Practice Report (7/25): Giants focus on red zone

* The team focused on red zone work and began practice with wide receiver-defensive back 1-on-1s inside the 10-yard line. The wide receivers got the best of this period, scoring at least seven touchdowns. Isaiah Hodgins caught a touchdown pass from Drew Lock on a fade route near despite tight coverage from Kaleb Hayes, who knocked down a pass later in practice during team drills. Miles Boykin found himself open on a slant for a touchdown from Lock and Darius Slayton scored on an accurate throw from Daniel Jones near the right sideline. Jalin Hyatt had one of the best moves of the period, faking inside before breaking outside for a wide-open touchdown connection from Jones.

* There were a pair of good matchups for multiple reps between the same players during 1-on-1s. Nick McCloud lined up across from Wan’Dale Robinson in the slot and made it extremely difficult for him to get into his route by using his length and size to jam him at the line of scrimmage. The result was an incomplete pass. A few plays later, Robinson got free of McCloud’s coverage and scored a touchdown.

* The other matchup that drew my attention, one I believe we will see throughout camp, featured Deonte Banks and Malik Nabers, who scored a touchdown on their first rep, faking a deeper route before coming back towards Daniel Jones and catching a pass at the pylon. His second touchdown was against tight coverage from Banks, but Jones threw a perfect pass slightly behind Banks to execute a back-shoulder throw. Nabers waited to the very last moment to get his hands up to make the catch so Banks didn’t know the ball was coming. Nabers snatched the ball out of the air in a split second and scored the touchdown before Banks could try to force an incompletion.

* Banks had more success against Nabers during team drills, keeping him out of the end zone when they were matched up with one another. When Banks spoke to the media after practice, he said that he and Nabers are making it a point to line up against each other during these practices to maximize competition.

* Last year, the Titans had the best red zone defense in the league, and three years ago they ranked sixth. It looks like Shane Bowen has brought that approach to the Giants defense, slowing the Giants offense in the red zone during the early team portions of practice. The Giants offense ran a lot of play action, moved the pocket, and ran some screens to try to get the ball in the end zone.

* Gervarrius Owens knocked a ball away from Isaiah McKenzie when Drew Lock rolled right and threw the ball across his body to the middle of the field. He broke up another pass later in practice intended for Bryce Ford-Wheaton. Darnay Holmes played good coverage on a perimeter throw to Isaiah Hodgins, as did Banks on Nabers. Tre Hawkins played good coverage on a throw to Isaiah Hodgins and another to Ford-Wheaton.

* The defensive front did well getting after the quarterbacks and pursuing them to the sideline on many of the play-action roll out passes. Azeez Ojulari was in the backfield a couple of times and could have had a couple of sacks if the plays were live. Ryder Anderson and Boogie Basham also had pressure on different plays. Kayvon Thibodeaux was involved in a play that forced rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. to fumble the ball.

* The offense did have some early success in red zone drills. Tommy DeVito found tight end Tyree Jackson for a touchdown after doing a good job buying extra time out of the pocket. Daniel Jones stepped up in the pocket to find Lawrence Cager over the middle with a dart for a score. There were multiple touchdowns from quarterbacks on read-option plays. Dennis Houston had a trio of touchdown catches, one from Lock and two others from DeVito to close practice.

* In the final practice period, with the ball just outside the red zone, Daniel Jones hit Jalin Hyatt with a long throw down the left sideline for a touchdown. Hyatt used some contact to separate from good coverage. A screen to Devin Singletary also gained some big yards. Tyrone Tracy Jr. also had a big gain on a screen pass from Drew Lock during the period.