NY Giants training camp: 3 players with the most to gain
Training camp gives every player on the NY Giants a chance to impress the coaching staff. Who will step up? Will anyone earn a prominent role?
As training camp opens for the NY Giants on July 27, a flurry of captivating stories will surely follow and make their ways to the headlines.
From position battles to the play of rookies, fans will have plenty to keep an eye on in preparation for Week 1 against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 12.
One particular storyline to follow will be the performance of a handful of players looking to make an impression on coach Joe Judge and Co. to not only earn not only a spot on the roster, but to also score themselves an important role on the team.
All players have something to gain from training camp, but there are a few on the Giants who appear to be more crucial than others.
Here are three players with the most to gain during NY Giants training camp
LB 一 Carter Coughlin
The NY Giants selected Coughlin out of Minnesota with the 281st overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
In his rookie campaign, Coughlin appeared in 14 games, including two starts, and racked up 17 tackles, two TFLs and a sack in 192 defensive snaps. The former Gopher spent most of his defensive time on the edge for New York in 2020, but according to the Athletics’ Dan Duggan, Coughlin was practicing with the interior linebackers during OTAs on May 27.
The move is likely due to the edge position being saturated for the Giants in 2021. Not only are Oshane Ximines and Lorenzo Carter expected to be back from injury, rookies like Azeez Ojulari and Elerson Smith have been added to the fold.
Additionally, edge pieces like Ryan Anderson and Ifeadi Odenigbo were brought in via free agency. Simply put, Coughlin had his work cut out for him earning a roster spot on the edge.
On the interior, Coughlin will have to battle with Tae Crowder, Devante Downs, Reggie Ragland and Cale Garrett for the right to play next to Blake Martinez in 2021, and before that, a roster spot.
Training camp will be enormous for Coughlin. He must prove to the coaching staff that he can play inside linebacker at the NFL level, and do it well.
If Coughlin does that, he could earn himself a spot on the roster for the second year in a row and potentially grow his impact and production in 2021.