NFL.com lists Dane Belton as Day 3 rookie to watch in Year 1
NFL.com's Chad Reuter came up with a list of Day 3 draft picks who could compete for starter snaps in Year 1.
Reuter ranked 12 different first-year players selected in Rounds 4-7 that could see extended playing time in 2022, and Giants' rookie safety Dane Belton came in at No. 5.
As Reuter states, "Julian Love has been a part-time starter in New York the past three years (logging 16 starts in 48 appearances), but he'll have to battle Belton to replace Jabrill Peppers (who signed in New England) as an in-the-box playmaker. Belton regularly worked in the slot at Iowa, as well, and showed good hands while intercepting five passes last year."
Belton earned a 77.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus last season, including an impressive 82.3 coverage grade.
He earned a selection as First-Team All-Big Ten after registering five interceptions. Belton also forced eight incompletions, which tied for the fifth-most among safeties in 2021.
The Giants selected Belton in the fourth round (No. 114 overall) in last month's NFL Draft.
Julian Love's INT highlights OTA No. 3
"Drinking water through a firehose" is a phrase often heard around NFL facilities this time of year.
Before this week, the offseason workout program was about conditioning and orientation as much as football. That changed on Monday with the start of organized team activities (OTAs), a series of 10 full-team practices, in addition to next month's three-day mandatory minicamp.
"I believe in putting as much pressure as we can on the players during this time," coach Brian Daboll said before the third OTA practice on Thursday. "If they go out there and mess up a play here, it's May right now. It's May. May 19th. We learn from it, and we keep growing and getting better. A lot different than when you're getting ready to play in September."
TAKEAWAYS
*Safety Julian Love came away with the lone interception of practice during 11-on-11 drills. Love, who has missed only one game since being drafted in the fourth round in 2019, played 52.2 percent of the defensive snaps last season while starting five times. Both of those figures could increase in 2022 following the offseason departures of Logan Ryan and Jabrill Peppers.
Catch up on all the action with photos from OTA No. 3 at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
Giants Huddle | Guards Mark Glowinski & Max Garcia
Paul Dottino sits down with guards Mark Glowinski and Max Garcia to chat about the potential of the Giants' offense in 2022.
:17 - Mark Glowinski
3:07 - Guiding rookie Evan Neal
12:27 - Potential of the offense
14:44 - Max Garcia
18:22 - Creating chemistry
21:49 - Expectations for the offense
