New York Giants: 5 players on offense who could surprise in camp
By Ed Stein
Number 2: George Asafo-Adjei – OT
If the New York Giants were looking for a physical player in the seventh round, they found their man in Asafo-Adjei. He played four years as a tackle at Kentucky but wasn’t a full-time starter until his senior season of 2018. Fortunately for him, last year the Wildcats put together their first 10 win season in 42 years, paced by a dynamic offense.
NFL.com had a great quote about him in his draft profile:
"“His upper-body strength allows him to scrap it out in a phone booth.”"
Asafo-Adjei is a classic straight-ahead power blocker. He can match strength on strength with most of the defensive lineman he faces. His biggest drawback, however, is his lack of athletic ability. The 6-5, 305-pound tackle struggles against quicker players. He plays on the right side because he gets beat by fast ends and linebackers, which would expose the quarterback’s blindside if he were on the left.
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Much like White, he has raw ability, in this case, strength, that can’t be taught. In time with good coaching, he could turn out to be a solid tackle. Look for Asafo-Adjei to physically dominate inferior defensive ends early in camp.
Number 1: Darius Slayton – WR
The burner from Auburn was selected by the G-Men in the fifth round of this year’s draft. While his speed is sub 4.4, his hands aren’t as good as his feet. Throughout his collegiate career, the wide receiver had a problem with dropped passes.
That doesn’t mean that he’s the real-life Clifford Franklin. Slayton caught 35 balls last season for the Tigers. If he didn’t have enough skill, AU would have plenty of talented players to take his place.
Now that Odell Beckham Jr. is gone, the New York Giants are going to need someone to stretch the field. Slayton makes good adjustments on over the shoulder passes. With Eli Manning‘s declining deep ball efficiency, that’s a skill the Giants desperately need. Additionally, he plays taller than his 6-1 frame and can climb the ladder to catch passes.
There are some skills Slayton will have to learn, such as playing stronger against physical corners and improving his route running. On the whole, he can be the kind of game-breaking, difference-maker on the outside who can open up the field for the Giants west coast offense to operate.
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