that, we will. We still have – defensively, I think is where we are going to have to add. Again, when we got here, where the roster was, we had to add a lot of pieces, and there’s only so many resources. So we did the best we could this weekend, and we’ll continue to do that in free agency.
Again, players might have gotten drafted over somebody else, so what that means is maybe next week there’s going to be some cuts and may be some veterans that are on the street because they drafted over players on their current roster. We don’t play until September. Our location in the claim order, the final cutdown will be important or as players are cut.
The roster is never finished. It won’t be finished during the season, and we’ll always be looking to upgrade.
Q. Doesn’t seem like you found a replacement for James Bradberry in this draft class. At some point, does the contingency plan to keep him become the plan?
JOE SCHOEN: We are going to work on that. We have had some conversations. I’ve talked to his representative. We’ll see where that goes. I don’t have a definitive answer on that right now, but we are working towards some contingency plans.
Q. When would you like to have an answer on that?
JOE SCHOEN: I’m not going to put a timeline on it as we are working through this. So I don’t know how long it will take, but we are working through some things.
Q. For years, people were saying fix the offensive line. Since you two have been here, I think you’ve brought in six free agents, drafted three guys, you have guys coming back who have been hurt, you have veterans. Do you have enough bodies?
JOE SCHOEN: I think so. We’ve got some big bodies, too.
I think I told you guys at the Combine, we had maybe five healthy bodies, offensive lineman, on the roster, and that’s my point. There were several holes, and we didn’t have a lot of depth throughout the roster.
So start there, start up front, let’s see the best version of Daniel Jones we can, and it starts by hopefully keeping him on his feet. And that’s going to help Saquon and that’s going to help the receivers because he’ll have more time to get him the ball. I think we upgraded the offensive line, which hopefully we did. We’ll see how the competition in training camp goes. But, yeah, I’m happy where we are with the depth overall.
Q. When it comes to the war room, when you were setting up who is in there, how many guys, the way the whole setup is, here in years past they have had coaches, coordinators. Did you put into the process who you wanted in there, why it was important to do certain things?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, I definitely wanted to be inclusive with the group. Those guys did a lot of the work. We had our pro department in there, too, so they could see the process and some professional development to see how the process works. And our pro scouts also sat in on some of the college meetings.
I’m a firm believer in that, we talk out loud, we have conversations, try to think big picture the best we can. And if I can surround myself with as many of those people as I can, it’s just going to bring ideas and we’ll all be better.
As for the setup of the room, I may want to change that a little bit. There was a different board this year, and I kind of like more of an open area in the middle, I’m a big pacer, where I can go to the scouts and talk to them. That’s something we’ll work on next year.
But as for the coaches, you may not have seen them, but they were in and out, coordinators, position coaches. If it came down to two guys on defense, Wink may come in, or Kafka came in a few times for the offensive guys.
Q. I was going off the other night when you said you had not seen Wink yet.
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, I had not, and specifically that night, because it was 5 and 7, it was back to back, so without having any commotion or distractions in there, we thought that was the best way to do it, and they kind of knew what we were going to do anyway.
Q. Do you anticipate making any changes to the personnel staff, subtractions, additions?
JOE SCHOEN: I haven’t even thought about that yet. I’m about ready to fall asleep on this microphone.
Q. In Buffalo, you concentrated on developing offensive lineman as well as drafting or acquiring starters. So have you brought that same kind of plan to the Giants, and is that where some of these picks are coming into play?
JOE SCHOEN: Really across the board, we have a really good coaching staff, and I think X’s and O’s are very important as a coach, but also developing players. And Bobby Johnson has a very good track record from my time with him, as does Dabs and Shea Tierney. You bring in guys in that are wired the right way and have traits, they are all hands on deck in terms of developing these guys. That’s just the O-line, but the defense, we have some good coaches over there, too. A lot of these players have upside.
Again, once you get in the second and third round, those players are in the third round for a reason, or fourth round for a reason, or sixth or seventh, when you take those guys, they are there for a reason. Nobody’s perfect. So the best we can do in terms of developing those guys and accentuating their strengths is what the coaching staff will try to do.
Q. What were you trying to accomplish in your first draft, and how successful were you with the goals that you came in with? I know things change as you move along.
JOE SCHOEN: Versatility, I mentioned earlier. Guys that have versatility, we wanted to add depth at competition to the roster, which I think we did. Again not every guy is going to come as a starter. It takes time. Guys have to develop. And Pat’s question, just develop and good coaching. Over time, you have to have depth players and frontline players. I think the idea was to get the best we could. Defensively, the guys with versatility. And offensively, as you’re around Brian, you’ll see, he’ll take the pieces and whatever we have and develop the offensive scheme around those pieces that we have, and Wink kind of adheres to the same philosophy.
Q. A big picture, team building question. Where do you stand on the theory of building a team to compete in the division against the teams that you’re going to be facing twice a year for the next — forever year?
JOE SCHOEN: You have to pay attention to that. There’s a lot of good D-Lines in our division, and I think that’s where the emphasis on the offensive line early on was important to us.
Yeah, we definitely always — I was in Miami forever, and they had Gronk there for awhile, how are you going to defend this guy, when they had Gronk and Hernandez. So you’re always paying attention because you have to play that team twice a year. And the ultimate goal is to win the division, and the rest will take care of itself is. Yeah, we’ll always be looking at that.
Q. When a guy like McKethan has some flex but mostly plays guard, would you rather him have the versatility to play both, or sometimes does a guy have a position and you’d rather hone in on that?
BRIAN DABOLL: You’ll see here in OTAs when you guys are around and in training camp, we are big believers in mixing and matching as many people as we can early on because you can only get so many to go to a game. And the more you can do, the more you can do.
Most of the players, unless you’re really, really, really good at one spot, and that probably goes throughout our team offensively and defensively, is as much versatility as you can have, the better it is for the team.
Q. On the defensive side of the ball, guys have multi-versatility. How excited are you that you can change your defensive scheme because of the diversity of the skillsets?
BRIAN DABOLL: Wink, he’s pretty diverse in what he’s done the past few years when he was in Baltimore. We are still working through some things, just figuring out what our guys can and cannot do.
So we’ll see. We’ll take it kind of day-by-day on that. But I think the smarter you can be as a football team, the better you are in terms of being able to put your best foot forward.
Q. I know Bobby Johnson was at the UNC pro day and worked those guys out. How valuable was getting his input and letting him get in there and coach them up?
BRIAN DABOLL: That’s always valuable. The process, Joe talked about this, the communication we’ve had from the scouting department, the coaching staff, the people that set up the trips, it was very well organized, thought out.
This morning I was watching a bunch of Zoom calls of potential guys we could pick. The coaches put a lot of time and effort into it. There were weekends off that they had they were out on the road, and the same thing with the scouting department. It’s been really good interaction with both sides.
So 11 picks, 11 players, we’ll throw them out there with the rest of the guys on the team when they get here and let them compete it out.
Q. Do you think you have an offensive line now you can work with and get done what you need to get done on offense?
BRIAN DABOLL: We’ll see once we get pads on and things like that. I know the guys are hard working. They are smart. They show some toughness when you watch them on tape. The people that we’ve had in the building are dependable. It’s been good to go into meetings with Bobby and Tony (Sparano) and those guys. They are eager.
Again, let’s not make it more than it is. Your job is to protect the inside part of the pocket and the width of the pocket and get moving in the running game, but that position you need five guys operating as one unit. And that is what will be really important.
You’ll see. I know I will get a lot of questions on it once we get out in OTAs, and I’ll tell you right now, there are going to be a lot of guys mixing and matching. You can write the lineup down each day, but it’s going to change from day to day.
Q. Guys have strengths and weaknesses, but evaluating players, guys are kind of the same, you say we want this guy, we want this guy, is there just something inside you that says we think he’s right for us?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, I would say after all the preparation, Zoom calls, interacting with the kids, going and seeing them or having them in your building, you’ve got enough information where you say, yeah, I’m good with this kid, can we all see the film, I’m good with this kid as a person and his ability to learn football and what he’ll bring to the organization. We try to get all that information so when we turn the card in with anybody, we are at that point.
BRIAN DABOLL: If they are close, you know, sometimes there is a gut feeling. It’s like when you’re getting ready to call a big play in the red zone, you like two plays and you’re anticipating something coming up. There’s a gut feel at times. Some of that is the same with when two guys are close, but the preparation leads you to that decision usually for the most part.
Q. Sometimes is it just like, you know what, close your eyes and say, I think I want to coach this guy?
BRIAN DABOLL: Three times this past week, Joe flipped a coin and decided who he was going to pick. We were calling heads and tails over there.
No, it’s a lot of work that goes into it. Joe has talked about it. I’ve talked about it. When you put a lot of hard work into it and you feel prepared, then you’re comfortable with the decisions that you make.
Q. When you get into the middle rounds, how much do you lean towards traits? Some guys rated well on tests. Was that a big factor, or did that happen to be the case?
JOE SCHOEN: After Wan’Dale being undersized and Flott, I figured I better go big guys today. You take that into account, but when you look at guys with developmental upside, if they have height, speed and character, the history of those guys developing is a little bit higher than others. Definitely when you get into day three, you do take that into account. It is important, I think.
Q. Knowing you had Daniel under contract and Tyrod to back up and you had Davis Webb, do you sit there and say, quarterback is not a priority this year?
JOE SCHOEN: I wouldn’t say we didn’t say it wasn’t a priority, because we did do work on those guys, and I think I said it yesterday that I had seen all those guys play live, and we did send a quarterback coach and coordinator to spend time with those guys and Zoom and other things.
Again we are going to evaluate the entire board across all positions, and when we think the time is right, regardless of position, we’ll pull the trigger if we think it’s best for us.
Q. What is it you guys think that you can get so much more out of Daniel Jones?
BRIAN DABOLL: I’ll just speak on the few weeks that I’ve been around him. I’ve been very pleased with how he’s approached things. He’s an intelligent — he’s picking up the stuff really well. Again, the pieces around him, we have a lot of work that needs to be done but I’m encouraged with my interactions with him up to this point.
Q. I asked you last night about the tight ends, you said it depends on the player?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah.
Q. You got one?
BRIAN DABOLL: We got six. Just trying to figure out exactly what they do. I’ve had years where I had Marty Bennett and Gronkowski and other years with Charles Clay, who is a completely different type of guy.
I would say we have a variety of guys right now on the roster, some bigger-type receivers. Some a little bit more blockers. Running around with shorts on, it’s good to see their movement skills and how they can track a ball. But once we get to training camp OTAs when they have to do things a little more quickly, we’ll figure that out.
But I would say we have a mix of guys that can get down in a three-point stance and block some defensive ends, and that’s getting harder to find each year. It’s just the nature of the game. If you have young kids that play football, you see how the game is being played. It’s a spread game. A lot of RPOs, even from the earliest stages, and then you get into high school, and I don’t need to talk about the evolution of game right now, but that’s kind of what it is.
You go to college and you see the same thing. It’s not — you’ve got to look at offensive linemen a little bit differently. You have to look at cover players a little bit differently. It’s a completely different game than it was even 22 years ago when I started, and I think you have to evolve as a coach, too, both how you evaluate players and how you design scheme.
Q. Joe, what would you tell Giants fans you think you accomplished with this draft?
JOE SCHOEN: I think we added competition and depth. Hopefully as many of these guys turn into starters as we can, but again we are not going to hand anybody anything. We want them to come in, compete, work hard, and, again, we want to see progress. I’ve said that since day one and I think this will lead us to that.
Media Q&As with Draft Picks: Transcripts of the media Q&A phone call sessions with the draft picks immediately following their selection are available in The Corner Forum:
Saturday’s Media Sessions with Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal: The video and transcript of Saturday’s media sessions with the team’s two 1st-round draft picks are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com.
Saturday’s Media Sessions with Wan’Dale Robinson, Joshua Ezeudu, and Cor’Dale Flott: The video and transcript of Saturday’s media sessions with the team’s second-day draft picks are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com.
On the second day of the 2022 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected:
2nd Round: WR Wan’Dale Robinson (University of Kentucky)
3rd Round: OG/OT Joshua Ezeudu (University of North Carolina)
3rd Round: CB Cor’Dale Flott (LSU)
The Giants traded away their pick in the 2nd-round pick (36th overall) to the New York Jets for their 2nd-round pick (38th overall) for an additional 5th-round pick from the Jets (146th overall). The Giants also traded away that 2nd-round pick (38th overall) to the Atlanta Falcons for their 2nd-round pick (43rd overall) for additional 4th-round pick from the Falcons (114th overall).
Sy’56’s Scouting Report on WR Wan’Dale Robinson: Junior entry from Frankfort, KY. Spent two seasons at Nebraska before transferring to Kentucky for the 2021 season. Honorable Mention All-Big 10 in both 2019 and 2020, second team All-SEC in 2021. Robinson has been a hybrid receiver/running back from the start of his career and will give an NFL offense the opportunity to create a big-time playmaker out of him. He has the well-balanced athletic ability and overall skill set to do multiple things, align from different spots, and create on his own. He is much more than an undersized, underneath threat that can occasionally take a jet sweep. He has had a lot of success in the deep passing game and plays with the kind of competitive fire that an at least somewhat make up for the lack of ideal size. Because he has lined up all over the offense, Robinson is a little rough around the edges when it comes release and route nuances, but all can be corrected in time. He is a big play threat every time he gets on the field no matter where he lines up.
*Robinson is a guy I have a feeling about. The quickness and burst he has the instant he touches the ball is exactly what gets overlooked by many when looking at measurables. He has the knack to find creases immediately. He is also one tough, strong dude that understands he can use the diminutive frame to his advantage, as a weapon. He is a gadget player, not someone that is always on the field. An argument can be made that only an established offense should be using a pick on a guy like this. I would not agree. Robinson is someone that can make things happen on his own. He can create big plays from nothing and that is what a growing offense needs. Robinson will make grown men hold their breath every time he gets the ball. The way Daboll used Isaiah McKenzie in Buffalo is a nice template: 77 catches – 27 rushes – 21 punt returns – 29 kick returns since 2019. I see Robinson being a better version of that. Keep an eye here.
Sy’56’s Scouting Report on OG/OT Joshua Ezeudu: Fourth-year junior entry from Lawrenceville, GA. Three-year starter that earned Honorable Mention All-ACC honors in 2021, second-team in 2020. Because of injuries and inconsistent play throughout the entire line, Ezeudu was moved around often. Throughout his career he played every spot along the line with some of his best tape coming from his snaps at left tackle. His top position will be inside at guard but that kind of versatility can boost his stock a bit. Ezeudu excels with his hands and displays quick feet, always a good place to start. The natural top-end athletic ability is limited, however, and it shows up when he needs to adjust laterally. His knee bend is inconsistent and there is a recoil in his reaction-times because of it. If he can improve some lower body techniques, there are some quality traits to work with.
*When looking to add offensive linemen early day three, I love the idea of getting a guy that has credible experience and ability at multiple spots. There is no question Ezeudu projects best to guard, but I do think he could be a swing tackle if needed. So many teams have depth issues there. You see a guy or two go down with an injury and all of the sudden the entire offense needs to change. Ezeudu looks pro ready on most levels. His movement just seems a step too slow right now but I think he is better than over half the backups in the league right now. Throw in the versatility and I think it is a brilliant pick if he can be had in the right slot.
Sy’56’s Scouting Report on CB Cor’Dale Flott: Junior entry from Saraland, AL. Two-year starter that saw time outside and at nickel. Cousin to fellow draft prospect Velus Jones, a wide receiver from Tennessee. Flott is a smooth mover that gets in and out of his breaks with no wasted motion. He plays faster than he times because of it. He lacks a physical presence on contact and there is not much of a frame to build on. Because of that, Flott will need to be near-flawless when it comes to route anticipation and reaction. He will likely project as a backup nickel that can see the field in deeper sub packages. He has some safety type traits against the pass only as well. He may be a guy without a true position and I’m not sure I see a ton of special teams upside.
Media Q&A with General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll after 2nd round (Video):
JOE SCHOEN: We took Wan’Dale Robinson out of Kentucky. Good football player we’ve had our eye on, generator with the ball in his hands, very good run after the catch, very good route runner, can separate. And for what we are going to do offensively, we thought he would be a very good fit for us.
Q. Did you go into this day thinking, I want to trade down?
JOE SCHOEN: Yes.
Q. And the reason for that?
JOE SCHOEN: We just thought it was what was best for us at this time. More picks would benefit us the most we thought based on who was on our board.
Q. So would you stay at 36 or did you have a pick there?
JOE SCHOEN: We had deals in place before the Draft started. So we were confident. We knew we could move back. That was part of the plan.
Q. Both deals were in place?
JOE SCHOEN: We had a couple deals in place, and then the one at 38 wasn’t necessarily in place, but it was something that we had talked about we would potentially be able to do, and then we were able to do it.
Q. Seems like a similar type of skillset to Kadarius Toney. Does bringing him in impact —
JOE SCHOEN: Is that a bad thing?
Q. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. Does it impact Kadarius at all?
JOE SCHOEN: You guys saw Kadarius. I’ll take as many of those guys as we can on the field. Again, he’s a generator when the ball is in his hands. He can run after a catch. He can separate from DBs, he gets open. He played some running back at Nebraska. That’s a versatile piece you can use in your offense. If you look at some of the other guys, how you can use them, and if you look at Daboll’s past or you look at Kafka’s past in terms of the creativeness in their offense and the weapons they can utilize, I think you can kind of see what the vision may look like.
Q. Brian, is he the kind of guy you look at, do you start thinking about all the different pieces you have already?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I think you do that when you evaluate all these prospects, is make sure they are a fit for your team, whether it’s a receiver or a guy that plays in the back end or up front guys, what they can do for you.
Like Joe mentioned, versatile, got quickness, explosiveness, he’s tough even for a smaller guy. Been a very productive player really going back to high school when he played there in Kentucky. So a guy we’re anxious to get our hands on and work with and implement into our scheme.
Q. You’re not going to be able to coach him bigger. Is size a concern?
BRIAN DABOLL: I’ve coached a lot of small guys: Deion Branch, Super Bowl MVP, Isaiah McKenzie last year.
I mean, your job as a receiver is to get open and catch the ball, however that may be. Some guys are quicker. Some guys are faster. Some guys are bigger. But if they can find a way to generate and get open, then you use their skillset to the best of your ability.
Q. What was out there with Kadarius recently, would this affect his future with the team at all? Would you view it that way?
JOE SCHOEN: We like the player. If he can be like Kadarius when he’s on the field and he’s healthy, we’ll take as many of those guys as we can.
BRIAN DABOLL: Kadarius has had a good week.
Q. Did you expect Robinson to be available for you at this point?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, we were hoping so. When we looked at certain players that may be there, he was a guy we thought could potentially be there and we have a very clear vision for the player and look forward to utilizing him.
Q. Did I hear you say Kadarius had a good week?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I said Kadarius had a good week. Good to see him. Jumped right in and chugging along.
Q. Have you shut the door on trying to trade him?
JOE SCHOEN: We’re not shopping Kadarius Toney.
Q. So you’re not going to trade him?
JOE SCHOEN: Reflect on what I just said.
Q. When a cornerback went right before, was that someone on your radar, seemed like a guy that fit with your needs?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, he’s a guy we spent time on, good football player. It was Minnesota that took him. But yeah, we are happy with who we got in Wan’Dale?
Q. When you do trade down, you got a bunch of guys circled, you know you’re going to miss this guy, this guy and that’s just the way it is, do you have four or five guys that you say, we’re good with all these guys?
JOE SCHOEN: We had a bunch of guys circled. Some needs that we need to address, so we’re working on that and we’ll continue to work on that through tonight and tomorrow.
Q. Were you were shopping those picks —
JOE SCHOEN: Shopping, yes, that’s something I was shopping.
Q. Were you surprised that there weren’t many teams coming up for the quarterbacks?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, when teams call you and they want to make moves, you don’t really know what — you can speculate but you don’t really know what they are coming up for. We did get some calls from teams from further back today, and we speculated that that may be what it was. But you never really know what they are coming up for.
So you just have to be, hey, these are the players, this is how many picks I’m moving back and there’s a chance you’re going to lose a couple of these players, is there still going to be somebody there that you’re happy with. So that’s kind what have we take into account when we do consider moving back, who may or may not be there.
Q. Did you give any thought to taking a quarterback in the second round given the value?
JOE SCHOEN: No, we didn’t.
Q. Have teams been unwilling to trade picks in next year’s draft?
JOE SCHOEN: It’s come up in a couple conversations, but it was moves that really didn’t make sense for us. Wasn’t a win for us by any means in those conversations that we had.
Q. You guys both saw McKenzie when he grew up in Buffalo. Is Wan’Dale somebody like that? Do you see similarities to what you guys were able to do with McKenzie?
BRIAN DABOLL: I hate to compare guys from one system to the next. I understand the question relative to their size and some of their abilities. I’m just anxious to get him in here. He had good production on his college tape and a guy we thought we could utilize. Some of it will probably be like Isaiah, I would assume, but I don’t want to say that’s for certain until we get him in the building. But he was excited. It was a good call.
Q. Is this kid Robinson a slot or is he slot and outside too or what?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I think he can do both. You know, I think he can play inside, and I think he’s strong enough and fast enough, even though he’s a smaller, shorter guy, that he can contribute outside, too.
Again, what we’re trying to do is put as many generating pieces out there to create pace and stretch the field, whether it be vertical or horizontally, and this is another good guy that has ability to run after catch, which is an important aspect of it.
Again, receivers, and I understand the questions, they come in all different shapes. You know, there’s big, tall guys that can make unbelievable contested catches. There’s shorter quicker guys that give them five yards and they are going to create separation, and ultimately our job is to figure out what we have here between KG and KT and Shep. We have to figure out our pieces and put them in the right spot. Slayton.
Q. He had a bunch of drops. Do you see something in his hands or something you can fix?
BRIAN DABOLL: I think he’s got good hands, yeah.
Media Q&A with General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll after 3rd round (Video):
Q. So Josh Ezeudu out of North Carolina?
JOE SCHOEN: So Josh Ezeudu out of North Carolina, a player we liked obviously. History of playing multiple spots on the offensive line. He’s got guard-tackle flex. Again, we’ll bring him in, I’m not sure, not going to say exactly where we’re going to start him, but we like the versatility that he can play guard, he can play tackle, compete to start probably inside, with outside flex.
And then Cor’Dale Flott is a guy we liked out of LSU, athletic kid, versatility, play inside, outside. Both kids we spent a lot of time with throughout the spring, and we’re happy to have them.
Q. How do you view your cornerback position? Can Aaron Robinson play 80, 60 snaps a game?
JOE SCHOEN: We are excited about him, just getting to know him, getting to see him move around the last couple weeks. That group, the coaching staff is back, so we’re excited about him. I’m not going to make any predictions or anything in terms of play time or any of that. We’ve still got a long way to go, but he’s definitely going to be competing for a starting job.
Q. Josh, in games, would switch spots.
JOE SCHOEN: Impressive. He’s impressive. It’s rare. I was fortunate enough to see him play live twice this year, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh. He’s a big man, and it’s impressive. Again, he could play multiple spots not only on a week-to-week basis but within a game, within drives. So it’s very impressive, and he’s an outstanding kid. You guys will like getting to know him.
Q. Flott, he’s not the biggest guy, but do you see him as a guy who can play outside, or do you see him primarily as a guy who is better suited in the slot?
JOE SCHOEN: I think position one, ideally, he’s inside, but he can play inside and outside. He has height, and he does have length. And again, the kid is 20 years old. I believe he turns 21 in August or September. I think it’s August.
So still young, still developing. Three-year guy at LSU that played in a really talented backfield and a good conference.
We’re excited. He’s got really good movement skills to play inside, but with the size and length, can play outside as well.
Q. Seems like you were prepared for every possible situation. Did you see the quarterbacks slipping like they have so far? I think there was one in the first 73 picks. How has that affected the Draft for teams like you that are not picking a quarterback?
JOE SCHOEN: I’m a little surprised that there are a couple guys still on the board, at least they are when I walked down here. With all the pre-Draft chatter, I assumed a couple of those guys would already be gone.
Q. Does that push guys that you had lower, does that push them up?
JOE SCHOEN: Guys that were lower, push them up? Not really. The quarterback position, again, the amount of quarterbacks that are taken, it’s not like a different position group where there’s high volume. I wouldn’t say that’s the case there.
Q. Was there a point today where you started to maybe consider that because you didn’t expect these guys to fall to this point?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, we discussed every position. Again, I think up top, you know, you weren’t really thinking about it, but again, if you follow your board, and we did do work on all position groups. It came up in discussions, as every position does. But again we followed our board, and we typically go with the guys that are on the same line at that value.
Q. Does it bother you, when you’re talking about those kinds of guys that you guys maybe personally didn’t see a lot of them throughout?
JOE SCHOEN: No, we saw them all through. We were at the pro days. I saw every quarterback play live this year. We did our homework.
Q. You have five picks left tomorrow, right?
JOE SCHOEN: Two fours, three fives and a six.
Q. What do you want to accomplish tomorrow? You traded back and picked up those pieces.
JOE SCHOEN: Continue to build depth. Depth is important, whether it’s a backup role, compete for a starting role or special teams. Fourth down is going to be important to us as well. Just continue to build depth and competition.
Q. How realistic is it that you make all six of those picks, or do you feel like you have the ammo that you can trade up now and maybe go get somebody?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, we could do either or. Again, Draft picks are currency, It allows you to move up, down, whatever you may do, into next year, something happens. It just gives you flexibility throughout the Draft. I can’t really predict it right now, but there are still guys on the board that we like.
Q. Were you surprised a market for James Bradberry hasn’t materialized as much as you might have expected a couple months ago?
JOE SCHOEN: No. We’ve had conversations about James. Teams have called. He’s still a good player and a good person. The market is what it is.
Q. Have you received more interest during the Draft?
JOE SCHOEN: No.
Q. Why didn’t you exercise the option on Daniel?
JOE SCHOEN: It was the best decision for the Giants. After our conversations, that’s what we came up with, the best decision for us right now.
Q. Will you assess after today and tomorrow morning and say, all right, with these six picks, we kind of need these positions and we can look at these positions that we haven’t addressed?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, we have conversations after every day of the Draft relative to where we’ve set the board and needs. And if those two match, that’s a great thing. We’re going to try to acquire as many good players as we can to try to make us as competitive as we can.
Q. How do you see the tight end role in your offense?
BRIAN DABOLL: It just depends.
Q. On what? The player?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, it depends on who we have, yeah. So again, if we have — there was times last year we played with five receivers. There’s been times where we’ve played with three tight ends, sometimes four tight ends.
I think when you put together an offense, you try to build it around the strengths of the players that you have. And if that’s a bunch of receivers, it’s a bunch of receivers. If it’s one tight end, it’s one tight end. There were games last year where we went to the game with one active tight end. I think probably the last five or six weeks of the season.
So based on who we have, and look, there’s a long time to build our roster, too. It’s not just the Draft. We have, you know, awhile here. There’s a lot of different things that can happen.
Q. What do you look for in terms of traits out of a linebacker?
JOE SCHOEN: Outside or inside? Inside, instincts, athleticism, range, speed. You know, again, leadership, communication.
Q. Nakobe Dean is a guy, inside linebacker, a lot of people expected to be taken early in this Draft. Did you guys consider him? There’s been talks about him being flagged by a bunch of teams. What did you —
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, there’s a reason he’s drafting — I don’t know what’s all out there, what you have, but we can’t really talk much about that. But yeah, there’s a reason he’s fallen, I think. And, you know, he’s a great kid. He had a great career, and I’m sure he’ll go shortly.
Media Q&A with WR Wan’Dale Robinson:
Q. Were you surprised the Giants called you this early? Did you expect to go at this point in the draft?
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: I always felt like I was talented enough to be picked this early. I just felt like somebody just had to believe in me and not believe in the hype thing and just believe in the football player.
Q. What kind of player are the Giants getting? Give us your self-scouting report.
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: A tough, elusive, exciting — just a playmaker.
Q. How much contact did you have with the Giants during the pre-draft process?
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: I had talked to them at the Combine, and I talked to them through Zooms. Then I had a meeting a week or two right before with the GM and assistant GM.
Q. Do you know (Wide Receiver) Kadarius Toney? You played in the same conference with him, right?
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: Well, I didn’t — I wasn’t in the SEC the years that he was there. So, I didn’t get to see him in person but I know who he is.
Q. Do you think your game resembles his in any way?
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: I mean, I think we all have our separate ways and different types of games, and I think we probably do some of the things that are similar and can do things that are alike in the short game and intermediate game and things like that. But at the end of the day, we are just play-makers I think.
Q. When you talked to Coach Daboll, did he give you a clear vision of what he thinks you can do in his offense?
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: Just come in and be a versatile piece and just do a lot of different things for the offense. At the end of the day, I just want to come in and help the team win.
Q. How often have you heard over your career that you’re not big enough?
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: I’ve heard that my whole entire career, so it’s nothing new to me. At the end of the day just another obstacle you’ve got to overcome just with what people think. For myself, I don’t think it’s a challenge or anything.
Q. Do you liken your game to anybody else out there that we would know?
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: I try to take pieces of everybody’s game, all the top receivers in the game, (Rams Wide Receiver) Cooper Kupp, just being in the same offense that he was last year I had to watch a lot of him. (Raiders Wide Receiver) Davante Adams, (Bills Wide Receiver) Stefon Diggs, there are a lot of guys that I like to take pieces of their game from to try to make it my own. Not try to be anybody.
Q. How much do you think you went under the radar? I think you caught a hundred plus passes but when people were talking about the receivers in this Draft, your name was not coming up that often with the top guys.
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: I mean, at the end of the day, I just felt like everybody has their own opinion. I wasn’t trying to get caught up in that. I just felt like at the end of the day I was going to end up where I was supposed to. I just needed one team to take that chance on me and I was going it give them all I’ve got.
Q. Do you know anything about New York or New Jersey?
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: Not too much, no actually. I was just there a couple weeks for “Good Morning Football” and that was the first time I had ever been to New York. I’m ready.
Q. What did you think?
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: It was big. A lot of people (laughs).
Q. Who are you with? What was it like getting the call? Can you paint the picture for us?
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: I’m at this hotel here in Lexington. I’ve got a lot of family and friends, quite a bit of people. Really my entire family on both sides, my mom and dad, and a lot of my friends and teammates. It’s a full house.
Q. What do you like about lining up all over the field? I know you’ve played slot and you’ve even lined up at running back and you’ve done all this stuff. How much do you like your ability to do all that?
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: I mean that’s what I pride myself on. I like being a guy that can do all the things equally well, not just doing one thing, stand out well. Just being able to do everything on the field so that way the defense doesn’t know what I’m going to do whenever I’m in the game.
Q. How many times did (Kentucky Quarterback) Will (Levis) throw the ball in a game last season?
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: I can’t tell you exactly a number. There were games that we were more throw-heavy, just depending on the team. Then there were games that – our offensive line was very good – so if there were games we were able to run it the whole game, we were doing that.
Q. Capital D in your name after the apostrophe, right?
WAN’DALE ROBINSON: Yes. Yes, Mom will get mad if she sees that (laughs).
Media Q&A with OG/OT Joshua Ezeudu:
Q. Congratulations, Josh.
JOSH EZEUDU: Thank you so much. Thank you so much.
Q. What position would you say you play?
JOSH EZEUDU: I will play anything the team needs me to play. I’m a team player. I just can’t wait to get there and get to work.
Q. What was your reaction when you heard you were being selected and that it was going to be to New York and the Giants?
JOSH EZEUDU: It was very surreal. Like you think about it so much, but until it actually happens, it kind of shocks you. I was speechless. I didn’t know what type of emotions I had, then as soon as I heard my name being called, I let it all out. It was surreal. It took a lot of hard work to get here, but the hard work is still not done though.
Q. Are you with family or friends? Where are you?
JOSH EZEUDU: Yes, I’m with my family right now.
Q. In Georgia?
JOSH EZEUDU: Yes, in Georgia.
Q. Was it a surprise to you that it was the Giants and here in the third round?
JOSH EZEUDU: I mean, I would say for your name to be called is always a surprise. Everybody expects it to happen, but until it actually happens, it actually kind of shocks you. So, yes, it was a big surprise, but at the end of the day, I just thank God for everything.
Q. Did you have a hunch the Giants were interested throughout the process? What was your connection to them?
JOSH EZEUDU: I just met with (Offensive Line) Coach (Bobby) Johnson before my pro day, and he was also at my pro day too. So that was the only interaction I had with them.
Q. You played multiple positions in the same drive? How does that work?
JOSH EZEUDU: Yes, sir.
Q. Is that by design?
JOSH EZEUDU: That’s just what happened based on whatever our team needed. If our team needed a left guard, then I would move to left guard. If we were struggling at tackle, I would move out to tackle.
Media Q&A with CB Cor’Dale Flott:
Q. How confident are you that you can play both inside and outside corner at the pro level?
COR’DALE FLOTT: I’m very confident. That’s one thing I feel as far as versatility-wise, coming to this program, this organization, I focus more on what’s going to be needed and what areas I’m going to be able to improve and help contribute to the team.
Q. Did you look at it as an opportunity this year when some of your outside guys got banged up and couldn’t play, that you getting more and more time on the outside, kind of showed part of your game that people weren’t anticipating?
COR’DALE FLOTT: Yeah, for sure. When that incident happened, I hate that for those players, but as far as me, it just gave me another opportunity to show more of what I can do and help contribute to the team – like I said I was going to do for this organization.
Q. Maybe some of the analysts didn’t have you going at this point in the Draft, but did you expect to go in the third round?
COR’DALE FLOTT: Yes, I expected it, but not from the Giants, it definitely caught me surprised. I’m very excited.
Q. Why? Why was it a surprise that it was the Giants?
COR’DALE FLOTT: You know, I got along well with the coaches, and I just hear different things from coaches and teams when I was on visits. But I kind of low-key felt like the New York Giants, and the staff, and the cornerbacks coach kind of clicked. So, when I got their call, it was very surprising.
Q. How many visits did you have?
COR’DALE FLOTT: I had seven.
Q. Do you know (Wide Receiver) Kadarius Toney?
COR’DALE FLOTT: Yeah, he played for Blount (High School). He played in high school in my region.
Q. What was that like? What was that rivalry like between those two teams?
COR’DALE FLOTT: He’s a real human joystick for real. I’ve seen it with my own eyes – all throughout his career and when I played him before. I’ll definitely be able to have another chance to go against him again.
Q. Who won that matchup?
COR’DALE FLOTT: He did. He won, and that was the last time I’ve seen him. But we’re definitely going to play again, though.
Q. Who is the toughest guy you had to cover this year?
COR’DALE FLOTT: Toughest guy I had to cover this year, I would say Wan’Dale Robinson from Kentucky.
Q. Are you aware he’s joining you here? Are you just blowing smoke, or is that legit and conveniently you guys are both here?
COR’DALE FLOTT: No, I’m for real. I’m not blowing smoke.
Q. What makes him so hard to cover?
COR’DALE FLOTT: He’s just quick and elite, one of those guys in the slot you’re not really going to be able to get your hands on right away. You’ve got to be able to create speed on top of the route. He’s a good receiver.
Q. Were you on him most of the game?
COR’DALE FLOTT: Yes, I was.
Q. The expectation I think is going to play a lot of man coverage in this defense. How comfortable are you in that type of scheme?
COR’DALE FLOTT: I’m very comfortable in that scheme. Coming to LSU, that’s one of the main things we’re known for and that’s one of the things you know you’re going to do when you first commit to come and play DB there. I’m very comfortable with man-to-man coverage, so I’m excited.
Q: What do you know about New York/New Jersey?
COR’DALE FLOTT: Man, I’m excited. I’ve only been to Jersey once, when I was on a visit, so I’ve definitely got a lot to experience and a lot to learn from as soon as I step my foot in the door.
Q. How do you spell your first name? I’ve seen it a couple of ways.
1st Round – Edge Kayvon Thibodeaux, 6’4”, 254lbs, 4.58, University of Oregon
Sy’56’s Scouting Report: Junior entry from South Central Los Angeles. Three-year starter that came out of school as a topflight, 5-star recruit and delivered. Earned 1st Team All-Pac 12 honors all three years, won the 2020 Morris Trophy, and landed on both the 2020 and 2021 All American squads. Thibodeaux has a long, explosive frame that can bend in and out of small creases with tremendous power and strength. His lockout game combined with a strong initial burst consistently gives him initial positional advantages on blockers. Sometimes, that alone is good enough as he can work through the shoulder of a blocker with consistent ease whether he is rushing the passer or defending the run. He is equally productive against both. Where Thibodeaux struggles, however, is when he is matched up against pro-caliber size and power when it comes to secondary rush moves. He needs to show more technique refinement and continue to try and strengthen his base, which plays small and gets too narrow at times. His lack of body control will cause issues as well when it comes to reaction-based action. His tool set is top shelf, but he is far from a finished product and will need to fix a lot prior to being labeled a dependable player.
*I am going to try and not make this too long because the Thibodeaux fans get really offended, really easily. First off: I have 800+ grades on my master sheet along with another 400+ “training camp body” labels. Thibdodeaux is in the top 15. So yes, I do like him, and I do project him to be a very good football player in the NFL. A starter with high, sky-high, upside. There is some Harold Landry in his game. That said, I do not see him being the All-Pro or even perennial Pro Bowl type. When it comes to the “effort” shortcomings, this is NOT a guy that walks up and down the field. He does NOT play with the “I don’t care” label. There is more to effort than sheer hustle, however.
My issues with Thibodeaux revolve around what he did against his best competition. If he lost initially, if he got locked onto, I did not see the secondary moves. I didn’t see the secondary wiggle to try and re-gain a position. The contrast between him and the other top 5 edge guys in the class in that department is obvious. He also had too many dumb penalties. When it isn’t easy for him (he matched up against some awful OTs), he got frustrated and immature. He didn’t pin his ears back and elevate his game. To me, that is effort and mental toughness that just isn’t there. It is a crucial, borderline vital trait to playing the edge.
That is where I left it with him. And then hearing how he talks about himself and a contract. I have a saying “…he works at his craft like he is above it all already…” simply rubs me the wrong way. Enough that I would be too nervous to use #5 or #7 on him with the other guys available. That is all.
Joe Schoen’s Take: “We’re ecstatic with the two players we got, obviously getting Kayvon Thibodeaux, a really good pass rusher at five, we are excited about that. Thought of getting him there with Azeez (Ojulari) on the other side and the pass rush is important to us, so two young pass rushers on the team now that we are definitely excited about…He’s a very outgoing individual. He’s got a lot of personality. I’m sure you guys will enjoy your time with him meeting him, but a really good kid, likable kid, works hard…Also with Kayvon, he had a serious ankle injury. And a lot of people, with his draft status and draft stock, could have hung it up and said, we’ll call it a season and I’m not going to play anymore. He fought back. And we talked to several people at the school, and he worked his way back and practiced, and a lot of people — he didn’t necessarily need to do that.” (Full Transcript)
Brian Daboll’s Take: “Kayvon is quick off the ball. I think he has a wide variety of pass rush moves, but he can also set an edge for us on our defense, and it’s no secret we play multiple schemes with Wink as our defensive coordinator, and we envision Kayvon being able to do a lot of different things for us. He’s going to have to come in here and earn it, but a productive player the time he’s been at Oregon.” (Full Transcript)
1st Round – OT Evan Neal, 6’7”, 337lbs, 5.04, University of Alabama
Sy’56’s Scouting Report: Junior entry from Okeechobee, Florida. Three-year starter at three different positions (LG, RT, LT). A 2019 Freshman All American that ended his career as a 2nd Team All American and 1st Team All SEC honoree. Neal, a team captain, is lauded by both the on-field coaches and support staff inside the walls. His attention to detail, intelligence, and work ethic have helped him deliver on his 5-star recruit profile out of high school. The fact he started right away as a true freshman for Nick Saban along the offensive line, a rarity, and progressed each season of his 3-year career while playing 3 different positions speaks volumes about his mental game. The obvious with Neal is the elite physical tools. His size is second to none, his power comes easy and natural, and the explosion within his blocking can put him in a rare tier of offensive line prospects. He did struggle with consistency throughout his career, as he showed low body awareness in several situations. He often oversets, leading to balance and control issues. Defenders were able to shake him off too many times. Neal’s upside is as high as it gets but the constant new-position he dealt with every year may have thrown off some important development. That versatility may help his outlook to some teams but once he is drafted, his true value will come when he settles into a position. Neal can eventually be one of the best linemen in the game.
*Prior to the start of the year, I had nearly no-doubt Neal was going to finish in the 90+ tier. But this is where you have to toss pre-conceived notions out the window when watching the tape. The truth is, Neal did not take a step forward. There are shortcomings within his skill set that arose weekly. The positive? These are all very correctable issues, and we see them corrected all the time. He has some of the same issues that Tristan Wirfs did coming out of Iowa in 2020. Wirfs was my OT1 in that class with a similar grade and is now an All-Pro. Neal can get on that path just as quickly, but I think he needs to settle into a position and remain there for a couple years. That hasn’t been the case since he was a high schooler. NYG would be an ideal destination for him. Insert him into the RT spot week 1 and they could have a top tier OT pair within a year or two. I would be excited to get this kid in blue.
Joe Schoen’s Take: “Evan Neal, again, I’m sure it will come up, but starting off we’ll be putting him at right tackle. Obviously, we really like his versatility, 40 career starts in three different spots in the SEC, only missed one game in his career with COVID. So both 21 years old, young players, both still have upside to develop.” (Full Transcript)
Brian Daboll’s Take: “Evan has played multiple positions. He’s long — it takes a guy the long route to go to the quarterback. He’s got long arms. He’s a big, massive man, played multiple positions, had a lot of people down at Alabama that I trust and had a lot confidence in him and had a lot of good things to say about him and along with (offensive line coaches) Bobby Johnson and Tony Sparano, the guys that have looked at him, we thought very highly of him.” (Full Transcript)
2nd Round – Wan’Dale Robinson, 5’8”, 178lbs, 4.38, University of Kentucky
Sy’56’s Scouting Report: Junior entry from Frankfort, KY. Spent two seasons at Nebraska before transferring to Kentucky for the 2021 season. Honorable Mention All-Big 10 in both 2019 and 2020, second team All-SEC in 2021. Robinson has been a hybrid receiver/running back from the start of his career and will give an NFL offense the opportunity to create a big-time playmaker out of him. He has the well-balanced athletic ability and overall skill set to do multiple things, align from different spots, and create on his own. He is much more than an undersized, underneath threat that can occasionally take a jet sweep. He has had a lot of success in the deep passing game and plays with the kind of competitive fire that an at least somewhat make up for the lack of ideal size. Because he has lined up all over the offense, Robinson is a little rough around the edges when it comes release and route nuances, but all can be corrected in time. He is a big play threat every time he gets on the field no matter where he lines up.
*Robinson is a guy I have a feeling about. The quickness and burst he has the instant he touches the ball is exactly what gets overlooked by many when looking at measurables. He has the knack to find creases immediately. He is also one tough, strong dude that understands he can use the diminutive frame to his advantage, as a weapon. He is a gadget player, not someone that is always on the field. An argument can be made that only an established offense should be using a pick on a guy like this. I would not agree. Robinson is someone that can make things happen on his own. He can create big plays from nothing and that is what a growing offense needs. Robinson will make grown men hold their breath every time he gets the ball. The way Daboll used Isaiah McKenzie in Buffalo is a nice template: 77 catches – 27 rushes – 21 punt returns – 29 kick returns since 2019. I see Robinson being a better version of that. Keep an eye here.
Joe Schoen’s Take: “Good football player we’ve had our eye on, generator with the ball in his hands, very good run after the catch, very good route runner, can separate. And for what we are going to do offensively, we thought he would be a very good fit for us…He’s a generator when the ball is in his hands. He can run after a catch. He can separate from DBs, he gets open. He played some running back at Nebraska (before he transferred). That’s a versatile piece you can use in your offense. If you look at some of the other guys, how you can use them, and if you look at Daboll’s past or you look at Kafka’s past in terms of the creativeness in their offense and the weapons they can utilize, I think you can kind of see what the vision may look like.” (Full Transcript)
Brian Daboll’s Take: “Versatile, got quickness, explosiveness, he’s tough even for a smaller guy. Been a very productive player really going back to high school when he played there in Kentucky. So a guy we’re anxious to get our hands on and work with and implement into our scheme…I think he can play inside, and I think he’s strong enough and fast enough, even though he’s a smaller, shorter guy, that he can contribute outside, too…What we’re trying to do is put as many generating pieces out there to create pace and stretch the field, whether it be vertical or horizontally, and this is another good guy that has ability to run after catch, which is an important aspect of it.” (Full Transcript)
3rd Round – OG/OT Joshua Ezeudu, 6’4”, 308lbs, 5.19, University of North Carolina
Sy’56’s Scouting Report: Fourth-year junior entry from Lawrenceville, GA. Three-year starter that earned Honorable Mention All-ACC honors in 2021, second-team in 2020. Because of injuries and inconsistent play throughout the entire line, Ezeudu was moved around often. Throughout his career he played every spot along the line with some of his best tape coming from his snaps at left tackle. His top position will be inside at guard but that kind of versatility can boost his stock a bit. Ezeudu excels with his hands and displays quick feet, always a good place to start. The natural top-end athletic ability is limited, however, and it shows up when he needs to adjust laterally. His knee bend is inconsistent and there is a recoil in his reaction-times because of it. If he can improve some lower body techniques, there are some quality traits to work with.
*When looking to add offensive linemen early day three, I love the idea of getting a guy that has credible experience and ability at multiple spots. There is no question Ezeudu projects best to guard, but I do think he could be a swing tackle if needed. So many teams have depth issues there. You see a guy or two go down with an injury and all of the sudden the entire offense needs to change. Ezeudu looks pro ready on most levels. His movement just seems a step too slow right now but I think he is better than over half the backups in the league right now. Throw in the versatility and I think it is a brilliant pick if he can be had in the right slot.
Joe Schoen’s Take: “So Josh Ezeudu out of North Carolina, a player we liked obviously. History of playing multiple spots on the offensive line. He’s got guard-tackle flex. Again, we’ll bring him in, I’m not sure, not going to say exactly where we’re going to start him, but we like the versatility that he can play guard, he can play tackle, compete to start probably inside, with outside flex…Impressive (at switching spots). He’s impressive. It’s rare. I was fortunate enough to see him play live twice this year, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh. He’s a big man, and it’s impressive. Again, he could play multiple spots not only on a week-to-week basis but within a game, within drives. So it’s very impressive, and he’s an outstanding kid. You guys will like getting to know him.” (Full Transcript)
Sy’56’s Scouting Report: Junior entry from Saraland, AL. Two-year starter that saw time outside and at nickel. Cousin to fellow draft prospect Velus Jones, a wide receiver from Tennessee. Flott is a smooth mover that gets in and out of his breaks with no wasted motion. He plays faster than he times because of it. He lacks a physical presence on contact and there is not much of a frame to build on. Because of that, Flott will need to be near-flawless when it comes to route anticipation and reaction. He will likely project as a backup nickel that can see the field in deeper sub packages. He has some safety type traits against the pass only as well. He may be a guy without a true position and I’m not sure I see a ton of special teams upside.
Joe Schoen’s Take: “Cor’Dale Flott is a guy we liked out of LSU, athletic kid, versatility, play inside, outside. Both kids we spent a lot of time with throughout the spring, and we’re happy to have them…I think position one, ideally, he’s inside, but he can play inside and outside. He has height, and he does have length. And again, the kid is 20 years old. I believe he turns 21 in August or September…So still young, still developing. Three-year guy at LSU that played in a really talented backfield and a good conference. We’re excited. He’s got really good movement skills to play inside, but with the size and length, can play outside as well.” (Full Transcript)
4th Round – TE Daniel Bellinger, 6’5”, 253lbs, 4.63, San Diego State University
Sy’56’s Scouting Report: Senior entry from Las Vegas, NV. Three-year starter than earned Honorable Mention All-Mountain West honors in 2020. Bellinger has the tool set and ability to play the traditional Y tight end spot. While his skill set is more receiver-friendly, he does show enough upside and ability to create impact as a blocker. He plays a twitchy, sudden game and understands his role well. Bellinger may not have the man-strength quite yet to have a big role, but he should fill the back end of a depth chart early on. He is a plus-athlete with some sneaky upside to him when it comes to getting open and making things happen after the catch.
*It would not surprise me one bit to see Bellinger sneak into the end of round two. The triangle numbers are really solid, and he didn’t drop a single ball over his last two seasons. I just wish he got more looks in the passing game at San Diego State. He will likely be a year two guy at earliest because he had a hard time with defensive linemen in the Mountain West. I think NFL guys will eat him early on.
Joe Schoen’s Take: “Daniel Bellinger was our first pick today, tight end out of San Diego State. A guy that we liked, size, speed, athleticism, should be able to help us on special teams, was in Senior Bowl, was at his pro day, too, and a guy we’ve liked throughout the process.” (Full Transcript)
4th Round – S Dane Belton, 6’1”, 205lbs, 4.43, University of Iowa
Sy’56’s Scouting Report: Junior entry from Tampa, FL. Two-year starter that earned All Big-10 honors in both 2020 and 2021, first team in 2021. Belton played a hybrid safety/linebacker role that saw him involved in the box more often than not. He has a sturdy, strong frame with plus-power and straight line speed. He factors well in pursuit sideline to sideline and had a high success rate as a tackler. Belton started to turn a corner as a junior in coverage. He showed quality ball skills and plus-body control out of his breaks. He shows minimal wasted motion once he made up his mind. He can get into trouble when trying to forecast routes and throws, as he seems a step behind mentally and shows tightness in his hips laterally. He projects as a nickel or dime safety that can creep up toward the line and he will be a weapon on special teams.
Joe Schoen’s Take: “Dane Belton, another guy we liked, the versatility in the player, he’s got ball skills, he can play from depth and down in the box, can pay nickel.” (Full Transcript)
Sy’56’s Scouting Report:Senior entry from Tampa, FL. Three-year starter that earned honorable mention All-Big 10 honors in 2019, first team in 2020, second team in 2021. Also a third team All-American in 2019. McFadden is a well-put together, quick and sudden linebacker that flies all over the field and brings a high success rate as a tackler. He can defend the inside run with stout power and will get to the sideline against the outside running game. He excels in pursuit. McFadden does have the occasional lapse in concentration and will over-pursue his intentions, leaving him vulnerable and top heavy. He does not factor well in man coverage, as his hip tightness and eager mentality can be easy to toy with. He projects as a solid special teamer that could develop into a rotational inside linebacker in a 3-4 front.
Joe Schoen’s Take: “Micah McFadden from Indiana, another guy with very good size, speed. He was a captain, he’s athletic. I think he’ll help us out. He can play inside, outside, and he’s a good blitzer as well. Again, another versatile piece.” (Full Transcript)
5th Round – DL D.J. Davidson, 6’3”, 327lbs, 5.20, Arizona State University
Sy’56’s Scouting Report:Fifth year senior from Mesa, AZ. Took an additional year off between high school and college. Three-year starter that earned second team All-Pac 12 honors in 2021. Davidson will best project to a zero-tech in a 3-4 front. There, his natural power and ability to two-gap will be used most effectively. In an even front, he will not offer much as a pass rusher, but he could fit into a situational role as well. Davidson can play with quick feet in addition to a hard-to-move presence against the run. He has a natural sense to feel blocks and flow to the ball. He needs to work on lower body bend and techniques so his pad level can be better. The lack of leverage wins will eat him up at the next level. Davidson needs to fully buy into fixing his body and skill set for a couple years before he can be trusted.
Joe Schoen’s Take: “D.J. Davidson, see him more as a nose, out of Arizona State, be a good depth player that has some upside. We are excited about working with him inside, again, trying to add some depth up front there.” (Full Transcript)
5th Round – OG Marcus McKethan, 6’6”. 340lbs, 5.31, University of North Carolina
Sy’56’s Scouting Report:Fifth year senior from Barnwell, SC. Three-year starter that has the body of a tackle but played right guard all three seasons. Two-time Honorable Mention All-ACC. McKethan looks like a tackle prototype with elite girth and length from head to toe. His power and lockout game are enough to stop professional defenders in their tracks right away. The issue with him revolves around reaction time and bend. He does not keep the feet active post-engagement and he will always struggle to win the leverage battle. McKethan is a project that a team will want to develop in undrafted free agency most likely, as the holes in his game are both hard to fix and far away from being pro-ready.
Joe Schoen’s Take: “Marcus McKethan, another guy obviously we spent some time with, the North Carolina kids. Huge human being. Very good size, length. Again, some versatility, he’s played tackle and he’s played guard. Again, going to add depth and competition to the roster. We’ll probably start him at guard, but he does have tackle flex.” (Full Transcript)
Media Q&A with Marcus McKethan: To be provided. (Full Transcript)
6th Round – LB Darrian Beavers, 6’4”, 237lbs, 4.85, University of Cincinnati
Sy’56’s Scouting Report: Fifth year senior from Cincinnati, OH. Spent 2017 and 2018 at Connecticut before transferring to Cincinnati. Four-year starter between the two programs. Second team All-AAC in 2020, first team in 2021. Was also a Butkus Award Finalist in his final season. Beavers brings a unique tool set to the table and it was used all over the front seven in college. He primarily lined up off the ball, but he saw over 250 snaps along the edge on-line over his three years at Cincinnati. The heaviness in his hands and overall ability to play both stout and fast should get the attention of versatile defensive schemes. He does not play very sudden and there are too many inconsistencies with his tackling and aggression in space. There won’t be a fit for him in every scheme but at the same time, he can bring versatility to a multiple-front defense that others cannot.
*I have in my notes from the 2021 season that Beavers “…looks like an old school Steeler or Patriot…” Some make the mistake that Baltimore (Martindale/Ryan) went after the same personnel. I don’t agree. Martindale wants a bit more speed and twitch in his linebackers and even though Beavers tested OK with times, he doesn’t always play fast. I will say this though: He is an alpha. Beavers is a mean, powerful dude and he did line up all over the front seven. That said, he was not a very successful outside rusher.
Joe Schoen’s Take: “Darrian Beavers is another guy that we really liked, versatile piece, he played inside and he played outside. I was at his pro day. He did some stuff as an outside rusher and that looks like something that may be part of the package. Like his versatility to be inside, outside, and play on special teams.” (Full Transcript)
RB Jashaun Corbin, 6’0’’, 221lbs, 4.58, Florida State University (Video)
Corbin is is a north/south runner who does his best work between the tackles. He is a patient runner with good vision. He has some shiftiness to his game and can run through tackles. Corbin also can catch the ball out of the backfield, but he needs work in pass protection.
FB Jeremiah Hall, 6’2’’, 248lbs, 4.96, University of Oklahoma (Video)
Built more like an H-Back or fullback than tight end, Hall was used in the slot, inline, and out of the backfield in college. Hall is a good receiver who runs tough after the catch. Good blocker.
TEAndre Miller, 6’3’’, 220lbs, 4.54, University of Maine (Video)
Miller was a big receiver in college with good overall athletic ability. The Giants intend to convert him to tight end.
TE Austin Allen, 6’9’’, 255lbs, 4.83, University of Nebraska (Video)
Allen is a tall, narrow tight end with a big catch radius and sure hands. He gives an effort in the blocking department, but is more of a position blocker given his frame.
OG Josh Rivas, 6’6’’, 317lbs, 5.32, Kansas State University (Video)
Rivas is a big lineman with decent athleticism for his size. He needs a lot of technique work.
DE Ryder Anderson, 6’6’’, 4.92, 266lbs, Indiana University
Anderson has good size, strength, and length. He can control the point-of-attack against the run, but lacks ideal quickness to be factor rushing the passer.
DL Christopher Hinton, 6’4’’, 310lbs, 5.28, University of Michigan (Video)
Hinton lacks ideal size and athleticism, but he is a tough, strong run defender. He plays with leverage and holds his ground. Hinton does not offer much as a pass rusher. Reliable and he plays hard.
DL Jabari Ellis, 6’3’’, 278lbs, 4.77, University of South Carolina (Video)
Ellis was a team captain who played six seasons in college.
DL Antonio Valentino, 6’3’’, 312lbs, 5.27, University of Florida (Video)
Valentino is a big, strong, hard-working lineman who lacks ideal athletic ability and quickness.
OLB Tomon Fox, 6’3’’, 260lbs, 4.79, University of North Carolina (Video)
Fox lacks ideal athleticism, but he is instinctive, productive, and plays hard.
CB Darren Evans, 6’3’’, 174lbs, 4.53, LSU (Video)
Evans is a tall, thin corner who has decent overall athleticism. He is aggressive against the run. Evans needs to make more plays on the ball.
CB Zyon Gilbert, 6’1’’, 182lbs, 4.42, Florida Atlantic University (Video)
Gilbert played both safety and cornerback in college. He combines good size and overall athleticism and speed. Gilbert is aggressive against the run, but he needs work in coverage in terms of his anticipation skills and technique.
S Yusuf Corker, 6’0’’, 197lbs, 4.53, Kentucky, University of Kentucky (Video)
A physical, aggressive, and instinctive safety, Corker makes plays on the ball both as a run and pass defender. A bit stiff, he lacks ideal speed and change-of-direction skills. He needs to become a more consistent tackler.
S Trenton Thompson, 6’2’’, 200lbs, 4.58, San Diego State University (Video)
Despite playing six years in college, Thompson only became a full-time starter in his final season. He has good size, but lacks ideal speed. Instinctive, he does play faster than he times. Big hitter. Thompson is a good special teams player.
S Jordan Mosley, 6’1’’, 210lbs, 4.69, University of Maryland (Video)
Mosley has good size, but lacks ideal overall athleticism, speed, and agility. An instinctive player, Mosley is also a good tackler.
