Seeing Sterling Shepard line up across from Eli Apple in a one-on-one duel featuring the Giants’ second-round and first-round draft picks will be worth the price of admission at the team’s rookie minicamp. Then again, there is no admission for the camp, and there are no spectators, either.
The young guys reported Thursday, will practice Friday and Saturday and finish up Sunday.
Getting a glimpse of Apple, the cornerback from Ohio State and a surprise selection at No. 10 in the first round, running with and covering Shepard, a receiver from Oklahoma likened to a young Victor Cruz, will be a highlight, to be sure. But there will not be any heavy-duty competition as the Giants’ six draft picks, their undrafted free agents and a whole bunch of players on the scene on a tryout basis run around and try not to run into one another.
“Yeah, the rookie minicamp is more of an orientation,’’ first-year head coach Ben McAdoo said. “We want to bring them in, introduce them to the first install with normal down-and-distance install, teach them how we’re going to practice, let them know where the restrooms are, and just get their feet wet a little bit.’’
In other words, get these youngsters acclimated when they are all in the same confused state, before they are joined by the veterans, who return Monday for the offseason conditioning program.
“We’re not going to be out there for three hours practicing, we’re just going to introduce them to things,’’ McAdoo said. “To see the building for the first time so when they get a chance to come in here with the vets and mix it up with the older guys, there’s not much young bull going on and they at least know where they’re going.’’
Making the rookies feel uncomfortable is part of the deal. Coaches want to see how these players absorb and process the rapid-fire information thrown at them, realizing mistakes will be plentiful.
Ben McAdooAP“Their hair will be on fire once they hit the building until they leave,’’ McAdoo said. “We are going to throw a lot at them and we’ll see how fast they can catch up.’’
Next week, McAdoo and his staff will have time to tutor the rookies in the afternoons, after the veterans have worked out and left the building.
“That’s really their time to grow and digest the information,’’ McAdoo said.
Apple will start out wearing No. 28 and Shepard will wear jersey No. 87. For Shepard, the number honors his late father, Derrick, who died when Sterling was 6 years old. Derrick Shepard played six years in the NFL and wore No. 87 in 1990 with the Cowboys.
Sterling wore No. 3 at Oklahoma, the same number his father wore while playing for the Sooners.
While the selection of Apple raised eyebrows, taking Shepard with the 40th overall pick was widely praised.
“Eli [Manning] is really excited about that,” Eli’s father, Archie Manning, told the Houston Chronicle this week. “After he was drafted, I got texts from guys like Bob Stoops, Barry Switzer and Spencer Tillman — all loyal Sooners — telling me not only is he a great player, but he’s also a great kid.
“When you get a good player who’s talented, that’s always great. But when you get one who’s talented and has character and integrity like Sterling Shepard, that’s even better.”
