2 Giants rookies named to CBS All-Rookie Team at midseason
By Mike Luciano
In a year where many expected the New York Giants to compete for the No. 1 overall pick, Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen are 6-2 with a playoff appearance potentially on the horizon. With Daniel Jones as the quarterback, that’s not a bad record by any stretch.
The Giants used two of the first seven picks in the NFL draft on a defensive cornerstone in pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and an offensive tackle for the future in Evan Neal. The early returns on the class as a whole have been mixed, but there are a few standouts that have been very impressive.
The Giants haven’t been shy about throwing their rookies into the fire, as they have a half-dozen rookies that are all receiving somewhat consistent snaps in their debut seasons. Those snaps have, in turn, led to solid production and some recognition.
The midseason All-Rookie team from CBS Sports featured a pair of Giants, as Thibodeaux beat out some players drafted ahead of him while tight end Daniel Bellinger also earned onto this team. It remains to be seen how this season will end up, but both of these players look like no-doubt success stories.
The New York Giants have 2 standout rookies.
Even though Jacksonville’s Travon Walker and Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson have more sacks than Thibodeaux, the Oregon alum’s ability to play the run was apparently a big factor for CBS in their decision making. Having multiple pressures in each of the last three games helped beef his stats up.
Bellinger has admittedly benefitted from a less-than-stellar surrounding tight end class, but that shouldn’t put a damper on the numbers he has put up and the blocking he has provided. How many fourth-round picks go right from the Mountain West to starting in the NFC East?
Injuries have gotten the best of some of Schoen’s draft picks. Late-round picks like Micah McFadden and Marcus McKethan have picked up ailments of varying severity, while Wan’Dale Robinson hasn’t been the most active contributor in the world. At least Schoen can hang his hat on these two wins.
The Giants may be ahead of schedule in their rebuild, but this new era of football is going to be kick-started by patiently addressing the team’s needs via smart drafting. Thibodeaux looks well on his way to stardom, while Bellinger is going to have a very long career in this league.