6 Players off to the Best and Worst Starts at New York Giants Training Camp

The New York Giants have been at work since late July, and several players are off to very strong starts to the season.

Others are less fortunate.  For every Giant excelling, there is one falling behind.  No one wants to be left out of the mix before the season even begins, but not everyone receives a glowing report from training camp.

Training camp is all about first impressions. 

It's the earliest glimpse fans get into the inner workings of the team, and the daily practice reports make for a transparency not readily available during the regular season.  

This slideshow will list six Giants off to the best and worst starts (three each) in training camp this summer.

Strong Start: WR Rueben Randle

So far in camp, according to The Record, second-year wideout Rueben Randle has been the star, snagging almost as many headlines as he has Eli Manning passes.  A big year could be on the horizon for Randle, who caught only 19 passes as a rookie in 2012.

As the third receiver on the depth chart, Randle could add a valuable vertical threat to the Giants' passing attack, making it one of the most dangerous in the entire NFL.  He will likely exploit the benefit of having two high-profile receivers, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, lining up opposite him. 

The 6'2" pass-catcher's under-the-radar profile doesn't look like it will last long, though.

If Randle's ascension continues throughout the 2013 season, he could make Nicks' services expendable.  The former first-round pick is set to hit free agency in the spring, and the Giants may be comfortable parting ways with Nicks, allowing Randle to displace him as the team's top target on the outside.

Weak Start: DE Adewale Ojomo

The star of the 2012 preseason, defensive end Adewale Ojomo, has been nowhere to be found.  The former undrafted rookie beat the odds and made the team last season, but he was rarely activated on game day during the regular season. 

Still, the preseason sack leader had many fans wondering what he'd do in Year 2.

For those expecting a hot start from Ojomo in training camp this summer, these early days have been anticlimactic.  Ojomo is rarely mentioned in camp write-ups, and he was listed at the very bottom of the Giants' first "unofficial" depth chart, which was released last Thursday.  Early on, it hasn't looked good for the 24-year-old D-end.

But it's important to remember that Ojomo was a late bloomer in 2012.  He wasn't even on the radar until the Giants started playing preseason games.  He could just be a gamer, and if that's the case, keep an eye on big No. 71 when New York takes on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night.

Strong Start: DE Damontre Moore

The Giants may have struck gold with their third-round pick in the 2013 NFL draft.

Defensive end Damontre Moore has been the team's most talked-about rookie, and the Texas A&M product has nosed his way into the Giants' competitive pass-rush rotation.

Coming out of college, Moore's work ethic was under fire.  The SEC's leading sacker entered the professional ranks with considerable baggage, as pointed out by Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, but the Giants saw enough value in Moore to scoop him up in the third round.

Defensive line coach Robert Nunn told Vacchiano, "He’s someone you have to tell to slow down, you never have to tell him to speed up. He’s off to an outstanding start and, like I said, I really believe the guy is going to contribute early."  

The hard work Moore has displayed could pay off in the near future.  With Jason Pierre-Paul sidelined, there is room for an extra pass-rusher to make an impact early on.

Weak Start: TE Brandon Myers

Although newly acquired tight end Brandon Myers capped off last Sunday's practice with a long touchdown score, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post called it Myers' "first real bust-out play" of camp.  The former Oakland Raider's quiet summer is starting to make his 79 catches in 2012 look like a far cry from his potential.

Coach Mike Pope originally thought Myers could run more downfield routes in 2013, something he rarely did with the Raiders.  That idea hasn't presented itself on the field yet, as Schwartz claims most of Myers' receptions in camp have been "short and intermediary."

Throw in young tight ends Adrien Robinson and Larry Donnell, and the competition is suddenly crowded.  Even though Myers is currently listed as the team's starting tight end, he could be left in the dust if he doesn't pick up the pace soon.

Strong Start: CB Prince Amukamara

After Corey Webster's abysmal 2012 season, third-year cornerback Prince Amukamara is in position to claim the Giants' No. 1 coverage responsibilities.

Amukamara has been slow to develop during his first two seasons, but this year's training camp could be a precursor for a breakout season to come.

Amukamara has been solid all summer, according to David Satriano of the New York Post.  The oft-injured 24-year-old is looking to make the jump to the next level, possibly fulfilling his first-round draft position by earning the reputation of a shutdown cornerback.  He can still soak in a lot of valuable information from his veteran defensive back teammates, like Webster, Terrell Thomas and Aaron Ross.

The determining factor in Amukamara's attempted leap into stardom will be his durability.  If he can stay on the field for a full 16-game season, something he has yet to accomplish, the young cornerback has a very real shot to reach his lofty goal.

Weak Start: QB Ryan Nassib

Rookie quarterbacks hardly ever impress in their very first training camp, and Syracuse product Ryan Nassib is nothing out of the ordinary.  After Tuesday's practice, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reported that it is "evidently clear" Nassib is not ready to assume the backup quarterback role.

Nassib's future is murky.  He has the potential to be a successful quarterback at the NFL level, but there's no opening for him on the horizon with the Giants.  Eli Manning is one of the most durable quarterbacks in the game, and Nassib's poky progression all but locks up David Carr's role as the second-stringer.

The Giants will likely carry Nassib on the 53-man roster in 2013, as an attempt to stash him on the practice squad would almost certainly be in vain—he won't clear waivers.  That means the Giants, who usually only carry two quarterbacks, may have to sacrifice a special teams standout who normally would have earned that roster spot.