Pat Shurmur says first-round pick DB DeAndre Baker making progress
New York Giants cornerback Deandre Baker in coverage against the offense during training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, NJ, on Wednesday, July 31, 2019. For the second straight day, weather caused practice to be held inside the field house. Credit: Brad Penner
After an already strong spring, Giants first-round pick DeAndre Baker is continuing to make forward progress, Pat Shurmur said — something that will likely set up the cornerback as part of the presumptive first-team secondary.
“I think he’s done a good job,” Shurmur said Thursday at Giants training camp. “I think he’s like all of our rookies, I’ve seen steady improvement. Within a practice, you’ll see a screw up or two, but he’ll also make plays and be consistent in his play. We’re pleased with the direction he is going.”
Baker has had a relatively quiet training camp so far, and hasn’t been beaten too often, even with this being his first chance to flex the physicality that made him the best cornerback in college football last year.
“He’s done well so far during camp, and hopefully he continues to improve,” defensive backs coach Everett Withers said Wednesday. “As he improves, his confidence level will continue to get stronger. Hopefully by the time we get to preseason game one, he feels really comfortable in what he’s doing — and we will, too. We do now, because we’ve got him out there right now.”
High expectations for Engram
Shurmur said he was “pleased” with Evan Engram’s progress, especially after a disappointing 2018 campaign, where the tight end missed five games and was more or less dinged up the majority of the time. With a lack of options at wide receiver, though, his contributions will come more into focus.
“He’s working himself, getting himself ready for Week 1 and I think he’ll be able to build on what he did a year ago,” Shurmur said of Engram, who had 64 catches for 722 yards and six TDs. “Most of what held Evan back was little injuries he dealt with last year. When he was in there, he was actually pretty productive. I think about the Houston game (in Week 3), when he got hit in the leg. He was catching the ball, doing things and that sort of set him back and then he had the hamstring thing. But had he stayed out there all 16 games, I think he would have had big numbers.”
Goodson hurt
Shurmur said linebacker B.J. Goodson tweaked his hamstring Wednesday but the team does not believe it to be serious.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
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