New York Giants OTA No. 4 Takeaways

The Giants were back on the field Monday to continue their OTAs.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
May 23, 2022 8:30 PM EDT

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New York Giants

The Giants returned from a three-day weekend to resume their OTAs, the fourth of which was held Monday and closed to the media.

So as we have done for the other practices closed to the independent media, let’s try to get underneath some of the highlights reported by Giants.com and the significance, where applicable.

Kayvon Thibodeaux Goes Red

The Giants have had players dealing with any physical ailment sport red jerseys in practice this spring. The red jersey means the player is limited in what he's allowed to do in practice.

Well, apparently, first-round draft pick Kayvon Thibodeaux can be added to the list of players assigned to wear red jerseys, as evidenced by a picture that initially was posted on Giants.com, but which was since removed (you can see the picture here).

Last week it was reported that Thibodeaux left the practice early to be checked out by the trainers. Per reports, he remained on the sideline until the end of practice.

The young man didn't seem bothered by whatever it was that he might have tweaked when he threw out the first pitch at a Yankees game over the weekend, so this whole red jersey development is likely a precaution.

Jones the Runner

The Giants are still trying to figure out how much they plan to incorporate designed runs for quarterback Daniel Jones, who has suffered injuries when he's been deployed as a runner.

It would be foolish to altogether remove designed runs for Jones, who last year averaged 4.8 yards per rush (tying him for ninth among quarterbacks that took at least 20 percent of their team's snaps). There has to be an emphasis on him playing those smarter and knowing when to say when.

We might not get an answer for a while yet, as even when the pads go on this summer, Jones is protected from any contact during practices. But this will undoubtedly be something to ask about--that and if he's learned how to slide feet first at the end of the run.

Kayvon Thibodeaux

Daniel Jones

Andre Miller

Undrafted Diamond in the Rough?

Although the Giants revamped their tight end room this off-season, the unit is still far from being set for the long term.

New York did draft Daniel Bellinger this year, adding him to a room with veterans Ricky Seals-Jones and Jordan Akins. But another prospect worth keeping an eye on is a converted receiver named Andre Miller.

The Giants say Miller caught a touchdown from Davis Webb on the left side of the end zone. Miller is a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder wide receiver who played his college ball at Maine, earning first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors.

"He's got good size," head coach Brian Daboll said at rookie minicamp when asked about transitioning Miller to tight end.

"He played on the perimeter a lot there in Maine. He has good size, and he has some skill set that we can maybe develop here a little bit in the inside part of the offensive formation, wherever that may be, whether it's attached and off the ball a little bit in the slot, maybe some in the backfield. "

In 33 games, Miller caught 93 of 165 pass targets for 1,670 yards (487 after the catch) and 13 touchdowns. Miller, whom the Giants are looking to convert to tight end, isn't buky enough to be an in-line blocker. Still, as a big receiving target working from the slot and outside, he does offer some intriguing upside that might benefit the Giants down the line.

No Turnovers

Last season, the Giants averaged a league-leading 1.76 turnovers per game, a stat that the coaching staff undoubtedly wants to decrease as the players get more comfortable within the system.

According to the Giants' media report, the offense tuned in an otherwise clean performance in the turnover department on Monday. There were some close calls, but the offense prevailed.

Sorting Out the Linebackers

The competition this summer at inside linebacker will be very interesting.

Among those set to compete are incumbents Tae Crowder and Blake Martinez; veterans Carter Coughlin, T.J. Brunson, Cam Brown, and Justin Hillard; and rookies Micah McFadden and Darrian Beavers.

It's early still, but Beavers seems to be off to a good start in staking his claim to a roster spot. According to the Giants' media, Beavers nearly intercepted a pass during Monday's OTA.

Giants Sign Another Draft Pick

The Giants announced they signed third-round draft pick Joshua Ezeudu to his rookie deal. Ezeudu's deal is for four years and is worth $5.5M with a $1.2M signing bonus.

New York now has eight of its 11-member draft class under contract. Those still unsigned include receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (second round), tight end Daniel Bellinger (fourth round), and safety Dane Belton (fourth round).