In an ideal scenario, the Giants won’t need to rely on J.C. Davis much this season. That would mean their offensive line — and specifically Andrew Thomas — stays healthy. That would mean they didn’t need to test their backups, let alone a rookie picked in the sixth round, to see if they could protect Jaxson Dart against a regular-season defense.
But Davis made an impressive statement during Saturday’s preseason win against the Dolphins in Miami, when he logged all 81 snaps at left tackle and finished as the Giants’ highest-graded lineman for pass blocking (87.1) and run blocking (87.0), according to Pro Football Focus. Other starters, including right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, center John Michael Schmitz and left guard Jon Runyan Jr., made cameos, as did top backups.
But Davis — who estimated the last time he played in an environment that hot was when he attended New Mexico and they played Texas A&M in 2023 — still found a way to stand out with both his durability and his performance.
“I think it was a great opportunity for the coaches to see my ability, what I could do at left tackle, and I think it went pretty good,” Davis said after the Giants practiced Monday. “Of course, I’ve got things to improve on, but overall, it was a good game.”
Davis said his feedback from the Giants coaching staff has been that they “notice you” — but that he needs to keep working. The 22-year-old, who also played at Contra Costa (Calif.) Community College and Illinois, has tried to learn from Thomas, taking everything from his preparation for practices and games to what he does with pass sets and the run game. Davis has tried to keep his camp steady, he said, and improve with each practice, but it became impossible not to notice his massive leap Saturday.
Coach John Harbaugh said it was a goal to test Davis in that situation, to see if the rookie could log a full NFL game at left tackle. It was only the preseason, but it still served as a major step in Davis’ development, Harbaugh said. And it helped the Giants gain some trust, too — a critical variable given how they’ve struggled to replace Thomas (22 regular-season games missed since the start of 2023) the last three seasons.
And Davis, unlike Thomas, a former first-round pick, arrived without many expectations. That makes moments like Saturday, and the potential for him to carve out a reserve role as a Day 3 draft pick, a bonus.
“J.C. doesn’t have that,” Harbaugh said of the expectations of Thomas. “He doesn’t have that layer to it that AT had, but he’s going to be expected to play a role on the team and it’s going to be a very important role — and he could be in there at any time really. So he’s got to be ready for that.”
