What We Learned: Isaiah Simmons is ‘a freak of nature’

On the fifth practice of training camp, the Giants put on pads for the first time this summer. While contact is permitted throughout all of training camp, there’s no denying the physicality increases once players put pads on. While these padded practices are certainly important for the preparation for the regular season, Daboll told the media that the players must continue to practice the right way without letting the pads lead to anything unwarranted.

“You have pads on, there should be a lot of energy,” coach Brian Daboll said Monday morning. “But, you have to get good at your craft. It’s playing with good pad level, good feet, good hands, still taking care of one another. There’s obviously an added element to the contact part of it, but we don’t want to practice bad habits and, again, it’s training camp. It’s hot, it’s competitive. There’s always going to be some type of shoving and things like that, but we want to practice the right way, and carry those habits onto the field.”

Padded practices lead to increased importance on the OL-DL drills, both in individual and team drills. Andrew Thomas and Brian Burns went up against each other several times throughout practice, with both players winning some reps. The Giants will be back in pads on Tuesday.

3. The WRs have ‘a deep skill room’

A lot has been made about the performance of Malik Nabers in the first week of camp, and rightfully so as the 21-year-old has made some great catches each day. But the rookie wideout is far from the only person in the wide receiver room that has gotten off to a strong start this summer.

Quarterback Drew Lock played with the starting offense in team drills during spring practices as Daniel Jones was still recovering from last year’s knee injury. With Jones fully cleared at the start of camp, Lock has been primarily throwing to the second-team offense. This has led to the backup quarterback throwing passes to just about every receiver on the team over the last few months, which has Lock very excited about the group.

“I’ve been very impressed with all the guys on this team,” Lock told the media. “Nabers has done a great job coming in and picking this system up. Slay (Darius Slayton), Wan’Dale (Robinson), Isaiah (Hodgins), all the Isaiahs. There are so many Isaiahs on this team. Bryce (Ford-Wheaton). Being able to have a little bit of both. Work with the ones, the OTAs, and now the twos here. It’s a deep skill room. It’s a deep skill room at wide receiver. It’s fun.”

Another member of the room that’s made some impressive plays over the first week is Jalin Hyatt. The 22-year-old has gotten behind the defense and caught deep passes from Daniel Jones on a near daily basis this summer. Daboll complimented Hyatt’s maturity heading into his second season.

“He’s highly competitive,” Daboll said about the second-year receiver. “At receiver you have to be a mentally tough player. You could be open 10 times and not get the ball and it’s the 11th time when you’re… ‘Man, I was open on these 10 times,’ and then something either good or bad could happen. That’s a growing process for any young receiver. It’s one of the positions you can do everything right and not get as many touches as you want to get based on coverage, matchup, pressure in the pocket and whatever it may be, and that’s something that he’s grown with.”