The New York Giants haven’t been playing many of their bigger name rookies this year especially becuase they have been hurt (Amukamara still has not set “foot” on field, and Marvin Austin is out for the season), or ineffective (Jernigan and his muffed punts have kept him out of the punt returner role), but this past Sunday in large part because of injuries to other players many of the youngsters saw the field.
Players out: Amukamara, Austin, Hynoski all were injured and not playing. James Brewer (4th round pick) was inactive.
Jerell Jernigan
Jernigan trotted onto the field in one four wide package, he entered the field wearing number 12 and it was in the red-zone so you just knew he was going to run a tight route and be Eli Manning’s go to guy! Well, he did run a decent route, but he was covered, the rest of the wide receivers were covered as well and Eli just throw the ball in Jernigan’s direction, but out of bounds. Jernigan saw the field! But nothing amounted of it. Hopefully as the season goes along Jernigan will continue to imporve in practice and see the field. This might be a wash year though as talented Ramses Barden should be coming off the PUP list soon. Once he does it’s unlikely Jernigan sees much time, if any at WR.
Tyler Sash/Mark Herzlich/Spencer Paysinger
Sash, Paysinger, and Herzlich continue to play exclusively on special teams and theyare doing a decent job. Last year’s coverage teams were god-awful, but this year they are average, which is a huge improvement (sadly). Herzlich had a tackle in Buffalo the third game in a row he registered a tackle.
Paysinger was very impressive in training camp, but I have a feeling with Jacquian Williams emergence, Paysinger is a player that could be cut very soon when Rames Barden or if Adam Koets come off the P.U.P. list.
Tyler Sash leads this trio with 7 tackles (Herzlich three, and Paysinger two) and is really a pretty good special teams player. Sash needs to pick up the defense quick though because veteran Safety Deon Grant is struggling. Sash is a very savvy player and I hope he gets his chance soon here, he’s not appearing in any base formations.
Greg Jones
As long as Perry Fewell is here it seems that Greg Jones will have a limited impact. That’s not a knock on either one, it’s just a fact. Fewell likes to use the three safety package (he used it often in Buffalo as well), but I’m not sure whether or not that’s out of necessity. The Bills nor the Giants haven’t had great linebacker talent lately. Jones does not appear to have the side line to side line speed to be invovled in nickel packages, which has really limited him this year. Jones hasn’t made many tackles for loss and has 16 tackles on the season. I do not believe that Jones has shown the Giants enough to warrant them not pursuing other linebacker options if Goff does not return, with that being said Goff took a few years to mature into the role he has now so Jones still has time to develop into the good player many Giants fans feel he can become.
Da’Rel Scott
Yay! Da’rel Scott gets on the board. For the second straight week the Giants have used Scott on a passing pattern, it’s not much, but it’s a start. Scott was one of my favorite players prior to the N.F.L. draft as a value pick because he combines speed with good size (5’11 210 pounds) and has a solid frame. He struggled with injuries at Maryland, but when healthy was dynamite. I think he can become a player in this league and I’ve cringed everytime the Giants have made a roster move (signing Brandon Stokley etc) because I’m hoping they are not cutting Scott as a corresponding move. D.J. Ware throughouly unimpresses me. He’s fine, whatever. But let’s give Scott the ball and see what he can do with it. The encouraging thing about Scott is he’s been in on pass plays the last two weeks which might be an indication that the Giants feel comftorable with him in there as a blocker (though he hasn’t been asked to stay in and block). That’s key. When you see Coughlin let him block on a passing play then you know Scott’s carries will increase soon.
Jacquian Williams
I’ve been high on Williams all year because his playing speed is undeniable and it’s bltiz timing is also very impressive for a young player. But Sunday I thought he struggled a bit and looked to be playing a tick slower than he has previously. He was on the field a lot, but only registered two tackles, after averaging 8 tackles the previous four games. He was out of place on a number of plays. He’s still going to be a good N.F.L. player, but Sunday was part of the learning curve for young players they all go through. Thankfully it didn’t cost the Giants the game.
All in all it’s been nice to watch some of the late round picks get on the field, and the Giants are having a youth movement with young players taking many snaps for the team, but it’s also frustrating to know that the first four picks for the Giants in 2011 have combined to appear in two games this season (Jernigan with both) and have registered zero statistics. I’d be willing to be that the Giants are the only team in the league with such an oddity.
Tommorrow or (perhaps later today) I will have a draft review of Jerry Reese’s 2008 N.F.L draft
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