Da'Rel Scott, Giants' draft pick, joins Eli Manning's Hoboken workouts
Published: Monday, May 16, 2011, 5:06 PM Updated: Monday, May 16, 2011, 5:18 PM
Zach Berman/The Star-Ledger By Zach Berman/The Star-Ledger The Star-Ledger


Da’Rel Scott heard about the informal workouts the Giants quarterback Eli Manning held at Hoboken High School the past two weeks. As a seventh-round pick without the benefit of rookie mini-camps that are ordinarily conducted in May, Scott tracked down Manning’s e-mail address.

He sent his future a quarterback note. The two later exchanged phone calls. By this morning, Scott was on the Giants’ temporary home turf — the Hoboken field — and practicing with Manning, tight end Travis Beckum and receivers Michael Clayton and Victor Cruz.
Giants running back Da'Rel Scott discusses first workout with quarterback Eli Manning Giants running back Da'Rel Scott discusses first workout with quarterback Eli Manning Giants running back Da'Rel Scott became the first rookie to join quarterback Eli Manning's passing camp at Hoboken High School. Watch video

He pledged to join Manning for however many more workouts the quarterback holds considering it’s a quick commute from his suburban Philadelphia home.

“Especially being a seventh-round draft choice, you try to get the offense as quick as possible,” Scott said after his first workout. “I just wanted to kind of talk to him, him talk me through it a little bit. Because I’m a smart guy, I can pick up on it a little bit. And I just picked up on a couple offensive routes.”

As a running back, Scott could not work behind an offensive line or try to elude or race past defenders. But he discussed pass protection with his quarterback. He picked Manning’s mind on when to break routes against man-to-man coverage and how to attack different zone defenses.

Scott averaged 5.6 yards per carry in four seasons at Maryland, and he’s less concerned about learning how to run in the NFL than adjusting to the Giants’ pass protections. John Donovan, his college running back coach who is now the offensive coordinator at Vanderbilt, said Scott will be familiar with protections, which would accelerate Scott’s acclimation.

Donovan also praised Scott’s hands catching the ball out of the backfield, which Scott said Manning also complimented during today’s workout. Manning did not speak to reporters.

Giants general manger Jerry Reese expressed optimism about Scott on draft day and hoped that Scott could become the Giants’ version of former Steelers rusher Willie Parker, an undrafted speedster who turned into a two-time Pro Bowler. Scott’s 4.34 second 40-yard dash was the fastest of any running back in the draft and convinced Reese to take a “flyer” on him.

“The height, weight, speed, that’s what you take in the seventh round,” Reese said. “Most of these guys, something is wrong with most of them. Really, in the first round, something is wrong with most of them. But these late rounds, what are the redeeming qualities? This guy was big and he was fast and he has proven he can be productive at a high level of competition.”

The problem with Scott was the decline in production. Scott rushed for 1,133 yards as a sophomore — and then combined for the same total during the next two seasons.

Scott attributed the decline to two factors: a broken wrist as a junior and sharing the backfield as a senior. Donovan confirmed that it was only the injury and the depth chart that held Scott from matching his sophomore production.

“It’s hard to have just one guy with the amount of beating you can possibly take at the position,” said Donovan, a River Edge native. “We didn’t have to rely on him all the way like we did when he was younger.”

Scott’s best games came in bowl games, rushing for 374 yards and four scores on 27 combined carries in the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl and 2010 Military Bowl. Scott insists he flashed in enough games for the Giants to have an idea of what he can do, and the transition now is learning the offense.

The first step came today when he worked with Manning. Once the lockout is settled and the Giants enter camp, he’ll join a backfield clouded with the ambiguity of Ahmad Bradshaw’s possible free agency and Brandon Jacobs’ hefty contract.

“I can be a third-down back coming out starting as soon as possible,” Scott said. “We just have to see. I’ll be working my tail off the whole training camp to see where I land there.”

Nice article, thanks for sharing it.

It is good to see Scott there, he is obviously very keen to get things happening, also focusing on the passing game is good to see, that is where many rookie RBs struggle.

I really like this kid, he could be a steal. At the very least he is a legit big play threat.

Also nice to see Beckum there.