Giants' Will Hernandez Has Already Been in 5 Fights, and Eli Manning Loves It

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning said on Tuesday he likes the fact rookie guard Will Hernandez has already been involved in a handful of fights during offseason practices.

Eric Barrow of the New York Daily News provided comments Manning made at a town-hall event about the 34th overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft not being afraid to mix it up right away.

"Will Hernandez has already been in five fights," Manning said. "I love it."

The 6'2", 327-pound Hernandez hasn't shied away from his reputation as a hard-nosed player, saying "as soon as that helmet comes on, it's just a completely different mindset."

"If you're a football player, you should be referred to a nasty, on-the-edge player," the UTEP product told reporters last month. "I think that's how everyone should play. I think that's the reason why this sport is so popular, and yeah, I definitely consider myself that and I think that everybody should be exactly that."

Not only will Hernandez, who's expected to compete for the starting job at left guard, be tasked with keeping Manning upright, but the 22-year-old Las Vegas native will also need to clear running lanes for running back Saquon Barkley, the team's first-round pick.