The New York Giants head down to Miami this week to spend a few days with the Dolphins. First, on Thursday, they will participate in a joint practice with the Dolphins and then face them on Saturday in their Week 2 preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium.
Not everyone will be front and center in the practice and in the game for the Giants and Dolphins. Week 2 of the preseason is now the game where players vying for starting jobs and/or a roster spot will be on display for scouts from all teams.
Here are five players who have the most to gain this weekend in Miami.
CB Colton Hood
The rookie is going to be difficult to bench. We've already seen what he can do. With Paulson Adebo and Greg Newsome not making much noise at camp thus far for various reasons, there's at least
one starting role up for grabs at boundary corner. With a solid showing on Thursday, he'll likely earn more snaps on Saturday. Again, he's coming. It's just a question of when.
OL Evan Neal
Someone is looking down on Neal, a player the team could have written off as a bust after last season, but the new coaching staff's clean slate program saved him. Now, the Giants have uncluttered their interior lineman situation by trading Daniel Faalele to Jacksonville this week, so Neal has a clearer path to a steady job. It's up to him now to follow up on his strong performance in last week's preseason game versus Minnesota.
DE Chauncey Golston
Basically a forgotten piece due to injuries last year, the former Dallas Cowboy has been displaying the traits the Giants hoped he would when they inked him to a three-year, $19.5 million deal last March. When healthy, Golston can offer the Giants a strong run stopper and pass rusher from the edge with his hand in the dirt.
K Dominic Zvada
The strong-legged rookie didn't get a shot to kick last week, so this week, he'll likely get the reps. He'll have to be perfect, because that is what Ben Sauls was last week. The competition, which was once reported to be Zvada's to lose, is tighter than anticipated, so he has to strut his stuff this weekend.
LB Jack Kelly
Anyone who watched last Saturday's preseason game against the Vikings couldn't miss the rookie out of BYU. We were told he was a hard-nosed bundle of energy with high football acumen, and that is exactly what Kelly showed last week. He is another young player who could earn himself a bigger role than expected in his first year with the team.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: 5 New York Giants with most to gain in joint practices vs. Dolphins
