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Giants News | New York Giants – Giants.com

Rookie Progress Report: Week 16 in the books

*Giants.com takes a look at the performance of the rookies in Week 16: *

After each game, Giants.com looks at the progress of the rookies, a group that has one week remaining in its inaugural season.

TE EVAN ENGRAM

13 offensive plays (18.1%)
1 reception, 12 yards (2 targets)

The Giants lost their star rookie and leading receiver in the first half due to a rib injury. While the Giants await his status for the season finale, he needs 11 more catches to break the record for most receptions by a tight end in Giants history (Jeremy Shockey had 74 in 2002). Engram still leads all NFL rookie tight ends in receptions (64) and yards (722) by a wide margin. He is tied for first in touchdowns (six).

DT DALVIN TOMLINSON

32 defensive plays (46.4%)
3 special teams plays (12.0%)
3 solo tackles

The second-round draft pick had another two run stops on Sunday, giving him 23 on the season and extending his lead among all rookie defensive linemen. According to Pro Football Focus, Tomlinson grades out at 17th in run defense among 124 interior defenders.

RB WAYNE GALLMAN

52 offensive plays (72.2%)
14 special teams plays (56.0%)
10 carries, 18 yards
6 receptions, 44 yards (8 targets)

Interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo thought Gallman ran "real hard" in his first career start. The rookie has taken over the Giants' backfield in the last three weeks, racking up 240 yards from scrimmage in that span. While the team rushing total (43 yards) was the second-worst of the season, Gallman has shown his ability to make plays as a receiver. Additionally, according to PFF, Gallman has only allowed one hurry on 23 pass blocking snaps.

LB CALVIN MUNSON

26 defensive plays (37.7%)
12 special teams plays (48.0%)
3 solo tackles (1 TFL)

The undrafted rookie has climbed to fifth on the team with 59 tackles. He also has two sacks and one forced fumble on the year.

WR TRAVIS RUDOLPH

58 offensive plays (80.6%)
1 reception, 6 yards (2 targets)

Rudolph played in his first game since Thanksgiving night in Washington after missing some time with a hamstring injury.

OT CHAD WHEELER

7 offensive plays (9.7%)
1 special teams play (4.0%)

Chad Wheeler, who started three games earlier this season at right tackle, was on the field for the first play as an extra offensive lineman, a role in which he saw all of his work on Sunday.

TE/FB SHANE SMITH

2 offensive plays (2.8%)
20 special teams plays (80.0%)

Despite playing only 10 games, Smith is seventh on the team with 168 special teams snaps. However, he has yet to touch the ball on offense.

DE AVERY MOSS

(inactive)

The sixth-round draft choice has played in 11 games with two starts, but was inactive on Sunday for the first time since Week 4. The Giants had been hoping to get more of a rotation with Moss and Romeo Okwara, who was activated from injured reserve/designated for return list, but the injury situation in the secondary made it a numbers game. Safeties Landon Collins (ankle) and Nat Berhe (hamstring) were questionable heading into the game. Both ended up playing. "We didn't want to get caught shorthanded at defensive back or special teams," Spagnuolo said. "We had a lot of conversations about that, so we went with the three ends, but it was strictly because of injuries in another position."

QB DAVIS WEBB

(inactive)

Webb was again inactive on game day, but for the first time since summer, the rookie quarterback took practice reps with the first team in the week leading up. The Giants typically carve out eight plays in practice where their starting offense goes against the starting defense, as opposed to one side showing looks they expect to see from the upcoming opponent.

Eli Manning is usually under center for those reps, but Webb took six of the eight on Wednesday and Thursday. However, the third-round draft choice remained third on the depth chart behind backup Geno Smith.

"Eli will start [Week 17] and then we'll probably take it bit-by-bit, we'll just take it and see how it goes," Spagnuolo said after Sunday's game. "Eli is the starter."

Spagnuolo was asked if Webb -- had he been active -- would have relieved Manning when the game was out of reach against the Cardinals.

"We decided to try and keep winning the football game," Spagnuolo said. "To me, when it's a two-possession game, you try to win the game. And three possessions, with time, if Davis was up there, he probably would have been handing the ball off. I don't know if we would have put him in the situation. I think we've got to be smart. I get the question, I get it. Trying to be smart about a lot of things but, first and foremost, is going to be try and win the football game."

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