Collins set to regain Robin to his Batman
At this time last year, Darian Thompson was well on his way to instilling so much trust from the Giants’ coaching staff there was no way to keep him down on the depth chart. And so he rose, to the top of the list at free safety.
A year later, nearly robbed of his entire rookie year, a bystander as the Giants’ defense grew and evolved into one of the NFL’s best units, Thompson is mended and mindful of his importance to a secondary that was outstanding in 2016 and could be even better in 2017 with him filling a prominent role as Robin to Landon Collins’ Batman.
“It’s extremely exciting to think about, but we still got a lot of work to do, so does the whole team, do does the defense,’’ Thompson told The Post on Friday after an organized team activity practice. “When that time comes for us to be special, it will come.’’
Special is what the Giants foresee in their safety duo, the fire of Collins blended with the ice of Thompson, forming an uncommonly well-matched tandem.
“I feel like we definitely do complement each other,’’ Thompson said.
If Thompson can pick up where he left off, it will feel as if the Giants are adding a young, moderately experienced high draft pick to a defense already teeming with talent. Thompson, a third-round pick from Boise State, did not take a single misstep last spring and summer and Collins was thrilled to have a partner in crime after so much unrest alongside him in his 2015 rookie season. The pairing did not last, though, as Thompson only made it through two games before a foot injury put him on the sideline. He rested, but never shook the problem and on Nov. 10 underwent Lisfranc foot surgery.
Collins was visibly shaken by the loss and the Giants would have been in serious trouble if not for Andrew Adams, an undrafted rookie from Connecticut, who stepped into the void and played better than anyone had a right to expect him to play.
It was a tough break for Thompson and he admits it was not easy to accept, until he processed and channeled the disappointment.
“You work so hard to get to that point, just like that it kinda was taken away from me,’’ Thompson said. “Once I got over that hump, I decided how I could take this negative and turn it into a positive and that’s what I did, as far as studying the game and learning my teammates.’’
The Giants are not rushing anything with Thompson, who now wears custom-made orthotics in both his cleats. He has been mixed in on the field in these OTAs and on Friday worked with the team defense in red-zone drills. Those who have seen him day after day say he is moving well and he says he does not think about his foot when he is working.
No doubt, there will be some limitations for Thompson at the start of training camp in late July, with the cautious approach the sensible way to go.
“He has been working the whole time back,’’ coach Ben McAdoo said. “He has been in a limited role, so we are being smart there, easing him back into it and he will get better as the offseason goes.’’
While he was out, Thompson said he studied his older teammates, looking for clues he could use to help his own game.
“Guys that have been around the game longer than me, there’s different little tricks and things of that sort I can pick up on now, learning from older guys who have been through it before,’’ he said.
Collins rose to stardom in his second season in 2016 and was a candidate for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award. Thompson believes he can help Collins be even better.
“I like to protect, that’s it,’’ he said. “Protect over the top, protect deep. If I’m protecting I’m going to get my hands on the ball. It kind of goes hand in hand. It’s been a while since I’ve been on that field and that’s all I’m thinking about right now.’’