New York Giants begin minicamp: 6 things to watch | Sporting News

The New York Giants are set to begin mandatory minicamp this week, marking the final time the team will be together before breaking for summer.

After wrapping up OTAs last week, the Giants will hold two practices Tuesday and Wednesday before an organization-wide picnic for the final day of minicamp Thursday.

Not much changes in terms of what the Giants are allowed to do at minicamp compared to OTAs. There are still no pads being worn and no live contact permitted, but there will be some heavy doses of team drills.

Here are six things to watch for as the Giants begin mandatory minicamp:

Giants begin minicamp: What to watch for

Daniel Jones’ participation

One of the biggest question marks entering minicamp will be surrounding the Giants quarterback. Jones has participated in 7-on-7s through the end of OTAs, and the Giants have discussed getting him some work during 11-on-11 drills.

MORE: Daniel Jones has no doubt he’ll be ready for Week 1

Jones is currently on track to be ready for the start of training camp so there’s a chance the Giants take it easy with his full-team reps just to be safe. However, it would be a very encouraging sign if he could get some full-team reps with Malik Nabers during minicamp.

Darren Waller’s decision

While the Giants have been giving Waller some space as he contemplates his NFL career, this is likely the time that a decision will be made. The entire offseason up to this point has been voluntary, but that’s not the case at minicamp. The Giants are allowed to fine Waller if he doesn’t show up, something they couldn’t do before.

MORE: Darren Waller drops new song amid retirement decision

There’s a report that the Giants expect Waller to retire before having to report for minicamp, but it hasn’t officially come from Waller yet. We’re still in wait-and-see mode, but hopefully, there’s an answer to this question this week.

Rookie rotations

For the most part, Nabers has been working with the first-team offense while Day 2 picks Tyler Nubin and Andru Phillips have been working with the second-team defense. Will Nubin or Phillips earn first-team reps before training camp arrives?

The other rookies to keep an eye out for include tight end Theo Johnson and running back Tyrone Tracy. The former has had a solid start through OTAs while Tracy is right in the middle of the competition for the backup running back role.

Depth chart movement

Starting roles and depth chart slots aren’t won in the spring, but the foundation for the competitions at training camp are laid out now. There are several competitions taking place on both sides of the ball that include starting and contributing roles.

The Giants will keep a keen eye on the battles at No. 2 cornerback, strong safety, tight end and the backup running back spot, to name a few. If there’s any major shuffling taking place during these battles, it could be noteworthy.

Injury updates

Considering this will just be two days of practice, there’s a chance the Giants don’t provide much in the way of injury updates. Right tackle Evan Neal still hasn’t participated in any team drills as he works back from ankle surgery this offseason.

Linebackers Isaiah Simmons and Micah McFadden were absent from the final week of OTAs due to undisclosed injuries so it will be interesting to see if anything changes with them.

Calling plays

For the majority, if not all, of the offseason workouts, Brian Daboll has been calling offensive plays. While he remains coy on when that decision will be made for the regular season, it seems it already has been made.

After offensive coordinator Mike Kafka handled the duties for much of their first two seasons together, Daboll seems keen on making the switch, especially after the disastrous 2023 campaign.

For more Giants coverage, check out Kevin Hickey’s work on Sporting News.