New York Giants minicamp: 5 players to watch | Sporting News

The New York Giants are set to wrap up the offseason workout program this week with a two-day mandatory minicamp, beginning Tuesday.

This will be the final time the Giants are together as a team before breaking for summer and returning at the end of July for training camp.

There are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on for the Giants this week, and there will be a handful of players who can begin solidifying their roles with training camp around the corner.

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6 things to watch as Giants begin minicamp

Unlike OTAs where the media is present every third practice session, the media will be on site for both minicamp practices this week.

Here are five players to watch as Giants minicamp gets underway:

New York Giants minicamp: 5 players to watch

QB Daniel Jones

The starting quarterback is typically one to keep an eye on regardless, but Jones will command attention because of his injury recovery. Working back from a torn ACL that ended his 2023 season early, the key thing to watch for is whether Jones will participate in 11-on-11 drills.

Though the Giants have discussed the potential for Jones to reach that milestone in his recovery, the 27-year-old has yet to partake in full-team drills, instead giving way to Drew Lock. Will the Giants bump Jones up to 11-on-11 work or will they wait until training camp to be safe?

TE Theo Johnson

While we shouldn’t be sleeping on the talents of Daniel Bellinger, all eyes will be on the rookie tight end now that Darren Waller made his retirement official ahead of minicamp. This was the expected outcome all along after Waller spent the offseason away from the team.

MORE: Giants rookie constantly impressing at OTAs

Now, however, Johnson doesn’t have to worry about Waller potentially stealing snaps once the rookie has earned a role. He’s been one of the most consistent players on offense during the offseason workouts so it will be interesting to see if he’s able to climb the depth chart before training camp arrives.

WR Jalin Hyatt

All eyes will be on rookie Malik Nabers, and for good reason. The No. 6 overall pick is beginning to enter his role as the WR1 already. However, Hyatt has been earning a lot of praise from the coaching staff during his second offseason since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2023.

The speedy deep threat will have plenty of competition in a crowded wide receiver room, but his traits as a deep-ball receiver could come in handy on the depth chart behind Nabers and Darius Slayton, who enters the final year of his contract.

CB Cor’Dale Flott

Currently leading the competition for the cornerback spot opposite Deonte Banks, Flott has the inside track to win the job once the spring ends. The coaching staff seems to be pretty high on Flott taking a step forward in his third season.

MORE: Giants starting cornerback duo tentatively revealed

A third-round pick by the Giants in the 2022 NFL Draft, Flott has appeared in 25 games while making 13 starts over the course of his two-year career. He’s recorded one interception to go along with seven passes defensed and two forced fumbles. According to Pro Football Focus, Flott allowed a 95.6 passer rating on 62 targets in 2023.

RT Evan Neal

The former first-round pick for the Giants enters a make-or-break year after struggling with injuries during the first two years of his career. Neal is currently working his way back from offseason ankle surgery, and it’s unclear whether he will participate in 7-on-7 drills.

Considering he’s only participated in team walkthrough drills thus far, it would be unrealistic to expect him to work all the way up to full-team drills. But it would be an encouraging sign if he can get healthy enough to work during 7-on-7s. If he doesn’t, it’s likely the Giants will continue to rely on 2022 third-round pick Joshua Ezeudu.

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