NY Giants: 6 takeaways from rookie minicamp, including Grant Haley writing next chapter

Art Stapleton | NorthJersey

Show Caption Hide Caption Video: Barkley- 'It's starting to finally hit me' New York Giants rookie runningback Saquon Barkley speaks to the media before rookie minicamp in East Rutherford, NJ on Friday, May 11, 2018.

EAST RUTHERFORD – Shortly after signing with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent, Grant Haley took to social media with a promise to tell quite the story.

"Sheesh I can't wait to tell this story!" Haley wrote on his Twitter page, attaching an image of the Giants' logo as part of the announcement that he was joining Saquon Barkley, his roommate at Penn State, with Big Blue.

Fast forward two weeks, and there was Barkley, surrounded by crowds of media as he bounced from interview to interview Friday morning with the Giants' rookie minicamp kicking into high gear.

Haley was standing about 20 yards away on the patio overlooking the team's practice fields, and the challenge looming for the scrappy cornerback and Penn State's defensive captain from last season is one he embraces, and with a chip on his shoulder to boot.

“Ever since I was young, people said I was too small or not fast enough,” Haley said. “That’s fuel for the fire. If you don’t believe in me, that just helps me."

The Giants believe in Haley, or he wouldn't be here.

And if his on-field performance over the first two practices open to the media are any indication, the 5-foot-9 Haley is worthy of their attention. He broke up passes on successive days, flashing good closing speed on blitzes from the slot Friday.

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There is an opportunity for someone to step forward inside within the Giants' secondary with the departure of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who was released after he refused to take a pay cut in March. Veteran William Gay has been playing in there with Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple on the outside in the early part of the team's offseason training program, including during its voluntary minicamp last month.

In addition to his coverage skills, Haley has the potential to be a special teams ace in the NFL. His 60-yard return of a blocked field goal for a touchdown in Penn State's upset of Ohio State two seasons ago is one of the defining plays of the program's resurgence under coach James Franklin – of course, Barkley has several others.

Haley doesn't want one play to define his game, let alone his chances of not only making the Giants this season, but becoming a key contributor as quickly as possible.

“I like to use my film from the last four years as my selling point,” Haley said. “I don’t want people to just look at me for one play but to see the big picture of the corner I am, the nickel [defensive back] that I am, not that one play. ... Obviously, everyone has a point in their career where their name gets put on a bigger spectrum. I guess [the Ohio State game] was that point for me. It’s grown from there. But I’m not just a kid who returned a kick against Ohio State. I feel like now I’m Grant Haley, undrafted free agent for the Giants, and I get the chance to play special teams and nickel and corner.”

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Here are other takeaways from rookie minicamp as the Giants move into the next phase of their offseason program with the first-year players mixing in with the veterans starting Monday:

Corner men

Haley isn't the only cornerback to make an impression. Georgia's Aaron Davis has held up well on the outside, and like Haley, he has the ability to kick inside and cover the slot.

Donte Deayon and safety Michael Thomas will also be in the competition as options to play there, but Davis and Haley have put themselves in the conversation very early.

First-year player Tim Scott, who finished last season on the Giants' practice squad, had an active practice Saturday with an interception. This position battle will be the most fascinating between now and Labor Day, and don't be surprised if more players jump into the mix.

Smooth as glass

Barkley's talent is as advertised, and let's be real: we haven't seen anything yet. His true impact as a running back won't be on display until training camp when the pads go on.

But the thing that stuck out about Barkley's talent yet again was his ability as a receiver.

Man, the kid can catch. I didn't see him drop a pass in two days over the run of individual drills, team drills, even the catch he had with tryout quarterback John O'Korn of Michigan. His hands are so smooth and his route running is superb. The ability to cut on a dime – we see you, LeSean McCoy – and change direction so smoothly is jaw dropping. The Giants haven't had that kind of wiggle in a player since David Wilson, although Barkley is far more polished as a receiver than Wilson was.

Matthews making moves

Linebacker Derrick Matthews made the play of minicamp, at least of the two practice sessions open to the media, when he leaped in the air and snared an interception with his left hand. The former Houston star is showing his time with the Giants' veterans has been well spent, and at a position the team is looking to reload, he's making his case.

Matthews joined the Giants' practice squad Dec. 6 when Jonathan Casillas was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury. He stayed there for the next three weeks before getting promoted to the active roster for Week 17 when Landon Collins was placed on injured reserve with a fractured forearm.

My favorite Martin

Rutgers running back Robert Martin is wearing No. 25, and the best thing you can say about his tryout with the Giants is that, every once in a while during drills, he can be mistaken for Barkley, who wears No. 26.

It's Martin's burst through the line of scrimmage that opens eyes, and with the Giants possibly looking for more depth in the backfield behind Barkley, Wayne Gallman and veteran Jonathan Stewart, it's possible there is a spot to be had.

Martin is with Big Blue as a tryout, but he has, at the very least, played Jalen Simmons – who is on the roster – to a standstill. The former Scarlet Knight rushed for 2,256 yards and 18 touchdowns in his college career.

On the line of fire

The question prior to rookie minicamp: can general manager Dave Gettleman repeat the feat from his Carolina days and find his next Andrew Norwell, an undrafted rookie turned All-Pro offensive lineman?

Well, it's way too early to make that kind of proclamation, but here's the lowdown on the offensive line configurations over the first two practices.

Second-round pick Will Hernandez appears to be set at left guard for the foreseeable future, and there are big plans for the UTEP star. The early attention shortly following the draft was focused on SMU center Evan Brown and Nebraska's Nick Gates, but perhaps we overlooked Missouri tackle Tyler Howell. The 6-foot-8, 328-pound Howell manned right tackle with the first-unit. Gates played left guard with the second unit and Brown was at center. It will be interesting to see if Gates and Brown can push the interior guys moving forward.

Howell might actually have a shot to challenge Chad Wheeler, an undrafted tackle from last season, and Ereck Flowers, whom Giants coach Pat Shurmur insisted Saturday makes his squad a better team than the one without him.

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