While the Giants front office was busy negotiating an unsuccessful extension with running back Saquon Barkley today, the coaching staff was getting a look at some depth on both sides of the ball. According to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter), the team auditioned linebackers Joe Giles-Harris and Kyahva Tezino. The Giants also worked out running back Mark Thompson.
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Giles-Harris is the lone player on the list with any NFL experience, as the linebacker saw time in 17 games between 2019 and 2022. His best season came with the Jaguars in 2020 when he compiled 20 tackles, one sack, and five QB hits in nine games (three starts). Since then, he’s seen time in three regular season games across two seasons with the Bills.
Tezino was a former SDSU standout who later had brief stints with the Patriots and Panthers. He was most recently one of the best defenders in the USFL, finishing second in the league in tackles (94) and tackles for loss (nine) while also chipping in two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
The linebacker workouts follow news that projected starting middle linebacker Jarrad Davis is expected to miss a chunk of time after undergoing knee surgery. The veteran was only slated to start while second-year linebacker Darrian Beavers continues to recover from a torn ACL, and Davis’ absence will only force the team to dig deeper into their LB depth.
The Giants also gave a look at a USFL standout on the other side of the ball. Thompson earned the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award this past season after totaling 14 touchdowns on the ground. The running back was undrafted in 2018 and later had stints with the Ravens, Jets, Lions, and Raiders.
The Giants don’t have a whole lot of experienced RB depth behind Barkley, with Matt Breida representing the team’s only veteran backup at the position. Thompson could provide the coaching staff with another look outside of rookie fifth-round pick Eric Gray, former sixth rounder Gary Brightwell, and 2022 UDFA Jashaun Corbin.
It’s not surprising they picked up another camp RB. With Saquon likely sitting out the entire preseason, it’s likely they were going to have more reps to fill, though not many during games. Breida will run with the first team.