Cover 3: Breaking down the Giants’ 6-player draft class

Dan Salomone: From Day 1, Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll have preached “smart, tough, and dependable.” Those three words can be found around the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, serving as a reminder for everyone as they forge that identity. We learned this weekend there is a hierarchy on that list.

“I’d say the college scouts, Joe, and his staff, have done a really good job of identifying these traits that we covet – toughness being probably near the top,” Daboll said after Day 2 of the draft. “And all three of the players that we’ve acquired so far really fit that mold in terms of mentally tough and physically tough. I think that’s important. Defensively, tough tacklers. You know, Dru, he’ll bring the wood now. And Malik’s mentality, how he is, and then you guys talked to Tyler. Both Tyler and Dru were pretty emotional when we called them. They care about the game. They have the right mindset, and it’s a credit to our college scouts, Joe, and his staff, for really identifying some of those traits and we’re happy to have both of them.”

A night earlier, Schoen used the word “tough” or “toughness” six times when talking about Nabers, especially considering the shoulder injury that the star wide receiver played through last season.

“That’s legit, talking to the trainers and the medical staff, this guy didn’t miss [games],” Schoen said. “Whatever it is, he’s going to fight through it. He’s tough, doesn’t miss games, doesn’t miss practice. If he can play, he’s going to play. That’s the way this kid is wired. You’ll see it, when you guys get around and see the way he practices and the way he plays on game day and see his highlights and you see some of the stuff he can do, whether it’s with the ball in his hand, without the ball in his hand. When guys are wired like that, at his age, that’s ingrained in him by then. That’s who he is. Looking forward to bringing some of that toughness and explosiveness to the roster.”

Perhaps it’s time to go around the facility and start underlining “tough” on the walls.