4 NY Giants youngsters to watch in the preseason opener vs. Detroit

After two weeks of practicing in East Rutherford to begin the summer,
the New York Giants made their way to Allen Park, Mi., to partake in joint practices with Dan Campbell's Detroit Lions. The first joint practice took place Tuesday; by all accounts, the Lions dominated the Giants offensively and defensively.

Wednesday's joint practice was an entirely different story. According to SNY's Connor Hughes, Daniel Jones went 12 of 17 with five touchdown passes. Two touchdown passes were to Darius Slayton, two to Parris Campbell Jr., and one to Darren Waller.

The veterans may be shining of late, but particular focus should be put on the youngsters. There is no better opportunity for youngsters to prove they belong on an NFL roster or in the starting lineup than by performing strongly in joint practices and preseason games. Here are four NY Giants youngsters to watch during the preseason opener in Detroit:

4. Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt

The rookie third-round pick out of Tennessee has shown off his tantalizing speed in camp and has become a significant player in the Giants offense. Jalin Hyatt's incredible speed should not come as a surprise to those who followed Tennessee last season.

Hyatt hauled in 67 passes for 1,267 yards and Tennessee's school-record 15 touchdowns in 2022. The speedster was named the Fred Bilentnikoff Award winner, honoring the nation's best wide receiver. Yet somehow, he was the 11th wide receiver taken off the board in April.

The main concern surrounding Hyatt was route running. Hyatt just ran straight past corners in college and was rarely asked to run complex routes. It is still early in the summer, but Hyatt has quickly dispelled that notion.

The Giants wide receivers room is crowded. Hyatt will compete for snaps against Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell Jr., Isaiah Hodgins, Wan'Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, Cole Beasley, and others to earn snaps this fall. Unlike many veteran wideouts, Hyatt is expected to play in Friday's preseason opener. A big showing could help the youngster earn the coaching staff's trust.

3. Giants wide receiver Collin Johnson

We must remember Collin Johnson's name when discussing the Giants wide receivers room. The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Johnson in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft after being a star at the University of Texas. Johnson, a 6-6, 220-pounder could provide the Giants something their wide receiver core lacks: basketball height.

Johnson is three inches taller than the next closest Giants wideout. He excels in contested catch situations and has shown off that ability this summer.

The Giants had a subpar receiving core last summer, but Johnson likely would have been the Giants No. 2 receiver behind Sterling Shepard to start the season had he not gotten hurt. Johnson suffered a torn Achilles last August that knocked him out for the season.

Johnson was a preseason superstar for New York last year and could provide the role the Giants hoped Kenny Golladay signed when they gave the ex-Detriot wideout a monstrous contract in 2021. Johnson will likely play quite a bit on Friday, which provides a significant opportunity to show the coaches they need to include him on the roster.

2. Giants cornerback Tre Hawkins III

No player can boost their standing within the Giants organization more than Tre Hawkins III can on Friday night. The rookie sixth-round pick has been the standout defensive player on Big Blue's roster to begin this summer.

Hawkins athleticism is off the charts, which is why Joe Schoen drafted him in the sixth round in late April. The Old Dominion product's RAS (relative athletic score) score was 9.82, which ranked 40 out of 2222 cornerbacks from 1987 to 2023.

Hawkins started camp playing with the second and third-team defenses, but has played with the first-team defense over last week. Plays like this are the reason why:

The Giants have started to consider starting Hawkins and fellow rookie Deonte Banks on the outside, with Adoree' Jackson on the inside. Big Blue will likely rest their starters on Friday, but the rookie will probably be out there to continue to gain NFL reps. A big showing could help Hawkins prove to Wink Martindale that he deserves to be out there when the Giants take the field at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 10.

1. Giants linebacker Darrian Beavers

The 2022 sixth-round pick was on his way to becoming a starter last summer, but Darrian Beavers unfortunately tore his ACL during a preseason win over Cincinnati. The Giants signed Bobby Okereke to fill the middle linebacker void this offseason, but his starting partner still needs to be clarified. Beavers has been competing this summer with Micah McFadden for the spot and is listed as the starter on the Giants first unofficial depth chart.

Beavers is a tantalizing prospect. Standing at 6-4, 255 pounds, Beavers flies downhill to the ball. Throughout the entirety of his college career at the University of Cincinnati, Beavers allowed zero touchdowns.

In the biggest game of his football career, the 2022 College Football Playoff against Alabama, Beavers sacked Bryce Young once and recorded four tackles against a great Alabama offensive line featuring current New York Giant right tackle Evan Neal.

Beavers needs a big performance on Friday. He is competing against McFadden for the second middle linebacker job and against veterans from outside the organization. Schoen will likely add veteran help to the position, and one of those veterans could steal the second starter job.

If Beavers performs well during the preseason, it could convince the front office that they already have their starting linebacker in-house and lead them not to add veteran help. We'll see how Beavers does.

READ MORE: 3 NY Giants takeaways from joint practices with the Lions