How Big Blue will look to fill WR holes

All it took was one day of training camp to create a “dark cloud” over the Giants’ wide receivers room, but it came with a sudden dose of opportunity.

During their first practice Thursday, Sterling Shepard broke his thumb and Corey Coleman tore his ACL. While coach Pat Shurmur said Friday he was “not concerned” about Shepard returning in time for the regular season, Coleman is expected to be out for the year.

“It feels like our room [has] a little dark cloud over it right now,” said rookie Darius Slayton, who is day-to-day with a hamstring injury himself.

The Giants, of course, traded away Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns and were banking on Shepard taking over No. 1 duties and Coleman providing important depth with a shot at earning the No. 3 receiver job. In the interim, there are more reps to go around as the Giants figure out how to fill Coleman’s spot.

They will host a workout for free-agent receivers on Saturday — which is expected to include veteran Kelvin Benjamin and rookie Flynn Nagel — but their top inhouse options to step up include Cody Latimer, Bennie Fowler, Russell Shepard and Slayton, whenever he is able to return to practice.

“Our room’s kind of going through it a little bit,” veteran Golden Tate said. “To counter that, it’s a lot of opportunity for our other guys, the young guys, to step up and make plays. Everyone gets some extra reps and hopefully we all take advantage of that.”

Shurmur said tight end Evan Engram also could help fill the void, given ”that he was used ina receiver-like role at times last year.

“I think he’s got wide receiver traits,” Shurmur said.

Latimer, Fowler and Russell Shepard were all active in team drills Friday. Each of them has at least five years of experience in the NFL — including last season with the Giants — but none of them has more than 72 career receptions.

Coleman also will be missed in the return game, where he provided a spark last season after signing in October. In Friday’s practice, Jabrill Peppers, Latimer, Brittan Golden and Da’Mari Scott were all catching punts. Shurmur said he doesn’t mind putting Peppers back there on top of his workload at safety, but “we’d like to find somebody else to at least work at it."

The speedy Slayton said he took reps returning kicks and punts during organized team activities, but he will need to get healthy again to help out there and at receiver. Coleman’s injury is not the way he wanted to get his shot, but it is now his reality. “Definitely a lot [of opportunity],” Slayton said. “If anything, with these [injuries] going on — I was already extremely eager to get back, but - even more so now because of the opportunities that are available now.”