New York Giants Intra-squad scrimmage top takeaways: Jones stock, Darnay Holmes elevates, more!

The New York Giants had their first intrasquad exhibition game on Friday afternoon, composed of both offense and defensive personnel.

The purpose behind the scrimmage was to give opportunities to the younger players on the roster and iron out the back end. While undrafted free agents and late-round draft picks are the focal points, experienced veterans and expected starters also gained essential experience prior to the start of the 2020 regular season.

Some notable absentees where Xavier McKinney and Ryan Connelly. Head coach Joe Judge said that sitting both of them was just a precaution, giving them a rest day after several intense practices. McKinney nearly came away with several turnovers on Thursday, and Connelly, who is coming off a torn ACL, is working his way back to football form.

Stand-out players for the New York Giants:

-Darnay Holmes

Holmes had a stellar practice, coming away with an interception over veteran wide receiver Golden Tate. While Daniel Jones threw a lofty pass giving Holmes time to get underneath, the rookie showed off his athleticism.

-Dravon Askew-Henry

Askew-Henry has been stellar the past few days of practice, walking away with several defended passes. He’s making the transition from the XFL, and while it was a longshot for him to make the roster, this could finally be his opportunity to stick up in the NFL. He is a cousin of former Jet’s cornerback, Darrelle Revis.

-Dion Lewis

The New York Giants signed Dion Lewis to be Saquon Barkley’s complementary back, and he has done just that so far in training camp. He pulled off a few long runs using his shiftiness and elusive attribute. Utilizing 22 personnel, the offense can create more opportunities with Barkley and Lewis on the field. It will be interesting to see how they utilize the predominant pass-catching back.

As for second-year quarterback Daniel Jones, he had an up-and-down practice. While he threw some nice passes and walked away with two touchdowns, he also tossed an interception on the day. Ultimately, the offense struggled to get things going early but picked up toward the end of the scrimmage. He stated afterward that he feels confident in the huddle and has command at the line of scrimmage. Knowing his pre-snap reads and checks gives him the confidence in knowing he is moving in the right direction with Jason Garrett’s offensive scheme.

Defensively, second-year tackle Dexter Lawrence had a tackle for a loss on Saquon Barkley and looked agile. He lost a nice chunk of weight to increase his mobility and speed in the trenches.