The New York Giants were excited about linebacker Darrian Beavers when they selected him in the sixth-round of the 2022 NFL draft. However, that excitement was short-lived as the Cincinnati product suffered a torn ACL in Week 2 of the preseason and was lost for the year.
With Beavers now back and healthy, the excitement has returned. The Giants and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale see the upside in the 24-year-old, who refuses to take football for granted after missing his rookie season.
“I’d say maybe it made me sit back and humble myself and not to take it for granted,” Beavers told reporters last week. “I’ve been playing football since I was seven, every year, so sitting out a season is kind of different for you.
“It’s been a blessing. It’s been a blessing to play football again and get back there. It’s been a long year, so it’s good to get out there and play football again.”
Beavers had to knock a little rust off upon his return but says football is a lot like riding a bicycle — it doesn’t take long to get back into a groove.
“I think it’s like a continuous thing. The more and more practice, the more and more reps that I get, the more and more I’ll feel — I guess more comfortable as you’d say. But it’s just been a blessing to play football again and have the chance to put the pads back on,” he said. “It’s still football at the end of the day, so it’s still a fun sport. Like I said, I’ve played since I was seven.
“When you come back and you’re on that field everything blanks out and you just want to play football.”
The Giants are still being careful with Beavers’ workload and although he wants to take as many reps as he can get, he trusts the coaching staff and the medical team.
“I’m just taking it day by day,” he said. “If I’m practicing then I’m practicing, and they’ll let me know that before the practice or the game. Right now, I’m just going day by day.
“(But) like I said, I need as many reps as possible. The most reps I can get, the most practice time I can get on the field, playing football is very important to me.”
It’s unlikely Beavers will see much action (if any at all) on Friday night against the Chicago Bears but by all accounts, he should be a full go come Week 1 of the regular season. And with lacking depth at inside linebacker, the Giants will certainly need him this year.
