Shepard looking forward to debut

One preseason game still remains, but Sterling Shepard can’t help but think about what Dallas will be like Sept. 11.

Though the rookie wide receiver expects to play at least a few snaps Thursday against the Patriots, he already has begun preparing for what he might see from the Cowboys’ defense in his NFL debut.

“It’s kind of hard not to think about Dallas,” Shepard said following Tuesday’s practice. “I got a lot of people coming to that game, family, but on-the-field stuff as well, I’ve been sneaking in a little bit of film, been going over some stuff. It’s exciting and I can’t wait to get this thing going.”

Widely expected to make an immediate impact, the Giants’ second-round draft pick hasn’t had many opportunities to showcase his abilities in the preseason. Shepard left his first pre- season game early with a sore groin and finished the first three outings with just two catches for 25 yards, as the offensive line prevented Eli Manning from finding much time to throw.

Though Shepard’s ingame experience was limited, the 23-year-old said he learned a lot in his most recent matchup — against All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis.

“He’s just really smart. He knows the game, little things that most corners probably wouldn’t know,” Shepard said. “He jumped one of my routes and he was just like, ‘I’m all over that.’ He just plays the game smart and he’s strong, too. I tried to give him a stiff arm and it didn’t really work out. I’m gonna try something else next time.

“He’s one of the best to do it. I kind of put him in a different category [of cornerbacks, but] you play this game and you learn from things. I definitely learned from some of the things that happened in [that] game.”

Just about everything else he needed to learn before his first regular-season game came from established receivers like Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz.

“They’ve helped me tremendously since I walked in the building,” Shepard said. “They’ve just been helping me off the field with looking over film, different releases to use, everything. Those guys have had a lot of success in this league and it’s great having those guys on my side and helping me out.”

Shepard would have liked more opportunities in the preseason, but he said he wasn’t frustrated by the lack of balls thrown his way, understanding the inherent limitations in a preseason offense.