Likely was far and away starting quarterback Jaxson Dart’s favorite target with 44 catches in 11-on-11 team periods during camp.
Wide receiver Darnell Mooney finished a distant second with 18 catches from Dart. Austin (17), TE Theo Johnson (17), WR Malachi Fields (15), RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (14), RB Devin Singletary (13) and RB Cam Skattebo (12) were the other players with at least 10 catches from Dart in camp. Dart completed 188-of-276 attempts (68. 1 percent) in 11-on-11 periods with seven interceptions. Oddly, defensive tackle Darius Alexander was the only player with multiple interceptions of Dart this summer. For perspective on how much heavier Dart’s workload was as the starter this summer compared to the backup as a rookie, he completed 85-of-136 attempts (62. 5 percent) in camp last year.
This week, the plan was much more straightforward. On the first drive, Fields lined up at X, Slayton at Z and Austin in the slot in 11 personnel. Slayton has typically played X for the Giants, so lining up at Z represented a change for him. On the second drive, Beckham replaced Fields at X, and the trio of Beckham, Slayton and Austin played the rest of the first half. Beckham remained in the game with the backups to begin the second half. That usage suggests Fields has won the starting X job, with Beckham as his backup. Nabers should start at Z when healthy, with Slayton backing him up and likely starting if Nabers isn’t ready for Week 1. Austin appears to be the primary slot receiver. Fields is now a viable late-round fantasy target, while Slayton should only be considered if Nabers is expected to miss Week 1.
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