Davis Webb knows he has a lot to learn

The presence of Davis Webb at the Giants’ rookie minicamp is a big deal for some. With Eli Manning heading into his age-36 season, many have anointed Webb the quarterback of the future, though that’s not a term anyone from the Giants has used in an official capacity.

While meeting with the media after the first practice of rookie minicamp, Webb was humble with his position on the roster and was clear he’s aware he still has much to develop before he’s ready to play. The phrase “long way to go” or other iterations close enough to it were uttered multiple times during Webb’s media availability. Here are some of the highlights:

On his interactions with Eli Manning and his place behind him:

“I sent [Eli] a couple texts asking him some offensive stuff and what they like to do. He’s been responsive and it’s been a good relationship... I’m just going to be myself. Obviously he’s one of the best players to ever play this game. I want to be a sponge around him. I don’t want to nag him and be that little rookie, but at the same time if I have a question that I feel like can be asked, I’m going to ask it. Whenever he’s just doing stuff, taking 7-on-7, I’ll be taking mental notes and try to put his game to mine and try to get better.”

Webb was then asked if he viewed himself as the “heir-apparent” to Eli and he was quick to brush that question off:

“That’s not my job. I don’t pick who has playing time or anything like that. It’s my job to be the best player I can be and let the coaches handle that. I’m just worried about being a good quarterback first and a good teammate.”

On his performance and what he needs to work on:

“I think I did a good job. It’s the first day. I have a long way to go, but I think I have a good foundation to teach off of and I’ll continue to get better because that’s important to me.”

He then went on to explain some more specific things he will have to improve as he transitions from college to the pros:

“It’s a different rhythm, your progression reads. There’s so many different types of reads we have here, about four or five, where the starting point to the ending point, they can vary. It all ties in with your feet, which is something I need to work on because I haven’t taken many five- or seven-step drops in my college career, but that’s every quarterback coming in from a spread system.”

The footwork is something offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan talked about during his time with the media before practice began, so it’s good to see Webb is on the same wavelength there.

Webb also talked about what he did in the time between the draft and the start of rookie camp, which included a “four-to-five” day trip up to Seattle to spend time with former NFL coach Jim Zorn:

“I worked out on my own, I was at my dad’s high school. I had guys run West Coast-type routes because I didn’t know the verbiage we were going to run here. I watched stuff on YouTube, trying to find different ways to get better. I had Jim Zorn when I went out to Seattle. He’s mastered the craft when it comes to West Coast offenses and reading defensive fronts... There’s a lot of things I took from him — just how detail oriented the NFL is and how much time and effort you have to put into this position.”

On his relationship with Evan Engram:

Webb and Engram were assigned as roommates for the rookie camp and helped each other study the playbook after they received it on Thursday night. This comes after the two built a rapport on the same team during the Senior Bowl.

“It’s funny because Evan was my favorite player at the Senior Bowl and I told him that there... He works his butt off. He did a great job today with his assignments and he was coached very well. We have a good relationship off the field and hopefully that turns into a good relationship on the field.”

“I thought he was the best tight end [in Moblie]. He’s very physical. Some people knock on him because he didn’t have to block much at Ole Miss, but you can split him out, he’s one of the fastest guys in the draft, not just tight ends. He’s a competitor, he works hard. He dove into the playbook at the Senior Bowl, learned it very quickly there and he did that last night.”

“We texted throughout the [draft] process. He’s one of my favorite players. I watched him at Ole Miss over the years, from watching different teams’ film. I’m glad he’s a Giant”