A class was taking place.
On the sideline during the Giants’ fifth team practice Thursday, five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro Steve Smith was working diligently with wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who is in his second year in the NFL.
Smith also spent a lot of time with rookie Malik Neighbors, the sixth pick in this year’s draft.
Smith, who played 13 of his 16 NFL seasons with the Panthers, is expected to spend a few days with the Giants this spring, just like he did last year.
Smith is close with general manager Joe Sean. The two broke into the league together at Carolina in 2001, when Smith was a third-round draft pick and Sean was a scouting assistant.
They were with the Panthers for seven years.
“Joe and I have a good relationship with him,” coach Brian Daboll said, “I think he’s a good mentor for our young guys, especially our young receivers. I have a lot of respect for the way he plays, the way he plays the game.”
Smith, 45, finished his career with 1,031 receptions for 14,731 yards and 81 touchdowns and was known as a player who was small in stature but known as a fierce competitor.
He spent a lot of time teaching Hyatt different techniques for getting off the line of scrimmage, with Neighbors watching and listening intently.
Daboll again denied talk of him taking over offensive play-calling, saying he wasn’t ready to announce that decision.
He’s been calling the quarterback’s instructions over the radio this spring and will likely continue to do so throughout the season, which will be a change from the past two years when offensive coordinator Mike Kafka called plays until Daboll took over those duties late in the 2023 season.
“I’ve been calling plays for a long time,” Daboll said, “so it’s good to go out there and do that, but there’s a process to it. There’s training camp. There’s OTAs. And then, like I said back in March, I’ll make the decision that I feel is best.”
Andrew Thomas appeared at left tackle in 11-on-11 drills after not participating in the team period at previous OTAs. … With the exception of tight end Darren Waller, who is expected to announce his retirement at some point, Daboll said all players participated in the offseason program.
Daniel Jones again participated in 7-on-7 drills but did not play in the team’s full period. Jones completed 5 of 6 passes in the 7-on-7 drill, including two passes to Wan’Dale Robinson.
Jones, who is just returning from ACL surgery, may not play in 11-on-11 games until training camp.
“We haven’t made that decision yet,” Daboll said. “We’ve talked about it. I think he’s getting closer and closer to recovery. It’s only been six and a half months, so he’s on schedule in terms of us working him into a rehab plan.”
WR/kick returner Gunner Olszewski slipped on the turf at the end of a route and limped off the field.
