Re-grading the NY Giants 2023 rookie class after Week 10's nightmare vs. Dallas
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Round 5, Pick 172: RB Eric Gray, D
There was a reasonable amount of hype surrounding Eric Gray heading into the season. Not only was he very solid and versatile in college, but with the ongoing Barkley contract situation, many fans thought Gray could potentially be the lead back for New York. Now, we're 10 weeks into the season and Gray is on IR and was barely seeing the field before he got hurt anyway.
For starters, Gray should never have been tasked with fielding punt - it was something he never did in college and it was clear it wouldn't work in the NFL, so that's just a big mistake by the Giants coaching staff. However, even when on the field as a runner, he didn't do much to give us any hope that he'd be a key part of New York's future.
It's hard to expect much out of a fifth-round pick, but overall Gray just hasn't shown the Giants enough whether it be as a returner, or running back. Hopefully, he turns it around next season, as the potential is definitely there for the 24-year-old RB.
Round 6, Pick 211: CB Tre Hawkins, C-
One of the biggest stories from this year's training camp was that of Tre Hawkins, a sixth-round pick from Old Dominion that was dominating the Giants' starting offense. However, since the regular season started, Hawkins has come back down to earth and has struggled a good bit. Despite this, he's still shown some flashes of decent play.
Through seven games this season, Hawkins has allowed 10 receptions on 14 targets for 214 yards and two touchdowns. These numbers aren't very good, but it's likely that Hawkins may just need more time to develop before becoming a big part of the Giants' defense. Regardless, if they can even get a special teams player out of Hawkins, it would be a big win considering that he's a sixth-round pick.
With all the injuries the secondary has sustained in recent weeks, there is no time greater than the present for Hawkins to step up and make his name known. If he can manage to turn things around in the second half of the season, Hawkins could very well earn a permanent role on the Giants' defense moving forward.