Giants' Saquon Barkley, Bobby Okereke sharpen each other during practices

In the third and final preseason game for both teams, the Jets defeated the Giants, 32-24, on Saturday night at MetLife Stadium.

The third preseason game is generally reserved for backup players and those trying to make the roster.

In the cases of Bobby Okereke and Saquon Barkley, obviously that isn’t the question.

And Okereke believes he’s gotten some of the best work he can get on the Giants’ practice field.

We’re talking about practice?

Yes, we’re talking about practice.

And those practice reps are particularly valuable to Okereke when he’s matched up with Barkley.

“Yes, he’s a very tough cover,” said former Colt Okereke, who signed with the Giants in free agency.

Okereke said Barkley provided his most helpful reps during training camp.

“Yeah, it’s honestly great practice for me because I don’t think there’s — I mean, I think [49ers running back] Christian McCaffrey is a great route-runner, but I think Saquon might be the best,” Okereke said.

What sets Barkley apart?

“He’s got speed. He’s got shiftiness,” Okereke said. “His wiggle is really good. He’s just a dominant player.”

The Giants, of course, expect Okereke to be dominant in Wink Martindale’s defense, and he expects that of himself.

“Yeah, I mean, iron sharpens iron,” he said, “so I try to give him the best that I can and I always know I’m going to get a great look from him.”

The competitive part of Saturday night’s preseason game between the Giants and the Jets did not feature the Giants’ starters.

Which means the work Barkley and Okereke got against each other on the practice field recently was some of their best work in all of training camp.

With that, Okereke agreed.

And it didn’t come as a surprise to Okereke, who recalled playing against Barkley in his days with the Colts.

“Thinking back to last year when we played him, it was, ‘Get on Saquon, don’t give Saquon any space,’ just because of how dynamic and special he is with the ball in his hand in space,’’ he said. “He’s a threat any time he’s on the field. He’s one of the best football players.’’

Based on his experience on the practice field, Okereke is wholeheartedly in favor of the Giants using Barkley more this season as a pass-catcher. In Barkley’s rookie season, when he was Rookie of the Year, he had 91 receptions.

Considering the offensive talent on the 2023 Giants, it seems unlikely that he will reach that mark. Tight end Darren Waller and a stable of receivers obviously will be significant parts of the Giants’ offense this season.

But Okereke believes the outcome would be beneficial to the Giants if they integrated Barkley more into the passing game.

“Yeah, I [would] love it,” he said. “I think it just makes our offense more dynamic.”

Wink Martindale is counting on Okereke helping to make his defense dynamic.

It should help that the defensive players are going against players such as Barkley, Waller, speedy rookie receiver Jalin Hyatt and a group of receivers who can make plays.

“I think competition just breeds success,” Martindale said when asked the effect on his defense when an offense has a capable group of playmakers.

“We couldn’t cover Waller when he was an undrafted free agent in Baltimore. Those kind of things — it’s fun to see. [When the defense makes plays in practice], that builds confidence in a team and it’s exciting to see.”

Waller, in particular, has challenged the defense. He is a unicorn, the rare athlete with size, speed and a team-first approach.

Asked if his defensive roster is deeper this year compared to last, Martindale indicated that he is optimistic.

He knows the defensive tackle position has been supplemented. He knows he still has two outstanding players and leaders in Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams.

And he is optimistic about the growth in pass rushers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari.

Stopping the run remains the primary objective.

“Just by the eye test, we’re deeper up front with the [defensive] tackle position,” Martindale said.

He also believes there is more competition within the defense, including, for example, the emergence of seventh-round draft pick Jordon Riley.

Extra points

Isaiah Simmons made his debut for the Giants, wearing No. 46. “Everyone has welcomed me with open arms like I’ve been here from the jump,” he said.

Before his first play, he touched the football, which already had been spotted by the official. (Perhaps that is a superstition.) Simmons got pressure on his first third down as a Giant.

This could be a very interesting acquisition, and it will be fascinating to see how Martindale integrates him into the defense. Obviously, the Giants view him as a potential answer. Why else would they acquire him? He is multidimensional, with experience at safety and linebacker.

Rookie cornerbacks Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins III did not play against the Jets. The pair, along with rookie center John Michael Schmitz Jr., were sidelined because they already had met the Giants’ prescribed number of snaps for their preseasons . . . Rookie Jalin Hyatt did play early in the game; he had not met his snap limit. Hyatt was targeted once by Tyrod Taylor but didn’t make the catch . . . In the second quarter, Graham Gano was good on field goals from 56 and 40 yards . . . Injuries suffered during the game: CB Gemon Green (shoulder), S Gervarrius Owens (hamstring), OL Wyatt Davis (ankle), TE Chris Myarick (hand), S Bobby McCain (concussion), CB Zyon Gilbert (hamstring) and WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (knee).

By Kimberly Jones

kimberly.jones@newsday.comkimjonessports

Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.