Quarterback Daniel Jones will be under the microscope this year, as Giants fans wait to see if the No. 6 overall pick in the recent NFL Draft meets lofty expectations.
So far, so good, according to early reports. Tight end Evan Engram offered more praise Thursday night about the rookie's progress.
“He’s picking up [the offense] really fast,” Engram told NJ.com. “They’ve been trying to throw some stuff at him and he’s handled it really well."
Giants offensive coordinator Mike Shula said as much last week, when he said he thought Jones would be ready to go in Week 1 if necessary. Cameras were rolling when the quarterback participated in his first rookie minicamp with the team.
Giants rookie quarterback Daniel Jones' 1st practice https://t.co/R5KCSTUgt8 via @YouTube #NYGiants #NFL
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Obviously, it's very early in the process. The Giants will see more of Jones after the team begins voluntary OTAs (May 20-21, 23 and May 28-29, 31) followed by mandatory minicamp June 4-6, and then the first true test comes in training camp this summer.
The fact Jones faces huge expectations is certainly not his fault. Many NFL observers felt the team reached to pick Jones No. 6 overall. He had been projected to go in the middle of the first round or later.
Jones appears comfortable with the extra attention focused on him.
"I think anyone that comes to New York probably comes into a situation where there's more attention than they had previously," Jones said after his first rookie minicamp practice. "It's all part of it. It's my job to make people believe in me … like I said, there's a lot of work to do and I'm excited to do it."