EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- We've been penciling in Cullen Jenkins as a starting defensive tackle alongside Johnathan Hankins in the middle of the New York Giants' defensive line. That's what he's played the last couple of years, and it may well be what he does this year.
But it's not what he did Wednesday in the team's first organized team activities (OTAs) practice.
When the Giants lined up for their first 11-on-11 team drills Wednesday, Jenkins was lined up with the first team at defensive end, opposite Robert Ayers. Jenkins played defensive end almost exclusively throughout the day, rotating in there following Ayers' injury with guys like George Selvie, Kerry Wynn and Jordan Stanton.
Now, it's important to note that the Giants right now are without starting defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, their franchise player who's been working out on his own at home instead of attending the voluntary portion of the team's offseason program. It's also important to note that defensive end Damontre Moore is still getting up to speed after missing the first month or so of the offseason program because he went back to Texas A&M to take classes in pursuit of his college degree. And of course, Ayers got hurt on the first play of practice. So Jenkins, who has some defensive end experience from his time in Green Bay, could just be a fill-in while the Giants are short on personnel at those spots.
But it's not crazy to think Jenkins could get into the pass-rush mix. There's no clear-cut starter on the side opposite Pierre-Paul, especially if Moore doesn't take a big step forward in his development and if Ayers has health issues. New coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is likely to move guys around and mix and match on the defensive line more than predecessor Perry Fewell did, and Jenkins' versatility is one of the reasons the Giants signed him and have kept him around.
Problem is, you have to find an answer at defensive tackle if you use Jenkins at defensive end. It was Markus Kuhn, the 2012 seventh-rounder who's still kicking around, who ran with the first team next to Hankins on Wednesday. Also in that defensive tackle mix would be 2014 third-rounder Jay Bromley and recently signed former Jet Kenrick Ellis. Still lots to sort out up front with the Giants' defense.
Other defensive items worthy of note from Wednesday:
The first-team safeties were second-round rookie Landon Collins and 2013 fifth-rounder Cooper Taylor, which was at least a mild surprise because I wasn't sure Taylor would be healthy enough to do much this time of year. My guess is that Nat Berhe would have been the first-team free safety alongside Collins if he hadn't been on the sideline with a calf injury. But if Taylor is healthy enough to get into the mix, he's worth watching.
Collins stood out in the safety group as the guy who moved the most naturally in his position-specific drills. But fifth-rounder Mykkele Thompson did intercept a Ryan Nassib pass in 7-on-7 drills.
Trumaine McBride was the first-team nickel cornerback and remains the most likely to start out in that position if he's healthy. It was interesting to note that Josh Gordy, who was called a safety by general manager Jerry Reese shortly after his signing (but before Reese drafted two safeties) was working with the cornerbacks. Spagnuolo mentioned Gordy earlier this month as a guy in the mix for that nickel corner spot, along with McBride, Chykie Brown and Mike Harris.
I did not see third-round pick Owamagbe Odighizuwa in the mix on the defensive line. Could be I missed him (most of the team drills were conducted far from where media were allowed to stand), or it could be they're working him into the mix on special teams to start.