The New York Giants will report to mandatory minicamp from June 11th to June 13th, in what will be their final training session of the spring. There’s a ton of intrigue surrounding the team following an offseason that saw the departures of Saquon Barkley, and Xavier McKinney, along with the addition of Brian Burns and the 2024 Draft Class.
Since there are just three days of practice, you don’t want to take away too much from these sessions as players will not be in pads and contact will be limited. However, there are still 10 things to keep an eye on next week.
Is Brian Daboll still calling plays on offense for New York Giants?
Throughout OTAs head coach Brian Daboll has been calling the offensive plays. Although Daboll hasn’t confirmed that he’ll call plays during the season, many believe this will be a precursor of what we’ll see when the season begins.
Also Read: New York Giants receiver building big buzz at mandatory OTAs, and it’s not Malik Nabers
How will Daniel Jones look?
2024 is a make-or-break season for Daniel Jones, and there are concerns if he’s fully recovered from tearing his ACL in November. It will be interesting to see if the New York Giants starting QB is running and cutting without limitations.
Will Darren Waller show up or retire?
It was reported this week that Darren Waller is expected to retire when the team reports to minicamp. There’s always a chance he could have a change of heart, but all indications point to the 31-year-old calling it a career. If Waller does in fact retire, look for fourth-round pick Theo Johnson to get reps with the first-team offense.
Also Read: New York Giants tight end, former NFL star, Darren Waller expected to retire by next week
Will Steve Smith Sr return to work with the receivers?
Earlier in OTAs former Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Raven Steve Smith Sr was working with the team’s wide receivers. Smith was as tough as any receiver to have ever played the game and his 14,731 receiving yards are the eight most in NFL history. It’s unknown at this time if he’ll return to continue to teach the wideouts.
Which corner will start opposite Deonte Banks?
One of the starting positions that will be up for grasp when training camp starts will be who will start at the corner spot opposite Deonte Banks. Obviously, there won’t be any position battles won in minicamp, but whoever gets the majority of the reps with the first-team defense, could be the starter on the first day of training camp.
Which personalities will shine the most for Hard Knocks
There will be a ton of cameras around the Giants facility during the mandatory minicamp as HBO, NFL Films, Skydance Sports, and the New York Giants are joining forces for Hard Knocks.
It will be a five-part series that will begin on Tuesday, July 2nd through July 30th. The series will chronicle all of the critical offseason moves from January through July. This should make for some entertaining TV as the cameras get up close and personal with the players, coaches, and staff. There are a ton of interesting personalities on the team, and it will be interesting to see which players get the most camera time.
Will Evan Neal take any reps at guard?
It appears that Evan Neal is poised to be the team’s starting right tackle in Week 1. But there have been rumblings about the team possibly moving him to guard. If there’s any validity to these rumors, we’ll see Neal line up at guard on a few occasions next week.
Also Read: 5 New York Giants with the most to prove in 2024, including Daniel Jones and Brian Burns
Who will win the battle between the wideouts and defensive backs?
When teams practice without pads, the most entertaining matchup to watch is the wide receivers being matched up with the defensive backs. It will be interesting to see how Malik Nabers fares against the team’s best corner Deonte Banks.
Will anyone be a no-show?
All coaches hope they have 100% participation at minicamp. But that doesn’t always happen as some players don’t show up due to contract disputes or prefer to work elsewhere. It looks as if Daboll should have his entire team present for the minicamp, but we won’t know for sure until June 11th.
How will the team handle the running back position?
For the first time since 2017, the Giants roster does not include Saquon Barkley. Devin Singletary will take the role as the lead back, but it’s uncertain if he’ll be the workhorse or if the team will use a running back by committee approach. How the team uses and rotates their other running backs will give us an inkling of what to expect this season.