It took one preseason game for the Giants’ pre-draft concerns about Malik Neighbors to be tested.
“How do you handle not being involved early in the game?” Daboll asked Neighbors during an NFL Combine meeting featured on Hard Knocks.
The Giants were happy with Neighbors’ answer and made him the sixth overall pick in the draft. “If I’m not on the play and I don’t get the ball, I’m going to take it pretty hard,” he said.
Neighbors, who is off to a strong start to his rookie training camp, dominating two joint practices and trading heavy offense with Lions defensive back Kirby Joseph, made his debut on Thursday and was not targeted once in 12 offensive snaps.
How did Neighbours actually deal with not being involved early in the game?
“He was good,” Daboll said. “He was focused. He had a good mindset.”
Neighbors had his hands up while calling for the ball on a go route on the first play of the game.
But by then the pocket had collapsed and the lock was rolling the other way.
Neighbors has played on both sides of the fence after the game.
“We did a great job of getting open, but everything has to come together to get the ball,” he said. “We could have done a better job of creating separation or creating better opportunities for the quarterback to throw the ball in better positions.”
Former CFL star QB Nathan Luke, who was with the Giants until July 28, is now with the Falcons, so his name will be removed from the tentative list.
Quarterback Jacob Eason, who played for the Giants last season, was recently released by the Packers.
