The Giants open their preseason on ESPN’s Monday Night Football versus Carolina. I’ll have my eye on a handful of young players, who all should get plenty of time in these first of four pratice games. Here’s the rundown:
Mario Manningham: Last year’s third round pick hardly saw the field, after an injury in training camp set him back. He’s been looking good from spring practices into August, and that number three WR spot is clearly there for him to grab. It’s time for him to take the next step.
Hakim Nicks: Always an interest in seeing our top pick. Nick’s been sidelined a bit by a hamstring in camp, but hopefully he’ll be cleared to go on Monday night. He was touted as the being the most “NFL ready” receiver in the draft (along with Crabtree), so it would be nice to see involved early and often.
Ramses Barden: Most intriguing player, hands down. His small school origins had him pegged as a project, but his big time size has been the hit of camp so far. While speed and ability to get off the line were projected weaknesses, his size and catching ability have really shined in camp thus far. In fact, it seems he’s outperformed both Mario and Nicks at this juncture. But pratice is just that, practice. Hopefully he’ll get plenty of reps in the second half to show his stuff in game situations.
Derek Hagan: Yes, another wide receiver. Hagan was a third round pick by the Dolphins in 2006 after a very successful career at Arizona State. After two pedestran years at Miami, he was cut last year and picked up by the Giants late (interestingly, he and not Sinorice Moss was active for the playoff game versus the Eagles). Anyway, Hagan has been catching everything is sight (something he didn’t do in Miami) and because he can contribute on special teams, Hagan’s got a chance to make this team. It will be between him, Moss, and David Tyree for the sixth and final receiving spot.
Danny Ware: With Friday’s season ending injury to Andre Brown, Ware’s role in this offense just became that much more important. He no longer can linger in the background and have the “prospect” tag on him. He’s going to have to prove he can be part of this offense when they start playing for real in September. Ware is now officially the third back (assuming Bradshaw in the number two) and third string this year still should get you some reps on game day, especially in the passing game. Ware played mainly against third and fourth stringers last preseason. I want to see how he does against better competition this summer.
