The Giants.com breaks down the biggest takeaways from rookie minicamp.
John Schmeelk: Reacting to rookie minicamp is an exercise we do every year, and I understand why. It is the first time we them in uniform and helmets with the "ny" on it while playing something that looks like football. It's fun, but that's where we should draw the line. There isn't anything truly meaningful to take away from what happened on the field over the weekend. Sure, Jaxson Dart threw some nice passes in 7-on-7, but it was against no pass rush. This is also a reminder that no one was wearing any pads either. It was not real football.
What I'll do here instead is reflect on what some of the players said at the podium, where you could get a feel for their demeanor. It was a chance to see the type of person we will be covering over the course of the next few months. As has been in the case for most of the players taken during Joe Schoen's tenure, all the drafted players seem like put-together, intelligent, and mature people.
Abdul Carter's answers get to the point quickly and he continues to be all business. I don't think there's going to be any drama around him, besides whatever he causes for opposing offenses. Fellow defender Darius Alexander seems like a very grounded and mature person that's anxious to prove himself.
Jaxson Dart is Captain Charisma. You sensed a bit of it when he spoke at the podium at the NFL Combine, but it was such a large group with a national feel to it that it didn't completely come through. With a smaller group and a more focused conversation about him joining the Giants, it was easy to see why he was able to hit it off with the Giants (and the rest of the NFL) in his pre-draft meetings. You could also sense how he can get buy-in from not only his fellow offensive players, but also his teammates on the defensive side of the ball. He definitely has a way about him that will play in a locker room.
Cam Skattebo has the same blue-collar aspect to his personality that he has in his play style. It should not come as a surprise Skattebo, who had to earn his way from Sacramento State to Arizona State, feels like he has just as much to prove in order to get on the field in the NFL. Marcus Mbow, Thomas Fidone II, and Korie Black all represented themselves well too, though I know way more about Fidone's thoughts about tattoos than I thought I would before minicamp started.
Now these draftees, along with the team's undrafted free agents, will have to integrate with the team and begin to truly learn what it is like to be in the National Football League. The firehose is going to be turned on and these guys are going to have to try to drink out of it. We'll see how they do.
View the best photos from rookie minicamp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.


QB Jaxson Dart (6), Eli Manning

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

Michael Strahan

TE Thomas Fidone II (86), QB Jaxson Dart (6), OL Marcus Mbow (71)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

RB Cam Skattebo (44)

TE Thomas Fidone II (86)


OLB Abdul Carter (51)

TE Thomas Fidone II (86)


RB Cam Skattebo (44), DT Darius Alexander (91), QB Jaxson Dart (6), TE Thomas Fidone II (86), OL Marcus Mbow (71), CB Korie Black (25), OLB Abdul Carter (51)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

CB Korie Black (25)

DT Darius Alexander (91)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)


DT Darius Alexander (91)

Head Coach Brian Daboll

RB Cam Skattebo (44), DT Darius Alexander (91), QB Jaxson Dart (6), TE Thomas Fidone II (86), OL Marcus Mbow (71), CB Korie Black (25), OLB Abdul Carter (51)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

TE Thomas Fidone II (86)

RB Rushawn Baker (36)

OL Marcus Mbow (71)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

WR Da'Quan Felton (9)

OL Marcus Mbow (71)

WR Da'Quan Felton (9)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

WR Jordan Bly (12)

QB Jaxson Dart (6), Eli Manning

WR Dalen Cambre (5)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

RB Rushawn Baker (36)

RB Cam Skattebo (44)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

TE Thomas Fidone II (86)

RB Cam Skattebo (44)

QB Jaxson Dart (6), Eli Manning

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

TE Thomas Fidone II (86)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

RB Cam Skattebo (44)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

RB Cam Skattebo (44)

RB Cam Skattebo (44)

RB Cam Skattebo (44)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

Joe Schoen, DT Darius Alexander (91)


QB Jaxson Dart (6), C Bryan Hudson (60)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

DT Darius Alexander (91)

RB Cam Skattebo (44), OLB Abdul Carter (51), TE Thomas Fidone II (86)

RB Cam Skattebo (44), OLB Abdul Carter (51), TE Thomas Fidone II (86)

DT Darius Alexander (91)

TE Jermaine Terry II (48)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

OLB Trace Ford (46)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

CB Korie Black (25)

TE Thomas Fidone II (86)

TE Thomas Fidone II (86)

TE Thomas Fidone II (86)

CB Korie Black (25)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

RB Cam Skattebo (44)

TE Thomas Fidone II (86)

WR Beaux Collins (8)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

RB Rushawn Baker (36)

RB Rushawn Baker (36), C Bryan Hudson (60)

RB Cam Skattebo (44)

OL Marcus Mbow (71)

WR Dalen Cambre (5)

Michael Strahan

Michael Strahan, OLB Abdul Carter (51)

WR Jordan Bly (12)

Michael Strahan, OLB Abdul Carter (51)


Michael Strahan

Charlie Bullen, OLB Abdul Carter (51)

Michael Strahan

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

OLB Trace Ford (46)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

OLB Trace Ford (46)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

TE Thomas Fidone II (86)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

OLB Abdul Carter (51)


OLB Abdul Carter (51)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)

DT Darius Alexander (91)

DT Darius Alexander (91)

QB Jaxson Dart (6)
Dan Salomone: The Giants had their all-time sacks leader at practice on Day 1 and their all-time passing leader on Day 2. It was fitting for a draft class headlined by Abdul Carter and Jaxson Dart, who already broke the latter's record at Ole Miss.
Speaking of pressure, there was none of it during non-contact practices, but coach Brian Daboll said Dart did what he was supposed to on the field as the only draft pick to participate in 7-on-7. More importantly, it sounded like it was the same case off the field.
"He was prepared," Daboll said. "He put a lot of time and effort into it. I got a lot of appreciation for how he's gone about short amount of time his business, and that's what's most important is how we can get him to a routine meeting with players extra, having walkthroughs at the hotels, communication. Part of playing quarterback is being on top of all those little things, and if he can't be on top of him, then the other guys, if they don't know him, he can't direct him in the right direction. In terms of where he threw the ball – and I mean we're not running any exotic coverage or having a pass rush or pressure – so there'll be time to develop that. But what we've asked him to do and how he's gone about his business as a young pro at that position is important."
Matt Citak: Heading into rookie minicamp, it seemed like most of the focus was on the Giants' two first-round picks. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering Abdul Carter and Jaxson Dart were first-round picks. But with the first-year players taking the field for the first time since joining the team, I was more interested to see how some of the other draft picks would fare, especially the three offensive players selected on Day 3.
Coach Brian Daboll told the media before the first practice that Dart would be the only draft pick participating in 7-on-7 drills during rookie minicamp, which means we only saw a limited amount of Cam Skattebo, Marcus Mbow, and Thomas Fidone II. But I couldn't help but feel a bit impressed from what I saw from those guys. Skattebo showed off his strong hands with a couple of nice catches down the field during individual drills. We know how much success the talented back had as a pass-catcher at Arizona State, and after only two short practices, it's easy to see him picking up right where he left off at the next level. It was tougher to get much of a read on Mbow, as the linemen could really only do so much during these rookie minicamp practices, but the 6-foot-5, 300-pound lineman showed off his athleticism during some positional drills. During his press conference with the media, he reiterated his desire to help the team by lining up at any position they may need him to play. I think Mbow might surprise some people once the pads come on and contact is allowed during training camp.
Then there's Fidone, who might have impressed me the most out of the bunch. We knew he was a good athlete based on his numbers at the NFL Combine, but the 6-foot-6 tight end stood out from the others this past weekend. He made a couple of impressive grabs during positional drills, including one where he leaped and went full extension to bring a pass down. Both his size and speed were noticeable in his first two practices, as it was easy to see how he was once a former top recruit.
You never want to put big expectations on Day 3 rookies, as they face an uphill battle just to get on the field right away, let alone make a big impact. But between Skattebo, Mbow, and Fidone, it would not surprise me in the slightest if one, or even multiple, of these guys end up seeing the field a good amount this upcoming season.
