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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Dan Benton

Giants PFF grades: Best and worst performers from preseason loss vs. Lions

The New York Giants dropped their Week 1 preseason game against the Detroit Lions, 21-16, but head coach Brian Daboll felt like it was a productive evening.

The team’s rookie draft class played particularly well, although their undrafted rookies — at least most of them — left a bit to be desired.

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Precious few starters appeared in the game, so it provided the Giants with a long look at the back end of their roster. It also provided the folks over at Pro Football Focus a first look and they’ve now handed out some grades.

Here are some of the highest and lowest PPF grades for the Giants in Week 1 of the preseason as well as a few other notable grades thrown in.

Top 5 offense

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  • WR Cole Beasley – 81.1
  • WR Jamison Crowder – 80.8
  • WR David Sills – 76.2
  • OL Shane Lemieux – 74.5
  • OL Sean Harlow – 72.4

It’s interesting to see three Giants receivers, and more specifically Beasley and Crowder, top the offensive grades. It reinforced what has already been said: the Giants have a problem at wide receiver and that’s a good thing.

Bottom 5 offense

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
  • OL Wyatt Davis – 28.6
  • OL Korey Cunningham – 37.0
  • WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton – 46.6
  • RB Matt Breida – 48.8
  • OL Joshua Ezeudu – 51.5

There’s nothing here that’s going to come as a surprise. Davis, while playing out of position, and Cunningham were awful on Friday night. Ford-Wheaton also did himself no favors in a tightly-contested roster battle at wide receiver.

Top 5 defense

Nic Antaya/Getty Images
  • S Jason Pinnock – 92.3
  • LB Micah McFadden – 90.5
  • S Alex Cook – 82.0
  • LB Dyontae Johnson – 81.9
  • S Dane Belton – 75.7

Pinnock dominated in five snaps and that is accurately represented in the PFF grades. Belton also had a good showing after two really impressive joint practices with the Lions.

Bottom 5 defense

Junfu Han/Detroit Free Press / USA TODAY NETWORK
  • LB Cam Brown – 30.2
  • CB Rodarius Williams – 31.0
  • CB German Green – 42.4
  • CB Zyon Gilbert – 48.3
  • NT Donovan Jeter – 48.3

Brown and Williams bottoming out on this list seems fitting. Neither played good defensive football and that’s bad news for both as they’re battling for a roster spot. The grade on Green seems a bit harsh.

Top 5 special teams

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
  • CB Cor’Dale Flott – 77.6
  • WR Collin Johnson – 77.2
  • CB Jashaun Corbin – 73.8
  • LB Cam Brown – 71.3
  • LB Carter Coughlin – 69.6

Coughlin playing well on special teams will greatly increase his chances of sticking over Brown, who is a noted special teams stud. Coughlin also out-performed Brown at linebacker, so that’s something worth noting as we head into Week 2 of the preseason.

Bottom 5 special teams

Sarah Stier/Getty Images
  • WR David Sills – 42.9
  • S Gervarrius Owens – 43.2
  • CB Amani Oruwariye – 48.6
  • LS Cameron Lyons – 49.3
  • CB Zyon Gilbert – 49.7

Owens may have played well on defense but in order to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, the Giants are going to need more out of him on special teams. The same applies to the veteran, Oruwariye.

Other notables

Nic Antaya/Getty Images
  • QB Tommy DeVito – 59.4
  • RB Eric Gray – 54.7
  • OL John Michael Schmitz – 53.5
  • CB Deonte Banks – 70.5
  • CB Cor’Dale Flott – 65.1
  • CB Darnay Holmes – 65.0
  • CB Carter Coughlin – 63.3
  • LB Tomon Fox – 60.8
  • NT Joron Riley 54.3
  • LB Oshane Ximines – 48.4

The grade for Riley seems a bit low. Ditto Fox. Both played well in their limited snaps and felt like genuine positives coming out of the game. Banks’ grade also reflects his solid preseason debut.

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