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Progress Report: How Giants rookies have fared so far

ANDREW-THOMAS

The Giants are at the quarter point of the season, and it is time to take a look at how their rookies have performed so far this season.

Andrew Thomas, 1st round, 6th overall

Andrew Thomas has played all but two of the Giants' offensive snaps this season as their starting left tackle. His only missed snaps came at the end of the 49ers game when he limped off after suffering a leg injury, but he later returned to the game. Thomas also has 12 snaps playing on field goal and extra point block.

According to Pro Football Focus, Thomas has allowed 22 pressures through four games. They break down to three sacks, four quarterback hits and 15 hurries. He has a pass block efficiency of 93.2. In his four weeks of play he has faced pass rushers Bud Dupree, Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn, Kerry Hyder and Samson Ekubam, and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.

Quote from Head Coach Joe Judge: "I think obviously he's a guy who has a tremendous amount of potential, and that's why we brought him in here. He's been baptized by fire really this first part of the season. He's seen a lot of elite edge rushers. He's seen a lot of multiples come at him. Obviously, they're trying to attack him as a rookie and see what he can handle. He's done a lot of things very, very positively. There are some other things that, like with any rookie, he has to learn from and correct. We're not going to write him a pass for being a young guy or being a rookie or not having a preseason. That's not the way we operate here. But look, I'm very pleased with the way he's working. There are a lot of things he's learning on the fly right now. I think (Marc) Colombo and Ben (Wilkerson) are doing a good job with him as far as bringing him along, and the guy shows up every day, works and competes."

Xavier McKinney, 2nd round, 36th overall

Incomplete: McKinney was placed on injured reserve due to a foot injury suffered during training camp. He has not played a snap for the Giants to this point.

Matt Peart, 3rd round, 99th overall

After not playing in the season's first two games, Peart logged two snaps for Andrew Thomas at the end of the 49ers game. He received 12 snaps against the Rams at right tackle in the Giants' 2-minute offense at the end of the first half. PFF did not track him allowing any pressures on his nine pass blocking snaps.

Quote from Head Coach Joe Judge on Peart getting 12 snaps against the Rams: "They didn't have a preseason, so there's a lot of these young players who are eventually going to have to play for us. We want to get them involved as much as we can to get them game action and just progressing them with what they're doing. There was no pulling Cam Fleming. We didn't take him out or something happened with him in the game. But I was pleased with how Matt played when he was in there. There were some things to learn with, some things to build on right there. I think he's a guy who is a developing player who has a skillset. The more we can keep him involved, the more progress he'll make."

Darnay Holmes, 4th round, 110th overall

Holmes has played 132 defensive snaps this season. 111 of those snaps have come at slot cornerback, with only four coming at outside cornerback. The others are plays where he lined up around the line of scrimmage.

According to PFF, through four games he has allowed 13 catches on 17 targets for 149 yards. He has played press coverage on 36 of his 85 coverage snaps. He has been used as a blitzer from the cornerback position nine times, and has tallied a quarterback hit and a quarterback hurry. He has nine tackles, including six solo and three assisted.

Holmes also has seven special teams snaps, including six on punt return and one in kick coverage.

Quote from Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham on Darnay Holmes: "He comes in with this great energy in the morning and at practice ready to go and improve. The questions he's asking, you can see the maturity as he's maturing through the process right now and learning how to be an NFL football player. Great at college football, but learning to be a NFL football player, the right questions he's asking. Today is a third down, two-minute day. He's asking the right questions where maybe three weeks ago we weren't getting those questions, 'speak up Pat, go over that again.' I like that because there's some interaction we need in there, we're co-workers. I need that interaction."

View photos of the Giants' rookies as the team hits the quarter point of the 2020 season.

Shane Lemieux, 5th round, 150th overall

Lemieux logged on snap as a fullback against the Rams in Week 4.

Quote from Head Coach Joe Judge on using Lemieux as a fullback: "Well, Eli's (Penny) our fullback, but Shane has a skillset as well. We're just looking to get all of our players involved however we think it could create an advantage. That was something that we just kind of thought would give us something in certain plays and situations yesterday we wanted to use. Shane was the guy that fit the role."

Cameron Brown, 6th round, 183rd overall

Cam Brown has not played a defensive snap yet this season, but he has been a core special teams player the last three weeks. He logged 10 special teams snaps against the Bears, 21 against the 49ers and 20 against the Rams. His length serves him well on special teams units. He has 11 snaps on kick coverage, 16 on kick return, six on punt coverage, seven on punt return, and 11 on field goal and extra point block.

Carter Coughlin, 7th round, 218th overall

Coughlin has played 24 special teams snaps in Week 1 against the Steelers and Week 3 against the 49ers. His snaps include seven on kick coverage, 14 on kick return, and three on punt return. Carter's athleticism tested well at the combine and it helps him be an effective special teams player.

Carter has not taken a defensive snap and is being transitioned to inside linebacker at practice.

_Joe Judge quote on Coughlin taking snaps at inside linebacker at practice: "He's a young player, so we're trying to look at him in a couple different positions. Obviously, he has roles for us in the kicking game. He played mostly outside linebacker through camp. There were some discussions early in training camp about looking at him inside. We've had the opportunity to do that the last few weeks. He's made some progress there. The more versatility he has playing inside and outside really adds to our depth at the games." _

TJ Brunson, 7th round, 238th overall

Brunson has not played a snap for the Giants this season.

Chris Williamson, 7th Round, 247th overall

Williamson has served on the Giants practice quad this season.

Tae Crowder, 7th round, 255th overall

After not playing in Week 1, Tae Crowder played 10 special teams snaps against the Bears in Week 2. He has 32 special teams snaps on the season, including 10 on kick coverage, 16 on kick return, two on punt coverage, and two on punt return.

His role on defense exploded against the Rams in Week 4 with 35 defensive snaps. He was used mostly in passing situations, facing only seven run plays as the inside linebacker next to Blake Martinez. He made the most of his opportunity with two tackles, a pass defended, and one quarterback hit as a blitzer. He nearly had an interception diving in front of Robert Woods on a Jared Goff pass over the middle, but could not control the ball before it hit the ground.

Quote from Head Coach Joe Judge about Tae Crowder after the Week 4 game against the Rams: "I'm pleased with the progress Tae is making. I think we have a lot of young guys right now on the roster who are at least starting to come around. You can kind of see a difference in their eyes, which is kind of natural for them to have after some experience on the field. They're acclimating a little bit to not only the speed of the game on the field, but the speed of the game in the classroom, the speed of the game how you have to carry it from the classroom to practice, and it's kind of slowing down for them a little bit."

Madre Harper, Acquired on waivers from the Raiders

An undrafted free agent from Southern Illinois, Harper joined the Giants shortly before their Week 4 matchup against the Rams. He played two defensive snaps and three special teams snaps in the game.

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