With training camp underway for the New York Giants, several players have already had conference calls to detail the new protocols and having several new faces on the team. Quarterback Daniel Jones talked about his progression and added strength this off-season, while underrated defensive lineman Delvin Tomlinson gave some answers on the new protocols and the new defensive scheme.
With the Giants still in the middle of a rebuild, there are plenty of young and inexperienced players on the roster. Let’s take a look at some players ESM is excited for during camp.
Three New York Giants to keep an eye on during training camp:
1.) Darnay Holmes
If you haven’t heard Darnay Holmes’ story, you should probably go check it out. After his mother was evicted from her home, Holmes welcomed her into his apartment at UCLA with open arms. Allowing her to sleep in his bed, Holmes slept at the UCLA football facilities on pads, showing off his respect and love for the people in his life.
Holmes is a high character player with a fantastic mentality toward success. Having been mentored by Deion Sanders and Rod Woodson, Holmes is looking to cement himself as a starting position player on defense. While most analysts had him penciled in as a nickel corner in the NFL, he has a similar size to Janoris Jenkins.
With DeAndre Baker and Sam Beal missing the 2020 season, Holmes could compete for the CB2 spot. He is an exciting young athlete that is worth watching during training camp this year.
2.) Ryan Connelly
Connelly started off his NFL career with a bang, recording 20 combine tackles, two passes defended, and two interceptions through just four games. At the end of a week four contest against the Washington Football Team, Connelly tore his ACL and missed the remainder of the 2019 campaign. He showed plenty of optimism and potential for a rookie, despite a small sample size. Reports have indicated he is fully healthy and ready to compete during camp, which is a very positive sign for a team that lacks a secondary middle linebacker.
With the signing of Blake Martinez this off-season on a three-year deal, Connelly could be the perfect pairing at linebacker. His instinctive attributes and desire to shoot into the backfield to stop running backs makes him a high-upside player. If his injury doesn’t hold him back mentally and physically, there’s a good chance he could be an everyday starter for the Giants moving forward.
3.) Carter Coughlin
The New York Giants drafted Minnesota pass rusher, Carter Coughlin, in the seventh round this year. Â Knowing little about him, it is tough to see the value he brings to Big Blue. However, his upside should brew awareness from coaches and fans alike.
Coughlin‘s tangible traits are impressive, having posted a 4.57 40-yard dash and 8.16 10-yard split. Both of those ranked in the 80th percentile for linebackers this year. At 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds, Coughlin is more of a speed rusher than a power guy. His agility makes him deadly around the edge, having good bend. However, I don’t anticipate him bull-rushing through tackles at an efficient rate.
Nonetheless, Coughlin started 13 games back in 2018, earning Second Team All Big-10 player accolades and was an Academic Big-10 winner. Carter’s intelligence and physical skills pair well as he enters the NFL as a late-round draft pick.
Two years ago, he ranked third among Big-10 players with a 92.2 overall pass-rush grade. He ranked above both Joey Bosa and was just behind Chase Young and Nick Bosa. I believe he can be an influential player for the Giants but needs to put on a bit more muscle mass. It will be tough to crack a rotation consisting of Oshane Ximines, Lorenzo Carter, Kyler Fackrell, and Markus Golden.
Getting him some game time is essential, though, and without a regular preseason schedule, it won’t be easy to activate his development.
Training camp will be that much more influential for his progression.