New York Giants: Pat Shurmur Talks Receivers After Minicamp Day 3

New York Giants, Darius Slayton
Nov 5, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers wide receiver Darius Slayton (81) celebrates a touchdown during the third quarter against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Three days of minicamp so far have showed who the top performers are for the New York Giants, and have brought about a plethora of quotes from the coaching staff on the team’s current position. Things have mostly been positive so far, with Daniel Jones earning praise on the first day and the defense getting praise on day two from their defensive coordinator. On the third day, it was a couple of receivers as well as the offense in general to be notably praised by the coaching staff.

The receivers in question would be Darius Slayton and Corey Coleman, two underdogs in the overall scheme of things who have managed to impress this offseason – with the former even more impressively being a rookie this season.

“The guy that’s made huge improvements in my eyes has been Slayton, he’s done a really good job. I think we were all here during rookie minicamp when he kind of had the yips, drops and what not,” said head coach Pat Shurmur when asked about which rookie players had impressed. “He’s really smoothed it out and he’s been making plays. He’s the first guy that comes to mind. This time of year, it’s more about throwing and catching and less about blocking and tackling.”

But Slayton wasn’t the only wide receiver to get praise. “I think him having the full process, we are going to see the best of him. He’s the first one to tell you when he came in the league, he had a lot to learn. Now he’s got an opportunity to maybe be a front-line player,” said Shurmur on Corey Coleman, after elaborating on the team’s reasons for bringing Coleman back another year after picking him up last year.

“He’s very interested in all that, he’s learning our system, he’s doing a great job learning it. He’s fast, he’s really a terrific talent, so hopefully we can get him on the field and make a difference for us,” Shurmur added on the subject of Coleman.

The receiving corps looks very different this year with the departure of Odell Beckham Jr. and the addition of Golden Tate, as well as Sterling Shepard’s stronger role being confirmed by a large contract… However, don’t count out the rookies and some of the lesser known players at the position. The Giants might not have a superstar at wide receiver now, but they do have the potential to be a deep team at the position.