The drive everyone was talking about after practice came late in the day. Jaxson Dart methodically led the first-team offense the length of the field, capped by a short touchdown pass to wide receiver Darius Slayton.
“That last drive, that long drive period we did at the end, they executed a lot of plays there,” Harbaugh said. “One thing you learn in those kinds of periods is you get frustrated with a play you don’t make, but on offense you get two more chances. You still have an opportunity. If you make a play, you keep a drive alive and kind of break out. So, that’s kind of how that worked in that drive right there.”
The touchdown nearly never happened, but the head coach granted the offense one more play.
“They lobbied,” Harbaugh said. “I wanted it to be done. That was supposed to be the last play before that, and they wanted the last play, so I cracked and gave them that last play.”
Dart had a much longer touchdown earlier in 7-on-7 drills, hitting Tyrone Tracy Jr. 40 yards downfield as the running back took it the final 20 for the touchdown.
As Harbaugh predicted back in late March shortly after the signing, Dart definitely likes having Isaiah Likely in his line of sight. What quarterback wouldn’t? The dynamic tight end high-pointed a pass for the catch of the day during the first 11-on-11 period. The degree of difficulty was ratcheted up with rookie linebacker Arvell Reese barreling down on Dart before the throw.
“He made some good throws,” Harbaugh said of Dart. “He got us in some good plays. All three quarterbacks got to some plays versus pressure, which was, that’s great. It’s good to see. “
Linebacker Zaire Barnes had the defensive play of the day, intercepting a pass and taking it nearly 60 yards the other way for a likely touchdown. He made the catch just as the whistle was blowing the play dead for a sack by outside linebacker Trace Ford.
On the first play of 1-on-1 drills, Jameis Winston threw a 40-yard touchdown to wide receiver Darnell Mooney. A few plays later, Calvin Austin III found the end zone on a pass from Brandon Allen.
Defensive lineman Darius Alexander had two would-be sacks throughout the day. Safety Tyler Nubin also had one coming around the edge.
Arvell Reese and Tremaine Edmunds, the Giants’ lengthy inside linebacker duo, teamed up for a tackle for loss.
“When we’re on the field, we talk a lot,” Reese, the fifth overall pick, said about the veteran with two career Pro Bowl nods. “We go back and forth with a lot of stuff. We’re always reminding each other what we might got. So, it’s a lot of bouncing it off each other. But definitely, when it comes to off-the-field stuff and just routine and stuff like that, I’m always asking him stuff.”
Cornerback Nic Jones forced a long incompletion on a nice play down the sideline.
Wide receiver Dalen Cambre made a good move on a defender, breaking a tackle for a sizable gain. “He knows what he’s doing,” Harbaugh said yesterday. “He’s running great routes. I think he’s making a move [in the wide receiver competition]. I think he’s done a great job and he’s got our attention.”
Wide receiver Braxton Berrios also had a big catch-and-run while battling through defenders on a play that got a little heated.
Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt battled his way to a handful of catches throughout the afternoon.
Rookie cornerback Colton Hood strung out a short pass that could have gone for a big gain up the sideline.
“I’m learning a lot from the veterans,” the second-round pick said about his first training camp. “Just getting up to speed with the playbook and everything. It’s been a good camp. I’ve learned a lot and I’m going to continue to learn.”
