Giants training camp: What we learned on Day 1

Jaxson Dart’s day, injury news, practice updates

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants completed their first practice of training camp on Wednesday. Highlights included Malik Nabers grabbing a couple of touchdown passes from Russell Wilson in the red zone. A lowlight included a Jaxson Dart pick six.

Here is some of what we saw and learned.

Injury stuff

We knew on Tuesday that left tackle Andrew Thomas (Lisfranc surgery rehab) and running back Eric Gray (knee) would begin training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

Head coach Brian Daboll was typically evasive Wednesday on timelines for them to return.

“They’ll be back when they’re ready to be back,” Daboll said.

GM Joe Schoen said the Giants expect Thomas, who has missed 18 games with a variety of leg, foot and ankle issues the past two seasons, to be ready for the season-opener against the Washington Commanders.

“He should be ready for the opener,” Schoen said. “Again, things change. You can never be one hundred percent, but we’re going to take it day by day with him. When he is ready, he’ll be out there, but we anticipate him to be ready for the opener.”

• Wide receiver Malik Nabers was a full participant and said that while surgery on his troublesome toe has been discussed, it is not a consideration at this time. Nabers also said he believes he “can be” the best receiver in the NFL.

“The work is going to always show. There are a lot of guys that work all year round so the work will show,” Nabers said. “I feel like I should be one of those top guys in a few years, if not next year. That’s just me personally, but time will tell.”

• Inside linebacker Bobby Okereke, who missed the final few practices of the spring, was a full participant.
• Rookie running back Cam Skattebo and rookie defensive tackle Darius Alexander were full participants after missing large portions of the spring. Skattebo caught a touchdown pass from Dart in 7 on 7. Alexander appeared to get his 11 on 11 snaps with the second and third teams.

Quarterback update

Daboll reiterated on Wednesday that Russell Wilson is the starting quarterback. [See full story] GM Joe Schoen said rookie first-round pick Jaxson Dart won’t play until “the time’s right or the circumstance is right.”

There is no way of telling exactly when that will be.

“I think there’s some real benefits from sitting and learning specifically from some of the guys in the room that have the experience that they have,” Schoen said. “But if the coaching staff at some point feels it’s right and he’s ready, then I’ll leave that up to them.”

Daboll said that young players will make mistakes, but that being an “error repeater” will keep you chained to the bench.

“It’s easy to look at veteran players, not just at the quarterback position and guys that have had a lot of experience in the league and have been through things and you kind of know, alright, they got it, they’re not going to make a lot of mistakes, you trust them as a coach,” Daboll said. “Versus some young players who are pretty skillful, maybe they’re a little quicker, maybe they’re a little faster, but there’s two or three mistakes a day. What you evaluate is are you an error repeater, you make the same mistake the next day and then the next day. And if that’s the case, it’s hard to put a player out there that does that.”

Dart made a grievous mistake on his first play of 11-on-11 drills on Wednesday, throwing a pass across the middle that cornerback Nic Jones took back for a pick-six.

Here is how Dart explained the interception to Ian O’Connor of The Athletic:

All of the following quarterback numbers are unofficial:

• Dart ended his day just 2 of 5 passing with the pick-six and one touchdown on a throw to Theo Johnson. In 7 on 7 drills, Dart did throw a short touchdown pass to running back cam Skattebo. The rookie quarterback did take one first-team rep.
• Wilson was 9 of 15 during 11-on-11 with at least two touchdown passes.
• Jameis Winston went 4 of 5.
• Tommy DeVito was just 1 of 2.

Russell Wilson on leadership

“I think leadership is about 100% of the time. It’s not 80% of the time or 90% of the time. It’s got to be 100% of the time.”

‘Hat tip’ to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, by the way, for counting the words in this answer by Wilson. It took more than four minutes, offering shades of answers by Joe Judge near the end of his tenure as Giants coach.

Pass rush shows up

• Kayvon Thibodeaux, rushing against fill-in left tackle James Hudson, had an active day with roughly four quarterback pressures.
• Brian Burns also had what likely would have been a sack.

Keep in mind that there are no pads and that quarterbacks in these drills tend to hold the ball longer than they would in real game circumstances.

Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images

Dexter Lawrence “feeling good”

Dexter Lawrence took a few reps, but appeared to sit out two of the three 11 on 11 periods. Lawrence said he is “feeling good” after finishing last season on IR with a dislocated elbow. Lawrence said the revamped defense is “exciting,” but has much to prove.

“It’s new challenges,” he said. “As a leader I try to challenge everybody to prove themselves every day, even myself. Prove who we can be.

“Yesterday I challenged the defense. They want to talk about our d-line and all this, but we ain’t done anything yet and we’ve got to come out here and improve and get better and challenge each other and just work.”

I wrote the other day about how Lawrence, thought by some to be the league’s best defensive tackle, has seen his contract fall behind some other players at the position. He is not worrying about that.

“I do what I do. It is going to take care of itself,” Lawrence said. “I mean right now I just want to win. I know if I do that and I keep being who I know I am, it is all going to take care of itself and that’s all I can do.

“I’m just going handle my business.”

Offensive notes

• The starting offensive line was Hudson (LT), Jon Runyan Jr. (LG), John Michael Schmitz (C), Greg Van Roten (RG), Jermaine Eluemunor (RT).
• Evan Neal worked one series with the first team at right guard. Otherwise, he ran with the second unit at left guard.
• Rookie fifth-round pick Marcus Mbow worked as the second team right tackle, the same thing he did most of the spring.
• While he is expected to be RB3 when the season begins, Devin Singletary did get a few first-team reps on Wednesday.
• Greg Dulcich, trying to work his way up a deep tight end depth chart, had a terrific catch in traffic on a tight-window throw from Winston.

Defensive notes

• Cor’Dale Flott and Deonte Banks rotated at right cornerback with the first team. It appeared that Flott may have gotten more reps than Banks. Banks did have a nice pass breakup on a throw from Wilson to Nabers in the end zone, but also gave up a touchdown on a similar play.
• No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter did some work with both the first and second units. He aligned mostly on the edge, but was seen rushing while standing over center on one play.
• Veteran defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris worked with the first team.
• Paulson Adebo had a pass breakup on a Wilson throw intended for Darius Slayton running across the back of the end zone.

Number switch

Punter Jamie Gillan has switched from No. 6 to No. 12, leaving the No. 6 jersey to Dart.

Quote of the day

Dexter Lawrence when asked what the hardest part of his recovery from last season’s dislocated elbow was:

Remaining open practices

Gates will open at 8:30 a.m. ET
All practices will begin at approx. 10 a.m. ET*

Thursday, July 24
Friday, July 25
Sunday, July 27 (Back Together Weekend)
Monday, July 28
Tuesday, July 29
Thursday, July 31
Friday, Aug. 1
Saturday, Aug. 2
Monday, Aug. 4
Wednesday, Aug. 13 (Jets Joint Practice)

*Scheduled times subject to change. In the event of inclement weather, practice will be moved indoors and there will be no public viewing. For the most up-to-date information on training camp, visit Giants.com, @Giants on Twitter, the Giants App, or call the Training Camp Hotline at 201.935.8111 ext. 1070.