If you spent your Saturday afternoon hoping the New York Giants would validate months of unbridled offseason optimism, I sincerely hope you kept the receipt.
Big Blue's 13-10 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings served as a stark reminder that offseason hype is just that. This was the first time Giants fans got to see their new head coach, John Harbaugh, in live-game action, and boy, was it underwhelming.
Thankfully, the wins and losses don't count yet. There's still time to clean things up before Week 1, and for some of these rookies, they'd better get the Swiffer out because they're falling behind while the others are thriving.
Giants rookie updates following preseason loss to Vikings
Arvell Reese, LB
Even though he only played 16 total snaps (12 on defense and four on special teams), Arvell Reese looked every bit the defensive demon the G-Men were hoping for when he inexplicably fell into their lap at No. 5.
Reese's highlight moment was blowing up Vikings fullback Max Bredeson before meeting running back Jordan Mason at the line of scrimmage to stop him for no gain. Among first-round defensive rookies, the soon-to-be 21-year-old led them all with an impressive 88.2 overall defensive grade.
He's been making plays all offseason, and the preseason opener was only further proof that Big Blue might have found something truly special in the former Ohio State standout.
Verdict: Stock way up
Francis "Sisi" Mauigoa, OL
Transitioning from college tackle to NFL guard is easier said than done, which is why Mauigoa played nearly twice as many snaps as Reese. It’s all about getting him as many reps as possible before Week 1.
Sisi's offseason has been tough to gauge. Offensive linemen can only look so good in shorts. Without full contact and violence, it's hard to assess how well he'll manhandle the size/speed combo of defensive linemen in the regular season.
When Big Blue turned in his card, he was widely touted as a road-paving, run-blocking refrigerator -- the best of his class -- but it was actually his pass blocking that was most impressive. He excelled in pass protection with a solid 73.5 PFF grade, highlighted by a dominant rep where he completely washed out Vikings first-round defensive tackle Caleb Banks.
While his 62.7 run-blocking grade proved he still has some mechanics to iron out, finishing his first preseason game with a decent 66.5 overall grade is a pretty encouraging baseline for the former Miami standout.
Verdict: Stock neutral
Colton Hood, CB
Colton Hood found out just how unforgiving the NFL can be when you’re thrown straight into the fire. When New York called his name at No. 37, he was widely regarded as a physical, "press-man bully" at the line of scrimmage, and the Giants didn't hesitate to test those traits.
Hood got a good amount of snaps at corner, logging 23 snaps out wide and another three down in the box. Unfortunately, when Minnesota targeted the young defensive back, he often lost. They targeted him three times, completing two passes for 25 yards, leading to a rough 29.4 coverage grade.
While the 21-year-old Tennessee product did tackle well, his rocky afternoon on the outside proved he has a steep learning curve ahead of him if he expects to push the likes of Paulson Adebo, Deonte Banks, and Greg Newsome II for starting reps.
Verdict: Stock slightly down
Malachi Fields, WR
I'm not going to harp on Malachi Fields too much, even though he probably (definitely) deserves it.
The 6-foot-4, 218-pound receiver absolutely dominated in his first preseason showing. He caught all three of his targets for 34 yards and a touchdown. With Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, and Calvin Austin doing a whole lotta nothing, no player benefited more from Saturday's stinker than Fields.
Expect the soon-to-be 23-year-old to make a real push for the WR2 slot behind Malik Nabers before the preseason is over.
Verdict: Stock all the way up
Bobby Jamison-Travis, DL
Let's just say there's a reason why Bobby Jamison-Travis was listed among the third-stringers when the initial depth chart was released.
The 6-foot-4, 322-pounder has been steadily trending downward. Ever since the competition started heating up and the pads came on, the slow decline has been impossible to ignore. He looked good in shorts during minicamp and OTAs, but ever since the competition started heating up and pads and contact have been allowed, the slow decline has begun.
The 25-year-old rookie logged 25 forgettable defensive snaps in his preseason debut. He didn't log a single tackle, failing to look like the staunch run defender they thought he was coming out of Auburn. There's a very real chance BJT starts the season on the practice squad.
Verdict: Stock down
J.C. Davis, OL
It was a little bit shocking to see J.C. Davis on the third team when the initial depth chart came out. All signs pointed toward a backup spot on the right behind Jermaine Eluemunor, with second-year lineman Marcus Mbow occupying the left side behind Andrew Thomas.
Davis' first preseason action was the ultimate mixed bag. On the one hand, his run blocking was suspect as all hell, failing to generate much of anything and playing his part in the team's lackluster 2.6 yards per carry.
On the other hand, his pass blocking was second to none, registering an astounding 84.6 pass-blocking grade in 10 snaps. The 6-foot-4, 322-pound lineman was known as a well-rounded blocker at Illinois, with a case to be made that he was better in the ground game, but it turns out that might be a thing of the past if Saturday's action was any indication.
Verdict: Neutral
Jack "Cannonball" Kelly, LB
It’s always a good day for a linebacker when he leads his team in tackles, so from that standpoint, Cannonball Kelly’s stock was almost destined to rise.
The 23-year-old finished the game with five tackles -- with a sixth left on the field after a miss -- in 37 snaps. The craziest part of his snap count was that 36 of them came with him in the box, with the other coming in the slot. That's nuts, but it goes to show you how athletic and versatile the former BYU stud actually is.
He impressed most in the pass rush, finishing with two QB hurries in three pass-rush attempts.
The 6-foot-2, 240-pound linebacker has made a strong case for the 53-man roster. If he keeps playing like this, Giants fans are going to have a lot of fun imagining him and Reese flying around together for years to come.
Verdict: Stock up
Dominic Zvada, K
Not much has changed on the Dominic Zvada front. The 22-year-old undrafted rookie out of Michigan frustratingly didn't get a chance to attempt a field goal on Saturday.
The opportunity was there -- down three with 2:29 remaining in the game, Harbs could have tested Zvada-matic's otherworldly leg strength with a 62-yarder into the wind, but opted to play it safe in the preseason instead. Way to play fun police, coach.
Ben "Better Call Saul" Sauls did hit a 46-yarder and an extra point. Even still, the competition is clearly Zvada's to lose, even if his head coach robbed Giants fans blind by not letting him go for it.
Verdict: Stock neutral
Add us as a preferred source on Google