Odell Beckham Jr.’s latest hamstring issue is bad news for the Giants, but not bad news for everyone on the Giants.
With the team’s first-round pick essentially out since training camp began, opportunity has opened for several young wide receivers to make the final 53-man squad — including Marcus Harris, Corey Washington and Preston Parker.
Though the 6-foot-4 Washington has wowed with his leaping ability and late-game preseason touchdown catches, Harris has led the Giants with eight catches, ranking second with 90 yards through three games.
“It was definitely an opportunity,” Harris said Tuesday. “[There are] limited reps for a guy like me. I’ve earned the reps I got and I kept making plays, so they kept giving them to me. Hopefully I keep it that way.”
More chances may be coming, with Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle and Beckham the only receivers locked into the final roster. Because of the unexpected emergence of the young talent during training camp, the uncertainty of Beckham’s status and the struggles of Jerrel Jernigan, coach Tom Coughlin hasn’t ruled out the possibility of keeping six wide receivers on the final roster.
“If they’re evaluated as being solid people that can make the club, then perhaps you have to make an adjustment someplace else,” Coughlin said. “Are we against keeping six? No. It’s been done before.”
The offensive bar has been set so low by the Giants this preseason that Coughlin called the comeback win against the Colts, in which the backups scored 27 points in the fourth quarter, “historic,” with a strong sense of pride.
Perhaps most impressive was the play of Ryan Nassib, who seems to have reclaimed the inside track to the backup quarterback spot. Nassib threw two touchdowns in the game’s final four minutes, finishing 11-of-15 for 158 yards.
“He was gutsy, he was competitive, he hung in there,” Coughlin said. “He moved a little bit in the pocket, which is something that’s normally not associated with us. So the threat of him coming out of there, I think, helped us. And then when he did step up in the pocket, he made some nice plays down the field.”
The Giants made some more changes on the offensive line, trying out Justin Pugh at left tackle, with James Brewer and Charles Brown both out, while right guard Brandon Mosley moved to right tackle. Pugh started every game last season at right tackle.
“They’re all playing pretty much everywhere,” Coughlin said. “You always attempt to be creative, flexible. As many people as you can have to be centers, you never know about that either.”