‘Good start’ for Giants: 8 takeaways from Thursday’s practice

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants completed their first week of OTAs on Thursday with an indoor practice due to wet field conditions at the team’s Quest Diagnostics Training Center practice facility.

“Good three days. Real good start,” said head coach John Harbaugh.

‘You’re competing against yourself’

Harbaugh reminded assembled media that there is no contact during these “fast rehearsal” practices, and no real man-on-man competition.

“There’s no competition in the sense of you’re competing one-on-one to make a play,” Harbaugh said. “It’s more about I’m competing against myself, my technique, my assignment, my ability to execute really fast.”

Not practicing

Wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee), quarterback Jameis Winston, cornerback Dru Phillips, fullback Patrick Ricard, and defensive linemen Shelby Harris, D.J. Reader, and Sam Roberts were not spotted during practice.

Wide receiver Darius Slayton (sports hernia) and rookie cornerback Colton Hood (unkknown) came out to watch practice late, but did not participate. Andrew Thomas (foot/shoulder) watched team drills from the sideline.

Kicking competition

The Giants currently have three placekickers on their 90-man roster — Ben Sauls, Jason Sanders, and undrafted free agent rookie Dominic Zvada.

Sauls and Sanders kicked on Thursday. Sauls went 2 of 4, badly yanking the first kick wide right. We were unable to see if the snap by Zach Triner or the hold by Dalen Cambre were problematic on that kick. Sanders went 4 of 6, pulling his last two attempts wide left.

Jaxson Dart wants to make ‘mature decisions’

As a rookie, Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart was criticized for the number of unnecessary hits to took, and for stubbornness in being largely unwilling to take fewer risks.

That seemed to change a bit later in the season, and from what Dart said on Thursday after practice has definitely changed now.

Dart said his competitiveness “isn’t going to change at all,” but that he wants to make “mature decisions” about when to protect himself and when to put his body on the line.

Dart said he has spent time reviewing film with quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan to discuss “situationally just being smart.”

“Coach G-Ro (senior offensive assistant Greg Roman) talked about it today. It’s important for the quarterback to make sure how he’s feeling one play that he’s going to feel that same way the next play. And at the same time, just having the experience last year of sitting out two games, I hadn’t done that in my career. So, I just hated that time of not being out there with my teammates,” Dart said.

“So obviously I understand the most important thing is to be out there. So, you just grow and learn from things. And I think I’m going to do a good job at it this year for sure.”

John Mara sighting

Giants’ co-owner John Mara was in the field house for the first few minutes of practice. Mara, who has been battling cancer, was accompanied by his brother, Chris Mara, but was walking under his own power and looked much better than he had back in January at Harbaugh’s introductory press conference. Mara left after watching the first few minutes of practice.

Rookies need to ‘hit the gas’

OTAs provide the first opportunity for rookies to get on the field with their veteran teammates. What is Harbaugh looking for from first-year players?

“You want them to get up to speed real quick. You want them to — it’s like these North Jersey roads. In the Midwest we have, like, on ramps. Here, you got right turns. There’s a semi coming 70 miles an hour, you hit the gas,” Harbaugh said.

“We need our guys to hit the gas and get up to speed quick. They’re doing a good job of it.”

‘We need to move forward’

Thomas, a veteran leader on offense the way Dexter Lawrence used to be on defense before his trade to the Cincinnati Bengals, was asked for his thoughts on Lawrence leaving the Giants.

“It’s a new year. All I can do is control what I can control. That’s trying to be the best player and best leader I can be,” Thomas said. “If I want this place to reach the goals that we have set, I got to be part of that so that’s what I’m trying to do.

“I don’t know what was going through his mind. Obviously, he made a decision that was best for him and his family. I wish him the best. Obviously, he was a great player, great teammate, but we have to move forward.”

Practice notes

The second offensive line was J.C. Davis (LT), Lucas Patrick (LG), Bryan Hudson (C), Daniel Faalele (RG), Josh Ezeudu (RT). Notable there was the fact that Ezeudu was being used at tackle, the same as he was during the last couple of years of the Brian Daboll era.
Evan Neal took just a handful of third-team reps, lining up for a few snaps at each guard spot.
INJURY NOTES: Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt left the field early with trainers, rode the bike for a bit, then watched the rest of practice. Defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris also left practice early.
Safety Beau Brade had the defensive play of the day, flashing in front of a wide receiver down the middle of the field to pick off a Brandon Allen pass.
Allen and wide receiver Xavier Gipson hooked up on a long pass play.
A player to watch is veteran safety Ar’Darius Washington, who followed Harbaugh from the Baltimore Ravens to the Giants. With Dru Phillips not practicing, Washington got first-team reps in the slot and a couple of first-team reps at safety.

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