Giants rookie roundup: How has the 2024 draft class fared so far in camp?

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.— How’s your favorite 2024 draft pick doing through two weeks of training camp? There’s always an adjustment as the pads come on and training camp ramps up but this year’s New York Giants rookie class has made the most of its on-field opportunities.

The rookies will get their first shot at another NFL team this week as the Detroit Lions come to the Meadowlands for two days of joint practices and a Thursday preseason game.

Let’s get to it:

Unable to trade up for a quarterback, the Giants used their first draft pick on a playmaker. And through just two weeks of camp, Nabers is already looking like he can be that guy.

In nearly every practice, Nabers has shown off with highlight reel catches. Even when he’s not bringing in receptions, Nabers has been learning a lot this camp. He’s also in a unique position — along with the rest of his Giants draft class — of being filmed for “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants” so there’s been even more insight into the type of competitor the Giants are getting. For a good look into Nabers’ daily routine, check out Nabers’ practice diary from my beat partner Dan Duggan.

“Each and every day, he’s getting better and more comfortable,” offensive coordinator/assistant head coach Mike Kafka said last week. “You can see his confidence is continuing to grow, not that he lacks confidence, but he’s growing. He’s working on his relationship with the quarterback, with Daniel (Jones) and all the quarterbacks. I think that’s part of the relationship, quarterback-receiver, is getting that confidence and that chemistry early.”

The Giants are already using Nabers in a variety of ways and coach Brian Daboll has turned to the rookie receiver for play-calling input. During a two-minute drive at the end of the first week of practices, Nabers told Daboll he wanted a go-ball. Jones then connected on a deep ball down the right sideline for the type of catch that fans want to see on the regular.

“It shows how much trust they have in me,” Nabers said. “Wanting to give me the ball in open space and let me be me.”

A fun focus of practice has been his matchups with second-year corner Deonte Banks but a real test for Nabers will come this week in joint practices. Nabers will likely go up against starting outside corners Terrion Arnold or Carlton Davis III, but we want to see the rookie vs. rookie matchup of a battle against this year’s No. 24 pick Arnold.

S Tyler Nubin, second round, No. 47

On Hard Knocks, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen vouched for Nubin, saying he was the No. 1 pick on the board in the scenario when it came time to select and that he believed the safety could contribute in Year 1.

But it’s been tough to get a full evaluation of Nubin as the safety only returned Thursday after missing five practices with a calf injury. He split reps on the second-team defense as he ramped back up. Nubin has got his work to do in the upcoming weeks if he wants the starting safety job back from Dane Belton who’s been running with the first-team starters alongside Jason Pinnock.

“We want them all out there practicing,” Bowen said last week. “It’s tough to improve when you’re not practicing. It is. And one thing I’ll say for Dane is he’s taken ownership of it, and he’s fighting like hell to earn that job. Which he should. It’s his job to lose right now. It is his job to lose.

CB Andru Phillips, third round, No. 70

The Giants didn’t get a starting outside cornerback in the second round of the draft but they might have found their starting nickel CB with the Phillips pick. The Giants have certainly been practicing Phillips as if that’s the intention with the rookie acting as slot corner in a dime package-heavy practice last week.

Phillips has impressed inside linebacker Bobby Okereke with his 5-foot-11, physical presence.

“I love Dru,” Okereke said. “He’s a physical guy. He popped out when the pads came on. So, I think he’ll be a great addition to our defense.”

Phillips has been leaning on cornerback Nick McCloud and safety/ILB Isaiah Simmons to learn more.

TE Theo Johnson, fourth round, No. 107

Johnson got a delayed start to his first training camp after starting it on the PUP list. He was activated July 28 and has found a rhythm at times with the first-team offense — he had a nice catch off a good Jones pass Thursday. He’s been looking sharp and is a presence on the field at 6-foot-6, 264 pounds.

“He’s growing,” Kafka said. “He’s doing a nice job. He’s doing a great job in the meeting room and the field.”

With Darren Waller’s offseason retirement, tight end No. 1 is up for grabs and Johnson is in a good position.

The Giants running back room underwent a massive transformation this offseason with Saquon Barkley’s departure to the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. The front office brought in Devin Singletary during free agency but didn’t stop there and drafted Tracy as another option.

He’s looked impressive in camp, and the Giants have used him often as a back and in conjunction with Singletary in dual back packages.

Tracy is an interesting prospect because he spent most of his college career as a wide receiver before transitioning to running back late. That means he’s got the versatility the Giants were looking for. As assistant GM Brandon Brown said on Hard Knocks: “He’s a former receiver that can help in the pass game. He can play all three downs.”

“Wherever they use me, I’m going to try to do it to the best of my ability,” Tracy said. “But with all the short-yardage stuff, whether that’s a hitch or some of the backfield-type stuff, I think that’s a little bit to my advantage because of my receiver background.”

Muasau is looking to contribute any way that he can whether it’s on defense as a linebacker or on special teams — which is where he should find an immediate role. But Muausau is already leaning on the veterans in his position group as he works with the second-team unit. One of the biggest things he’s learned from the veteran Okereke is lowering his pad level.

“Being able to attack and play at a low level so you’re not always standing up,” Muasau said. “Always playing low and able to redirect and play fast at a lower level rather than standing straight up and then giving leverage to a big O-lineman that we face every day.”

Muasau, who played at Hawaii and UCLA, reunites with special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial. They crossed paths at Hawaii for one season in 2019, and Muasau said every time he’s in his meeting room, it’s a flashback to that season.

Undrafted free agent notes

• Offensive lineman Jake Kubas has been getting plenty of reps this training camp, including some first-team action in part due to center John Michael Schmitz’s shoulder injury. The North Dakota State product has worked at first-team right guard and then got work at first-team left guard in Friday’s practice as Greg Van Roten ramps up work as center (for now with Schmitz out) since signing with the team. Kubas doesn’t have a position preference. He just wants to get on the field. “I don’t see it happening, but if they want to put me at tackle, I’ll play tackle too,” Kubas said with a laugh. “I’ll play jumbo tight end. I’ll play some fullback if they want. Probably can’t catch a ball but I’ll play whatever they want me to play.”

• Running back Dante Miller has impressed with some serious speed and even got first-team reps last week.

• Defensive lineman Elijah Chatman got some first-team reps last week and Sunday as the competition develops on the line. Rakeem Nunez-Roches has been a consistent presence next to Dexter Lawrence (who missed some time with sickness) but there’s been plenty of first-team rotation. Daboll said: “You have a bunch of young players, a couple older players but mostly young players that are competing. They got size, they got length. I think (Defensive Line Coach Andre Patterson) and (Assistant Defensive Line Coach Bryan) Cox do a fabulous job of developing those guys. And these preseason games will be important. The padded days will be important for the whole evaluation process. But they’re young and hungry.”