After a few injuries sprouted up on Tuesday, the New York Giants have elected to end the practice portion of their minicamp one day early on June 12.
ESPN NYG beat reporter Jordan Raanan was among those relaying the news on Wednesday afternoon. “Today was the Giants’ final practice of the spring. A light workout,” he said. “They’ll have a team BBQ Thursday. Then break off until the start of training camp until late July.”
With minicamp virtually over, Big Blue also ended their open tryout that invited five players to compete for former tight end Darren Waller’s spot on the 90-man roster. The winner was versatile defensive back Tre Herndon.
“[The] Giants are signing veteran CB Tre Herndon after his minicamp tryout, per his agents @davidcanter and @NessMugrabi,” NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo informed.
This is hardly a surprise, as Herndon was the most established of Tuesday’s tryouts by far, but the final clinching moment appeared to occur on Wednesday, June 12.
“CB Tre Herndon, a tryout for the NY Giants here at minicamp, made a nice play on a deflected Tommy DeVito pass popped in air by [linebacker] Darrian Beavers, taking it to the house with the rest of the defense chasing him to party in the end zone,” NorthJersey.com reporter Art Stapleton told followers on X before the move was announced.
Stapleton added that he “won’t be surprised if Herndon gets a deal.” And that’s exactly what ended up happening after practice concluded.
New Giants Signing Tre Herndon Can Play Any Position in the Secondary, Has Starting Experience
Herndon is not a starting cornerback on paper, but he has taken on the first-team role when called upon in the past. With the Jacksonville Jaguars — the organization he’s been a part of since 2018 — the 5-foot-11 defensive back started 34 out of his 83 regular season appearances.
He did not start in either of his two 2022 playoff appearances but did factor in both.
Herndon’s top usage as a defensive starter came in 2020 (1,016 snaps). Of course, he’s also contributed on special teams in every season that he’s been with the Jags.
The newcomer’s analytical metrics aren’t very appealing overall, but his greatest attribute is probably his positional versatility — outside of his years of experience.
The majority of Herndon’s defensive snaps have come either in the slot (1,195), or along the perimeter as a true cornerback (1,495) according to Pro Football Focus. He can also play both safety positions in a pinch and has even logged snaps up near the defensive line on occasion.
In terms of his performance in Jacksonville, Herndon has yet to put together a well-round season. The 28-year-old has a career passer rating against of 112.3 in coverage, with 17 touchdowns allowed compared to three interceptions and 25 pass breakups, but he’s coming off one of his better years in terms of yards per reception (10.8), penalties (1) and PFF grade (73.1 in coverage, 70.8 overall).
Herndon has also been sloppy as a tackler throughout his career. He was charged with a missed tackle percentage of 20.4 in 2023 and his career percentage is up over 16.0.
Run defense doesn’t seem to be Herndon’s strong suit either, with sub-65.0 marks in every season since entering the league. Last year, the veteran earned a putrid 29.7 in that area.
Giants Rest Veterans With ‘Light’ Final Day of Minicamp
There weren’t many minicamp highlights on Wednesday, outside of another ridiculous Malik Nabers catch that the rookie first rounder snagged with ease.
Malik Nabers’ talent is special
New York Daily News reporter Pat Leonard referred to it as an “extremely light” second and final minicamp practice on X.
Noting: “Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Andrew Thomas, Bobby Okereke and Azeez Ojulari didn’t do any team work. [And] the receivers who got hurt yesterday, including Darius Slayton, didn’t practice.”
There you have it folks. As they say in the filmmaking world, that’s a wrap.
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Giants Sign Veteran Cornerback After Final Practice of Minicamp: Report