10 things to watch in Giants vs. Texans

The tight end room has gone through some major changes since the end of last season. The most notable addition to the group came in the form of fourth-round pick Theo Johnson. The 6-foot-6, 264-pound tight end has flashed his athleticism throughout training camp, putting his speed and agility on full display. While the rookie is still finding his way during his first NFL summer, Johnson has left his offensive coordinator impressed with his early performance.

“Theo is a rookie, and he’s right on schedule with where he’s at in his development,” said Kafka. “He was one of those guys that kind of started a little bit later in training camp, just getting back from the injury. But he’s doing a really nice job. I’m happy. I’m excited about him. Going to keep inserting him into the offense and continue to find ways to get him involved.”

One of the key players returning from last season is Daniel Bellinger. The third-year player has been a factor in the run game while also catching 55 passes across his first two seasons with the Giants. Now heading into Year 3, Bellinger’s confidence and development has stood out.

“Belly is one of those kind of guys that kind of does it all in the pass game, in the run game,” Kafka told the media. “He’s continuing to develop and grow. He’s getting stronger. You saw that leap from year one to year two, and you can see his confidence in year three of just being in the same system for three years. That’s going to pay dividends for him. I’m excited about him because he’s one of those guys that I see and I visualize as a leader of that group. So, whether he’s on the field or he’s off the field, he’s one of those great teammates that you can rely on.”

After missing some time at the start of training camp, safety Tyler Nubin has shown over the last couple of weeks why the Giants selected him in the second round of this year’s draft. The No. 47 overall pick has put his high football intelligence on full display since his first day on the practice field. It didn’t take long for the rookie safety to impress his position coach.

“He’s really competitive, really confident,” passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson said earlier this week. “You just watch the [college] tape — and even here — his intensity, his energy and his focus just jumps off the tape at you.”

“It was good to see him last week versus Detroit as well,” defensive coordinator Shane Bowen added on Thursday. “He continues to get better. He continues to improve each day. I think the one thing with him is he’s finally out there. He’s healthy. We missed him those first two weeks. And he’s had ground to make up to get back in that competition. He’s been good. He’s taking advantage of the opportunities. Doesn’t make the same mistake twice. I’ve been encouraged by where he’s at right now.”

Nubin was on the field for 18 total plays against the Lions in the preseason opener. It was a solid showing for his first outing in the NFL, but there was one play in particular that stood out. With the Lions facing a third-and-two, Nubin blew up offensive lineman Michael Niese, planting the 295-pound lineman into the ground as Dyontae Johnson flew in to tackle the runner short of the line of gain. This was just one example of the physicality Nubin intends to bring to the Giants defense this season.

“I think something a lot of people don’t know about me is I’m always ready to stick my nose in there and get dirty with the big guys,” Nubin said. “That’s something I’ve never been afraid of. That’s something that was preached at Minnesota. That’s where I start my game — getting physical, and then I’m feeling good so now I can go look for the ball.”

One of the more intriguing position battles along the Giants ‘roster this summer has been on the defensive line. While two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence will obviously start, who lines up next to him, and who backs him up on the depth chart, remains to be seen. Despite joining the team as an undrafted free agent following a tryout at rookie minicamp, Elijah Chatman has put himself into the conversation for a roster spot following a strong start to training camp.

Chatman is not your stereotypical defensive tackle. The 23-year-old lineman is listed at 6-feet and 278 pounds, which is obviously smaller than your average tackle in the NFL. But don’t let his size fool you. Chatman, who was given the nickname “Baby Bison” at SMU, has flashed over the last few weeks, including recording a team-high five total pressures against the Lions last Thursday.

“He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do,” Daboll said Monday morning. “Again, he’s a smaller guy, but he’s got some length in his arms. He’s got some explosiveness and quick twitch, maybe a little bit different than some of the bigger guys. I think he’s developed since he’s been here. He had that tryout. I wouldn’t say it’s unusual, but it’s hard to do. So, he’s earned some more playing time. We’re going to give it to him and try to see him against as good a competition as we can so we can get a good evaluation. Give him some reps against the first team, whether it’s our team or Houston, so we can get a fair evaluation of him.”

The Giants made a flurry of roster moves this week as we inch closer to the deadline in which teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players.

On Thursday, the team traded veteran defensive lineman Jordan Phillips to the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants also signed running back Joshua Kelley and a pair of safeties, Raheem Layne and Jonathan Sutherland, and released defensive back Jalen Mills, who was on the non-football injury list (calf). Defensive back Elijah Riley was also placed on injured reserve.

Kelley, 5-11 and 212 pounds, spent the last four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers after being drafted in the fourth round (No. 112 overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft. Kelley appeared in 54 games with four starts and registered 320 rush attempts for 1,148 yards and six touchdowns while adding 50 receptions for 319 yards.

Layne, 5-11 and 192 pounds, spent his first two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, appearing in 11 games with one start. He was placed on injured reserve last October due to a torn ACL.

Sutherland, 5-11 and 202 pounds, has yet to make an appearance in the NFL. He signed with the Seattle Seahawks last season as an undrafted rookie from Penn State but was waived/injured (calf) last August. Sutherland then joined Seattle’s practice squad and was released last month.

On Friday, the Giants signed veteran tight end/fullback Jakob Johnson, who has played in 67 games in his NFL career and made 34 starts.

In a corresponding move, the Giants waived/injured tight end Tyree Jackson.

Johnson, 6-3 and 255 pounds, spent the past two seasons with the Raiders, overlapping with current Giants offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo and offensive linemen Jermaine Eluemunor and Greg Van Roten. Prior to Las Vegas, Johnson played in 37 games with 20 starts over three seasons (2019-2021) with New England, where he also played under Bricillo.