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Giants Now: Daniel Jeremiah predicts who will run fastest 40-yard dash

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Daniel Jeremiah predicts who will run fastest 40-yard dash at NFL Combine

While festivities at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine began earlier this week, today marks the start of on-field drills for some of the top prospects in Indianapolis.

At 7pm EST tonight, the quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends will take the field for workouts. The running backs and offensive linemen will then go on Friday before the defensive linemen and linebackers take part in drills on Saturday. The defensive backs will be the final group to work out on Sunday.

One of the most entertaining drills at the combine each year is the 40-yard dash. 14 players have registered marks below 4.3-seconds since 2003, including Giants wide receiver John Ross, who holds the all-time record at 4.22.

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah ranked the top 7 players that he believes will post the best 40 times at this year's combine.

Here are Jeremiah's candidates to run the fastest 40-yard dash.

1. WR Danny Gray, SMU

"Gray is my top candidate to run the fastest 40-yard dash this week. With speed that is easy to spot on tape, he has an explosive first gear and the ability to pull away from defenders." -- Jeremiah

2. CB Kalon Barnes, Baylor

"Barnes is the favorite of several personnel guys when asked who will run the fastest 40 in Indy... His speed shows up on tape when he's in pursuit, and he closes in a hurry." -- Jeremiah

3. CB Tariq Woolen, Texas-San Antonio

"Woolen is an enormous cornerback (checking in at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds) with big-time athleticism. The Athletic's Bruce Feldman featured him on his freak's list last summer, where he mentioned that Woolen had been timed at 4.34 in the 40." -- Jeremiah

4. CB Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston State

"McCollum has been training with Gray, and he's right there with him in the speed department.. He is a highly productive player (13 career interceptions), and his workout should only help boost his draft stock." -- Jeremiah

5. WR Jahan Dotson, Penn State

"Dotson is a smooth, explosive wideout who effortlessly eats up ground as a runner, and his combination of speed, route running and reliable hands will likely result in a first-round selection." -- Jeremiah

6. WR Calvin Austin III, Memphis

"The small (5-7, 173 pounds), dynamic Austin possesses outstanding quickness and top speed. And as a member of the Memphis track team, he competed in the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays and 60-meter and 200-meter dashes." -- Jeremiah

7. CB Kyler Gordon, Washington

"Gordon is one of my favorite players in the draft class, an instinctive cornerback with outstanding size (6-foot, 200) and speed. Bruce Feldman reported that Gordon jumped 42.5 inches at Washington, and that indicates a special 40-time should be expected." -- Jeremiah

View photos from Media Day as some of the top WR, TE, and QB prospects speak to reporters from the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

Daniel Jeremiah's best Giants draft fits

With the calendar officially flipped to March, we are under two months away from the start of the 2022 NFL Draft.

A lot can change between now and April 28, especially with free agency still to come later this month. But several prospects have already seemingly solidified their spots toward the top of the draft, even without any on-field workouts yet.

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah believes there are two perfect fits for the Giants, who currently hold the fifth and seventh overall picks. However, whether or not either player will still be available when the Giants are on the clock remains to be seen.

"I would say (Aidan) Hutchinson and (Ikem) Ekwonu would be the two that I would just run the card in…" Jeremiah said on Big Blue Kickoff Live regarding no-brainer picks for the Giants. "(Evan) Neal wouldn't be for me. He's my fifth overall player, so I wouldn't hate that pick at all. But to me, I just think those top two guys are no-brainers. I think you just plug-and-play them, and off you go….

"I don't think they'll be there. We'll see. It's a long time between now and then. Teams have free agency to address other needs and see what happens. But I just think they're high-floor and high-ceiling guys, which are hard to find."

Giants release TE Kyle Rudolph, RB Devontae Booker

What promises to be a busy offseason of roster restructuring began in earnest for the Giants on Wednesday, who announced they have released running back Devontae Booker and tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Both veterans were first-year Giants who joined the team as free agents in 2021. They are the first veteran contributors from the team to be cut by the Giants' new hierarchy, general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll.

Schoen spoke Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine about the offseason issues the Giants face.

"The reality of the situation is we have to get under the (salary) cap," he said. "We're over the cap right now. It's the contingency plans. Literally we have A, B, C, D, E and you gotta wait for the first shoe to fall before you make the next decision, so it's a great time to be here. I'm excited to be at the combine, I'm glad that everything is back in person. But to get around with the agents of our players and have a face-to-face conversation, be able to meet with other general managers and really get a beat for what everything is going to look like … I'm looking forward to accomplishing a lot this week.

"There's some conversations that need to be had, I'll say that. We've got a detailed plan when we come here and over the next 24 hours, we'll start moving based on conversations."

View the players set to become free agents when the new league year begins March 16.

Giants add Angela Baker, Cade Knox to coaching staff

Angela Baker has joined the Giants’ coaching staff as the inaugural recipient of the Rosie Brown Minority Coaching Fellowship. Baker will be the offensive quality control coach.

Baker becomes the second woman to join Brian Daboll’s staff. Laura Young is the team's director of coaching operations.

"(I) did an interview with her over Zoom," Daboll said yesterday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. "Just very impressive. A former player for six or seven years as a slot receiver. Very knowledgeable. I thought she'd be a very good addition to our staff."

The fellowship is named in honor of Rosie Brown, one of the greatest players and arguably the best offensive lineman in Giants history. A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 1975, Brown played for the Giants from 1953 through 1965 after joining the team as a 27th round draft choice from Morgan State. He was a starting tackle for 13 consecutive seasons, a period when he was named to nine Pro Bowls and selected All-NFL eight consecutive seasons. Brown helped the Giants win the NFL title in 1956 and advance to the championship game in 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962 and 1963. He was immediately named assistant line coach by the Giants after a phlebitis condition forced him to retire in 1966. Brown continued his Giants affiliation as a scout from 1971 until his death on June 9, 2004.

Daboll also hired Cade Knox as an offensive assistant/game manager.

View photos of the 2022 New York Giants coaching staff, led by Head Coach Brian Daboll.

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