There has been a good amount of buzz coming out of East Rutherford this summer. Joe Judge is heading into his second year as head coach and the New York Giants are prepared to finally make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. There are many young players on the roster who are fighting for playing time as the preseason draws closer. Two players, in particular, have made some noise and a case to make the roster. David Sills and rookie Rodarius Williams have been performing well at Giants training camp, and the coaching staff has to be pleased with the way these two are performing.
New York Giants Training Camp Standouts
Rodarius Williams Begging To Get On the Field
Rodarius Williams, the brother of Cleveland Browns cornerback Greedy Williams, was selected by the Giants in the sixth round of this past year’s draft. Williams excels in press-man coverage, which will allow Patrick Graham to utilize it more this season.
Last season, the Giants had a consistent problem at the second cornerback position, forcing Graham to play soft zone for a good amount of snaps. Now with the signing of Adoree’Jackson and drafting Williams, Graham is well suited to pretty much do whatever he wants in terms of which coverage he wants to use.
The Giants also drafted another cornerback in 2021 in Aaron Robinson, who has yet to see the field in camp due to injury. This has given Williams a chance to prove he can stick around on this team and make an impact. According to Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media, Williams had been begging for first-team reps on defense. He got just that, and he backed up his talk with a big day in Friday’s practice. Williams had two pass breakups, one of which led to a Jabrill Peppers interception. In another great athletic play, Williams undercut the receiver for an interception of his own.
Williams will turn 25 this year, which is old for a rookie, and he knows he has to make an impact immediately. He is really making a case to be the backup cornerback on the outside behind James Bradberry and Jackson. It seems that he is not afraid of the big stage, and it will be exciting to watch as the preseason gets underway.
“He’s not afraid,” Giants defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson said of Williams to NJ.com. “He’s trying to even call out the vets and go in and get a rep against them. And I’m like, ‘Whoa, slow down.’ But you love that about the kid, that he’s not afraid. You get the sense that it’s not going to be too big for him.”
David Sills Catching Everything That Comes His Way
David Sills has fans within the Giants fanbase hoping he can somehow crack the 53-man roster. Sills’ season was cut short last year after injuring his foot, but this year he is picking up where he left off.
Sills has been a consistent pass catcher so far in training camp, making highlight plays left and right. Most notably, arguably his best play of camp came on an endzone catch over Adoree’ Jackson. Sills has the ability to go up and snatch passes out of the air, bodying defenders and winning contested catches.
One thing Sills was commended for was his chemistry with Daniel Jones. Sills has “traveled the country” to catch passes from Jones all off-season, including a workout that included Jones and star running back Saquon Barkley.
“Basically, this guy followed Daniel around the country,” Giants head coach Joe Judge said. “Wherever Daniel was, he was going to be there to catch passes. That’s someone who you can tell has really invested in himself to give it every shot he has.” (Ryan Dunleavy/NY Post).
Sills really did follow Jones around the country. From North Carolina to Arizona to Alabama, Sills wants to make sure he can be a reliable option for Jones heading into what will hopefully be a big year.
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“It was to build a relationship with him,” Sills told The Post. “I know how hard of a worker he is. Any time he needed someone to throw to, I was there to build timing with him so he can have trust in me that, when the ball is in there, I’m going to be able to make a play for him.”
New York Giants Are Moving in the Right Direction
Both Williams and Sills are energetic and not afraid to go out and make plays to prove they belong on the roster. Sills is in a tight battle for the WR5 spot, competing with names like John Ross and C.J. Board. Williams is competing for the third cornerback spot and wants to be valuable depth for this secondary. With the preseason kicking off in one week and the regular season just over a month away, the front office and coaching staff must be excited to have these two exciting, young players performing well at Giants training camp.
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