New York Giants rookies take the field on Friday at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center for the first of two rookie mini-camp workouts. This will be the first chance to see the six players who comprise the team's 2016 draft class on the field. It will also provide an opportunity for players signed as undrafted free agents or brought in on a tryout basis to show they deserve a chance.
"Their hair will be fire once they hit the building until they leave," head coach Ben McAdoo said last week about rookie's first exposure to the NFL. "We’re not going to be out there for three hours practicing, we’re just going to introduce them to things. It’s more of an orientation than anything."
Players arrived on Thursday for physicals, orientations, etc. Giants.com has a video showing the arrival of many of the rookies, as well as a Day 1 photo gallery. Players will be on the field for workouts of roughly 80-90 minutes in duration on both Friday and Saturday.
Media will only have access on Friday. We should be able to not only watch the workout, but speak to players, McAdoo, and coordinators Steve Spagnuolo and Mike Sullivan.
The Giants to this point have not officially announced the names of undrafted free agents signed and added to the 90-man roster by the team. Our most recent tracker, which admittedly may not be 100 percent correct, can be found here.
Be sure to look for our coverage during the day on Friday, as well as throughout the weekend.
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The Big Six
The Big Six, or course, are the six players the Giants drafted. Cornerback Eli Apple (Round 1), wide receiver Sterling Shepard (Round 2), safety Darian Thompson (Round 3), linebacker B.J. Goodson (Round 4), running back Paul Perkins (Round 5), tight end Jerell Adams (Round 6).
Let's be real for a second. In one short workout we aren't going to be able to draw any long-term conclusions. Still, it will be an interesting day because it will be the first chance to see them on the field, to talk to them, to see how they carry themselves both on the field and off the field. First impressions matter, and Friday is first impression day.
The quarterback
Somebody has to play quarterback during these things, and one of the players doing that for the Giants during this mini-camp will be Josh Woodrum from Liberty College. Woodrum is a 6-2¾, 231-pounder who played four years at Liberty, completing 63.9 percent of his passes while throwing 61 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions.
It's been several years now since the Giants kept three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. We're jumping ahead, way ahead, but one scout told me Woodrum has a chance to force the Giants to do just that.
Here's an interesting look at the quarterback hopeful.
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The dreamers
As we have been detailing the past couple of days, there are plenty of dreamers from unlikely -- and sometimes unheard of -- places who will be working out Friday and Saturday. We have written about a couple, like Lakeland wide receiver Michael Esiobu and Utica linebacker Nick Woodman. There are other guys from unlikely colleges, like running back Terry Williams of Kutztown, defensive tackle Greg Milhouse of Campbell, defensive lineman Schnayder Termidor of Ithaca, and -- for the second straight year -- a number of players from the Canadian Football League.
There is also a guy like former Notre Dame defensive lineman Ishaq Williams, who got himself booted off the Fighting Irish team after the 2013 season and hasn't played since.
Will any of these dreamers who only have tryouts actually get offered contracts? Will any of the UDFAs already signed to contracts impress enough to put themselves on the radar heading closer to the season?
Other items of interest
The Justin Tuck retirement press conference will be held at 2 p.m. ET
OTA Offseason Workouts: May 23-24, May 26, June 1-3, June 6-7, June 9-10
Mandatory Minicamp: June 14-16