The Giants set a precedent for rookie success in spring – New York Giants Website

EAST RUTHERFORD N.J. — The New York Giants On Sunday, the Ravens beat the Bears by starting a rookie at right tackle and tight end. Baltimore Ravens. Their second-round selection, Wan’Dale RobinsonTheir No.1 wide receiver was actually. He was the No. 1 wide receiver, even though he only played 14 snaps his first game back after a knee injury.

General manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll’s first draft class is playing a lot, perhaps even more they would prefer in Year 1 of the new regime. However, this is the status of the franchise and its roster. They needed new recruits to fill the gaps immediately.

“We try to put the best guys out there that we think can help us win. Those guys have certainly earned the right to play,” Daboll said. “Whether you’re a rookie or a 10-year vet, what we try to do is give the opportunities to the guys that have earned them.

“Again, I think that obviously playing young players — that helps in the long run.”

It's a win-win situation. The Giants (5-1) are having success and better positioning their team for the future. That is one of their top goals this season.

Schoen and Daboll have been realistic about this team from the start entering Sunday’s matchip with the Jacksonville Jaguars. They knew their weaknesses, but they believed they could compete while actually rebuilding. Schoen gave veterans the opportunity to be tight end Evan Engram Walking and cutting safety Logan Ryan Cornerback James Bradberry. They were replaced by younger, more affordable players.

The Giants rookies have already logged 1,277 offensive and defensive snaps this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. This is the fourth-most NFL offensive and defensive snaps in six weeks. If it weren't for injuries, it would have been more.

Top picks Kayvon Thibodeaux And Evan Neal They have been on the field since Day 1. Robinson will be a key player in the offense for as long as he is on the field. Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott and offensive lineman Joshua EzeuduBoth third-round selections were contributors. Flott played in two games even before sustaining a calf strain.

Daniel Bellinger, the first of the team’s fourth-round picks, has been a starter at tight end since Day 1. Two touchdowns are his leading score for the Giants. Safety Dane Belton He is a crucial piece of defense, starting and playing 42 snaps versus the Ravens as the third safety. Fifth round pick Micah McFadden Undrafted rookie and special team contributor Tomon Fox This has been used to rush the edges.

The Giants' last three draft picks are defensive tackle, offensive tackle and quarterback. D.J. DavidsonLineman, offensive Marcus McKethan Linebacker Darrian Beavers — aren’t playing, but that is because all three suffered torn ACLs recently.

Daboll was the first to set the stage for this rookie success long ago. Thibodeaux and Neal were drafted as starters. Bellinger was the first tight end for the team at the start of the season. Robinson was the top-flight receiver mix by the spring. The coaching staff soon realized that they had to use three-safety packs with Belton.

“I feel like in the beginning they didn’t take it easy on us,” Bellinger said. “They threw us in there and said, ‘You guys have to step up. It’s either you sink or swim.' That kind of toughness on us, I feel like, made us take a jump to be better.”

There were immediate expectations. The Giants’ rookies could see that there were going to be opportunities early in their careers.

It was a relief to know that the new regime was committed for their success.

“We all felt like at the end of the day, they drafted us for a reason,” Robinson said. “They didn’t draft us to sit on the bench and just wait around and things like that. They wanted us all to be involved in the game and play a part in helping this football team win. We didn’t look at it as anything as where they were just giving us [playing time] It could be thrown at us. We didn't see it as something that we could earn. We just had to continue to show that we were going to try to get better every day.”

They have.

Robinson scored his first touchdown against the Ravens on Sunday. Bellinger threw five passes for a season record. Neal played one of his best games to date and Thibodeaux’s first career sack essentially ended the contest.

It doesn’t mean there won’t be bumps in the road for the Giants’ rookies this season. The Jaguars (2-4) have one of the league’s youngest teams by age and have taken their lumps through six weeks.

“You kind of understand that you may go through growing pains from time to time,” Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson said. “We’ve experienced that this year already. That is how you learn, that is how you get better as a football team and try to minimize those each week.”

The Giants will learn. In the meantime, they’re already a better football team because of their rookie class.