5.12.2022, 11:53
The New York Giants have completed their five-day acclimation period in which training camp practices may not be held in full pads, and no live contact is permitted. So far, so good, as the team seems relatively healthy (that we know of) and in better condition overall, thanks to the moving around in the intense heat.While its wise to heed the advice of head coach Brian Daboll, who cautioned against being an instant evaluator based on four pad-le s practices, it's hard not to give Blake Comeau Jersey kudos to the following five players who had a strong first week of training camp.Darnay Holmes | CBWas there ever a year that Holmes didnt have the odds stacked against him? From coming in as a rookie and having to learn the slot position after excelling at UCLA on the perimeter, to having to deal with a season-ending injury, to having to fight off players like Aaron Robinson and Julian Love from taking his snaps, Holmes is still standing.What hes done so far in four camp practices has produced three interceptions and forced one fumble, reminding people that hes still here and is not someone to be taken lightly.Kadarius Toney | Rene Bourque Jersey WRWhat a difference a year has made for the teams 2021 first-round draft pick. Last year, everything that could have gone wrong for Toney didill-fitting shoes, a personal family i sue, two rounds of COVID-19 (including one at the start of training camp that affected his wind), and injuries.After mi sing the spring while recovering from what was reportedly a minor knee procedure, Toney looks like a completely different player. Hes also been showing people why he was worthy of first-round draft status by taking those short to intermediate pa ses and turning them into sizable gains.As a bonus, he loves the new offensive system so much that there is a noticeable change in his demeanor from last year, in which hes more confident in everything hes done and is doing everything with more of a bounce in his step.Scroll to ContinueMore New York Giants CoverageElerson Smith | OLBThanks to injuriesKayvon Thibodeaux mi sing the OTAs in the spring and now Azeez Gabriel Landeskog Jersey Ojulari mi sing time while on the non-football injury list with a hamstring strainElerson Smith, last years fourth-round pick who mi sed most of his rookie season with his own injury i sues, is flourishing in this new defense.Smith spent the off-season adding some bulk to his 6-foot-7 frame and looks noticeably bigger in his upper body. While the lack of live contact and pads hasnt shown if hes any better in shedding blocks, what Smith has shown is that Adam Foote Jersey quickne s off the snap in getting into the backfield to disrupt the quarterback.Richie James | WRIn case you mi sed it, Richie James, the former 49ers draft pick, started drawing some attention back in the spring when he received first-team reps with Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay, and Sterling Shepard sidelined due to medical reasons. James, who has also been a productive return specialist in his young NFL career, took full advantage of his opportunities back then and has picked up where he left off.James has seen some first-team reps so far this summer, and the thing that has stood out most besides his hands is how crisp his routes have been. James has a degree of elusivene s to his game, and with his special teams background, hes become an early favorite to make the initial 53-man roster.Xavier McKinney | SIf you thought Xavier McKinney was a force with which to be Tyson Barrie Jersey reckoned last year, you aint seen nothing yet. McKinney has not only seen his role expanded in this new defense (mirroring much of what he did at Alabama), he has been in the thick of the plays made by the defense.McKinney has also emerged as the unit's new leader and will call the plays in the huddle, a role that previously fell to the inside linebacker. McKinney, who connected with former Ravens safety Eric Weddle in the off-season to enhance his understanding of how new defensive coordinator Wink Martindale thinks, is almost certain to be elected a team captain this fall by his peers. Such a role would be fitting given the significant responsibility entrusted to him.