Giants training camp: What we learned on Day 5

With pads on, Giants work heavily on the run game

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants held their first fully-padded practice of 2025 training camp on Monday, and there was good news. There were no fights, and no noticeable injuries.

Let’s get to some of what we saw and learned on Monday.

Run-heavy practice

Brian Daboll indicated before practice that the workout would be run-heavy, and he wasn’t kidding. There were 35 plays during the various 11-on-11 practice periods. By my count, 22 of those were run plays.

That is pretty much the exact opposite of how 11-on-11 without full pads generally works.

“You don’t really run the ball too much, I would say, in OTAs or even these first few days just because you don’t want to put anybody in a bad situation,” Daboll said. “Now the double teams and the scoop blocks and the down blocks and the power rushes, that’s when you start to be able to evaluate the offensive line a little bit more.

“When you’re in OTAs and the first few days of practice, there’s a way you try to practice. It’s a physical sport, but you’re doing things to try to eliminate some of those things when you don’t have pads on. A bunch of double teams with no pads on – that’s hard too – on the defensive lineman or a pick stunt on an offensive lineman when he’s got no pads on with the technique that they have to use.”

Rookie Cam Skattebo and second-year back Tyrone Tracy both broke long runs during practice.

Gunner’s back!

What goes around comes around. Gunner Olszewski lost his kick return job with the Giants last season due to a groin injury that landed him on IR. Olszewski is back with the Giants now thanks to the season-ending injury suffered by special teamer Bryce Ford Wheaton.

While he is thought of primarily as a return man, the 28-year-old Olszewski does have some experience on kickoff and punt coverage.

Injury updates

• Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson was held out of practice. Coach Brian Daboll said “nothing serious” was wrong with Robinson, but that he had taken a knee to the leg on Sunday and the Giants were giving him a day to rest.
• Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt continued to be limited after suffering a leg injury on Thursday. Hyatt worked in individual drills, but sat out team periods.
• Edge defender Brian Burns was a full practice participant. Burns had been a limited participant on Sunday after his full-speed collision with Robinson on Friday. Here is Burns talking about the importance of leading by example on the practice field;

Quote of the day

— Daboll on the season-ending torn Achilles tendon suffered by Ford-Wheaton [Full story]

No fights, but ...

I would lay money right now if DraftKings or FanDuel or whoever wants to create the prop bet that whenever the first fight of training camp happens offensive tackle...