The NY Giants offseason is moving along and with OTAs and minicamp out of the way, we’re on our way to training camp. This will play a large role in determining the role some players will have. However, we may have already gotten a sneak peek at this during the aforementioned sessions. .
These four players will likely have a boost heading into training camp thanks to their noteworthy play during OTAs and minicamp. On the other hand, there are two Giants players that will likely have to fight a little harder in order to have a sustainable role in 2024. With that said, we’ve got our winners and losers from OTAs and minicamp in this piece:
Winner: TE Theo Johnson
With Darren Waller announcing his retirement and Daniel Bellinger missing some time due to injury, the door has opened for Theo Johnson to steal a starting spot on the Giants’ offense. Bellinger may provide a higher floor as a pass-catcher and blocker, but Johnson’s athletic upside makes for an easy sell to be the TE1 of the team.
Johnson had an athletic score of 87, which ranked second amongst all tight ends in this year’s draft according to the NFL.com combine page. During the combine, Johnson ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash at 4.57 and had the second-highest vertical amongst all tight ends.
Alongside this superb athleticism, Johnson is also a steady pass-catcher, catching 34 passes on just 45 targets for 341 yards and seven touchdowns, only registering two drops throughout his 13-game season at Penn State.
Given the already explosive capabilities of the Giants pass-catchers, we wouldn’t be shocked if Johnson got a heavy workload early in the season in order to make the offense more deadly. At the very least, he’ll have a head start on the competition entering training camp.
Winner: WR Jalin Hyatt
While he wasn’t able to show off his capabilities much last season due to the disastrous play of the Giants’ QB room, we all know what Hyatt can do on the field as a deep threat. Now, entering the 2024 season, it seems like he is primed to have a big role with New York that could help revolutionize this offense.
Currently, Hyatt looks to be third on the Giants depth chart at receiver. However, given what he showcased during OTAs, as well as the Darius Slayton contract hold out, he could be a more favorable player amongst the coaches heading into training camp.
Jalin Hyatt with the SNAG 😱
(via @Giants)pic.twitter.com/qgfpYGe4jJ
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) May 31, 2024
Even if those do not have an effect on his status entering camp, Hyatt still showcased a lot of skill that will make him an even deadlier threat on the outside. This is something the Giants will want to take advantage of in 2024, as a duo of him and Malik Nabers could be one of the deadliest in the NFL.
Winner: DB Cor’Dale Flott
Considering the lack of a real CB2 alongside Deonte Banks on the roster, it was a huge concern going into the 2024 season. However, it seems like New York may have found their guy in the form of Cor’Dale Flott, a third-year corner with a high upside which the coaching staff has been raving about this offseason.
While it’s tough to judge anything Flott has done during OTAs and minicamp due to their low-contact nature, the way Brian Daboll and Jerome Henderson have talked about Flott speaks levels about his potential role entering training camp.
The addition of Tre Herndon will give Flott more competition, but we’re confident he can maintain his spot on the depth chart moving forward. Flott has shown plenty of flashes during his two-year career and has played best on the outside, which is where he’ll be positioned in 2024.
Winner: QB Daniel Jones
He wasn’t perfect during OTAs and minicamp, but Daniel Jones showed that he’ll likely be ready to go for the regular season, which is huge considering how late in the season he tore his ACL. We know not every Giants fan is happy about Jones starting once again, but he’s the best option on the depth chart.
Jones was disastrous in 2023, that much is obvious. However, on paper, this new roster is likely the best all-around supporting cast he’s had since being drafted. While Jones won’t have a star running back like Saquon Barkley, the receiving core is looking the best it ever has during his tenure, and the offensive line looks much improved as well.
Everything is lining up for Jones to have a much-improved 2024 season, so if he fails to meet expectations once more, his time in New York will be done. However, this offseason has shown flashes that Jones could be back to his 2022 form, especially with the new supporting cast around him.
Loser: RB Eric Gray
Despite having a massively disappointing rookie season for reasons both within his control and not, it still seemed like Eric Gray could have a meaningful role with the Giants in his sophomore year. However, after the drafting of Tyrone Tracy and what he managed to show during OTAs and minicamp, it seems like Gray will be back down the depth chart.
According to Art Stapleton, Tracy allegedly spent a good amount of time with the starters during OTAs. This adds up, as Tracy is an incredibly dynamic dual-threat back who can likely provide a ton of value on passing downs.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. spent a good portion of 11/11 drills today with the 1s. The rookie is already making a push to be the #Giants100 back on passing downs. Pass pro this summer, as always, will be the final test.
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) June 11, 2024
Regardless of how big a role Tracy plays, this is not a good sign for Gray, who rushed for 48 yards and zero touchdowns on 17 attempts last season. Gray may still have some upside, but he may never get enough reps to reach it given the talent surrounding him in the running back room.
Loser: QB Tommy DeVito
It really feels like Tommy DeVito was one of the biggest losers this offseason in general for the Giants, as the signing of Drew Lock kept him down the depth chart as the QB3. However, after the play of Jones and Lock when we’ve seen them, the odds of DeVito getting a chance in 2024 are looking incredibly slim.
This doesn’t mean DeVito won’t make the roster, as it’s smart to keep a third quarterback given Jones’ injury history. But there’s a very real chance he ends up on the practice squad for the majority of the season in order to free up a roster spot.
DeVito completed 64% of his passes for 1,101 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions through six starts last season. While watching his film showed that these numbers aren’t entirely indicative of the player he actually is, DeVito is still an incredibly solid backup QB.
Unfortunately, the Giants didn’t trust him enough to step up once again in case Jones went down. While he’s under contract for the remainder of the season, don’t be surprised if he opts to sign elsewhere for a better chance to start depending on how this upcoming season goes.
