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John Blackie/jblackie@pnj.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

New York Giants' extremely productive undrafted free agent WR set to impress at NFL Rookie Minicamp

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Travis May | Last updated 5/8/24

NFL rookie minicamps are already here! The New York Giants are hosting their rookie minicamp this week, May 9-11. All of their draft picks will obviously get the majority of the attention this weekend, but general manager Joe Schoen signed several intriguing undrafted free agents that could surprise this season too.

It's always difficult for undrafted free agents to make an instant impact on NFL teams, let alone make the team at all, but there are always a few that stand out enough to overcome the odds. Let's dive into some of the top undrafted free agent signings who might just begin their epic NFL story this week at Giants rookie minicamp!

John Jiles, WR West Florida

Malik Nabers is clearly going to be the star of the wide receiver group for the New York Giants from day one, but the team still needs more young playmakers to step up at the position. At 6'2", 219 pounds, John Jiles brings size that the rest of the Giants WR group does not possess. He racked up 66 receptions, 1255 yards, and 16 touchdowns last season for West Florida, but still went completely overlooked throughout the 2024 NFL Draft process. How is that possible?

Jiles struggled academically coming out of high school and had to go the junior college route initially. Then after he transferred to Virginia Union (a D-II school) he still sat out his 2021 season to get things right with his grades. Once he was finally on the field in 2022 he immediately grabbed 40 receptions for 627 yards and 9 scores in his first season there.

Then he transferred to West Florida and absolutely dominated last fall racking up over 1200 yards. His resume of production may be short, but it's impressive. And while most of his production came against weaker competition, his physical style of play (as you can see in the post below from UWF Football), size, strength, and ability to win vertically may earn him a spot on the 53-man roster for the Giants.

John Jiles is tough to bring down! #GoArgos pic.twitter.com/r3x0MEronJ
— UWF Football (@UWFFootball) September 27, 2023

Casey Rogers, DL Oregon

The Giants have one of the most dominant defensive tackles in the NFL with Dexter Lawrence. However, outside of him they don't have an extremely impressive interior defensive line. Casey Rogers offers excellent size and length at 6'5", 305 pounds and posted incredible numbers at his pro day this spring (including a 4.82-second forty-yard dash).

Rogers didn't rack up a ton of sacks for the Oregon Ducks, but he did consistently post a pass rush pressure rate near 10% from the interior, which is impressive for his size and the role he was asked to play. Rogers can play in any defensive line technique the Giants want, but likely sticks between 3-5 tech if he wants to earn a role in New York.

Jake Kubas, OG North Dakota State

Over 2,600 snaps of experience at guard. Two FCS national championships with North Dakota State. Jake Kubas is a fantastic interior swing player who can play either left or right guard if called upon. He'll have an uphill battle given how competitive the guard spot is for the Giants now, but he's a near clone of Jon Runyan from a measurables standpoint.

Alex Johnson, CB UCLA

Alex Johnson wasn't given a real shot at a full-time role on UCLA's defense until just last season, but starred in his one big opportunity. He grabbed five interceptions, holding opposing quarterbacks to a 54% completion rate and 40.7 passer rating (according to PFF) last fall. Those are shutdown cornerback numbers. His limited body of work likely left many NFL decision makers a bit hesitant to invest, but he's almost certainly one of the most (if not the most) productive and impressive undrafted free agent defensive backs in this class based on his final season alone.

Be looking for more New York Giants coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!

And if you want to watch some John Jiles highlights to see how he might fit with the Giants you can check out the video below!