On the third and final day of the 2025 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected:
- 4th Round: RB Cam Skattebo, 5’10”, 216lbs, Arizona State University
- 5th Round: OL Marcus Mbow, 6′,4”, 302lbs, Purdue University
- 7th Round: TE Thomas Fidone, 6’5”, 243lbs, University of Nebraska
- 7th Round: CB Korie Black, 6’0”, 192lbs, Oklahoma State University
Sy’56’s Scouting Report on RB Cam Skattebo (5’10”, 216lbs): Three-year starter, Rio Landa, CA. Big Sky Offensive player of the Year in 2022, his second season at Sacramento State. Transferred to Arizona State in 2023 and earned first team All-Big 12 honors in 2024 after a record-setting season. Re-wrote the single season running back record book. Skattebo is a unique prospect that plays with a blend of anger, intelligence, and versatility that is hard to find. The low-to-ground running style and aggression to the hole combined with his never-say-die attitude is a personality-changer for an offense. He has a PhD in breaking tackles and finding the hidden yards every time he touches the ball. He brings effort and production whether he is carrying the ball, catching the ball, blocking, or even punting. He has experience at two levels putting the entire team on his back and there is something about him that screams winner.
*I was late to come around on Skattebo. He kinda came out of nowhere but when I went back and watched his tape from September/October, it was impressive right away. He was not just a guy that got hot toward the end of the season. He went for 262 against Mississippi State week 2. He averaged over seven yards per carry in consecutive weeks against Utah and Kansas. I watched his tape after I wrote the Jeanty tape and I walked away saying these two were awfully similar. Skattebo isn’t as athletic and there are some attitude concerns with him. I could see him falling based on tools alone but I think he plays with enough of a chip on his shoulder than can elevate the room. The million dollar question? Will he hold up with the level of violence he plays with?
Sy’56’s Scouting Report on OL Marcus Mbow (6’4”, 302lbs): Three-year starter. Milwaukee, WI. Two-time All-Big Ten at two different positions. Mbow began his career at guard before spending two seasons at right tackle. His 2023 season was cut short because of a broken leg. Instead of moving back inside, the team needed his athleticism on the outside despite multiple factors that should have kept him at guard. Mbow has 32-inch arms and struggles with consistent body control. Those two factors alone cross him off the list for tackle in the NFL and his tape against his best competition confirmed the notion. With that said, Mbow has excellent quickness and range off the snap as a run blocker. He is an easy mover but gets caught over his skis when he is in space as a pass protector. He did have a solid game in 2022 against future NFL defensive tackle Keeanu Benton. While that was a long time ago, there are signs of him being powerful enough for interior play where he can stay more focused on keeping his feet under him. This is an ideal prospect to move to center and develop him for a year or two. He is smart enough and the athleticism can be a real weapon there.
*There should be a good amount of interest in Mbow from NYG. Joe Schoen comes from the school of thought that college tackles can be ideal answers for NFL guards. The team needs another body added to the depth chart. And there could be an option for a move to center. Lastly, in a pinch this is a guy that can play tackle so they’re not asking a street free agent to protect the blind side at some point mid-season. Mbow needs more girth but he is on a short list of guys who have the best foot speed in the class.
Sy’56’s Scouting Report on TE Thomas Fidone (6’5”, 243lbs): Two-year starter. Council Bluffs, IA. Fidone arrived at Nebraska as the program’s top recruit acquired signee since 2008. He was a five-star stud that everybody wanted. He was a spot above Brock Bowers by the major scouting services but the ugly side of the game bit him hard right away. Fidone tore his ACL in his first collegiate preseason camp and then re-tore it (needing a second surgery) a year later. His first two seasons on campus produced three snaps. He then started for two straight years and in 2024 we finally saw some of the potential he arrived to Nebraska with. The size and explosion are there but he lacks the finishing gear to pose as a real speed threat. There is debate whether or not that knee will ever get back to where it was and some teams are likely to keep him off their board. He can fit in as a backup tight end with long-term upside but his blocking needs a substantial increase in effectiveness for a team to want to wait that long.
*I was intrigued by Fidone when I arrived to the Senior Bowl. He has some of the biggest hands you will ever see and he looks the part. There is awkward movement to him when he needs to quickly change direction. I can’t help but think that knee just is what it is. It has been years since the injuries and surgeries but there is something that doesn’t seem natural. There are a couple character questions with him as well.
Sy’56’s Scouting Report on CB Korie Black (6’0”, 192lbs): Three-year starter. Waco, TX. Two-time All-Big 12. Black was an accomplished track star coming out of high school who progressively improved over his career. He evolved from an athlete trying to learn the game to a credible key piece to the Cowboys defense for multiple seasons. He played over 2,000 career snaps, nearly all of them at outside corner with ascending production. Black mostly played in zone coverage with his best tape coming from action where he could look downhill and react. He struggled to stick with quick, savvy route runners but as a vertical cover man, he excelled. Black is a strong and physical corner with credible NFL speed and a frame that screams potential. If he can clean up his footwork and feel for the game to stay ahead of routes and concepts, his baseline is enough to try and develop in time. At the very least he can be a contributor on special teams.
Media Q&A with General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll (VIDEO):
JOE SCHOEN: All right, today obviously we started off with Skattebo, one of our favorite players in the draft, just the way he plays, the mentality he plays with, the toughness, the competitiveness, the grit. Good hands out of the backfield, as well. Just a darned good football player, so we were excited to get him.
Marcus Mbow, he’s a guy that we were a little bit surprised that he was there when we picked. We really liked his film. He’s another guy at the Senior Bowl that we got to spend some time with. Really athletic player, has some position flexibility from tackle to guard. We think he can play both. Smart guy, finishes on film. You see him running down on the pulls and stuff. Super athletic. Excited about him.
Thomas Fidone out of Nebraska, another Senior Bowl guy that we got to spend time with. I think a lot of these guys that we drafted were at the Senior Bowl. But an athletic kid that he had a couple injuries during his career. He had two ACLs, but high recruit out of high school that we spent a lot of time with at the workout, and there’s some untapped potential there that we see in him, toughness as a blocker is a plus, as well.
Korie Black, six foot, 200. Ran 4.3. Press corner that late in the draft has some traits that you look for. He’s also a tough kid, good tackler. Has special teams value, as well.
Excited about what we did today. Added some good football players with the right makeup and mentality that we’re looking for, good additions to what we were able to do on Thursday and Friday.
With that, I’ll open it up if you guys have any questions.
Q. You said you were surprised that Mbow was there. Everyone kind of was. Was there any red flags medically that popped up that caused him to slide?
JOE SCHOEN: No, and we look at all the medical, and that information is shared so you have an idea of what other teams have on guys. And no, it wasn’t — there were no real red flags from that standpoint. When you take these guys, sometimes you get texts from around the league from other personnel people or general managers if you took a guy they were going to take, and he’s one that there were a lot of texts, just the value where we got him. I’m not really sure what happened, but glad he was there. That happens sometimes in the fourth round. We liked guys in the past and we’ve been able to get them in the fifth that maybe we had in the fourth.
Q. There’s a lot of running backs in this draft, obviously. Seems like Skattebo was just kind of different from a lot of them for some reason. Can both of you say why he was one of your favorite players in the draft?
BRIAN DABOLL: Well, he plays with great contact balance. He’s tough as nails. You can use him a variety of ways. Pass game, he can catch, he can run routes, he can throw the ball, as you’ve seen on one of those, and he’s got very good vision and quick feet.
He’s a 220-pound back who runs with power, toughness and has the type of personality that I think Joe did a great job of along with the scouts of bringing in guys that have a lot of toughness.
Even to get Mbow, credit Joe there. Again, we’re sitting there talking about him or Skattebo with that first pick, and he’s like, we’ll go with Skattebo, and then Mbow was there however many picks later, so we got two guys that we were going to take — if Skattebo left, we were going to take Mbow.
But toughness all the way through the draft was something that we have talked about, both mental and physical. I think Skattebo has got both. Not to mention the other guys, but I know the question was for Skat.
Q. You mentioned the toughness idea, and every guy we’ve talked to today it seems like that was one of the first things that popped out from Abdul to even Jaxson. Why was that a vision for this team now? I know you’ve had it in the past, but —
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, I think you always add that element to your team in both areas. Mentally, the challenges that go with playing professional football and playing in New York, quite frankly, and toughness on the field. I think we did that in free agency and we did that in the draft. It’s something that we covet. I thought we did a good job of acquiring players that demonstrate both of those things.
Q. Joe, I know you touched on the identity thing the last couple days. When you look at big picture this off-season, two free agents that you spent the most money on were both on the defensive side. Two of your first three picks were on the defensive side. Is that a planned thing? Is that just the way it worked out? Is that the identity you’re trying to build here, build the front seven in particular?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, when you’re going through it and you look at free agency, you only have the players that are available, so if there’s not a No. 1 receiver that hits the market or Trey Smith is franchised by Kansas City and you’re looking at a right guard, so you’re at the mercy of what’s available in free agency and we were trying to upgrade the talent, and I felt like we did.
And this was an opportunity in the draft where we didn’t necessarily have to go with need, and there’s been some of that in the past, right or wrong, as we finally built the depth and got the roster to where it is. There was situations in this draft where three guys were on the same line and you were able to take the best football player.
It lined up that way, and again, I feel good about the guys that we added because of that. Was it a conscious effort? It was a conscious effort to bring in the right type of guys with the right mentality that we covet, and again, in free agency, there were some players that we went after on the offensive side of the ball, and for whatever reason weren’t able to get them.
But we had an opportunity to get a really good corner and a safety in Chauncey as an outside backer with some inside rush in free agency, and that’s the way it happened.
Q. Do you look at it now when you see what you do have on paper, the way it worked out, and say, okay, we need that to be sort of the strength of our team?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, it’ll all come together. Yeah, on paper. Until we go out and do it, it doesn’t matter. It’s just on paper now. That’s where this time of year Dabs is doing a great job and the coaches and the players themselves. They need to come together and develop their own identity and what type of team they want to be.
That’ll start once the rookies get in here. The vets are already in here, so until we go out and do it, it’s just on paper. I’m excited to see how this team comes together. I like the players that we have. I like the makeup of the players. I’m confident in the coaching staff, and I’m excited for the 2025 season.
Q. How much better do you think the roster is today than when you ended the 2024 season?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, same thing I just said. It doesn’t matter what I think until we go out and do it. Do I like the guys? Yeah, heck yeah. I like the makeup. I think they’re wired the right way, the right DNA. I think we have the right people in this building.
Again, it’s up to us and the team to really start to gel and develop who we want to be and what we want to be about and the leadership step up through this off-season, understand what the standard is, and when we hit the grass in August, what’s the standard going to be, and we need to hold everybody to the standard.
They’re going to develop their own identity as players and coaches to what this team wants to be. Again, on paper, I like some of the pieces that we have, but it’s up to them to go out and do it, and I have confidence in them that we will.
Q. When you’re looking to evaluate toughness, you can look at tape maybe and see it physically. How do you measure it mentally in these guys when you’re scouting them?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, we’ve got an experienced staff with a lot of good connections at colleges, so you’re asking everybody that’s coached them, the strength coaches, academics, whoever it may be. You’re doing a lot of research on — hey, at the All-Star games, we’ve had coaches coach All-Star games. That’s a huge advantage for us, whether it’s Senior Bowl, East-West.
You never miss an opportunity to have a touchpoint with a player or do your research on coaches that may have coached them. Dabs has a Rolodex of basically any player at any school he’s got a guy. We’ll be in meetings and, I can call the guy right now.
Again, you try to talk to as many people that have been meeting rooms and in games, or when you sprain an ankle in a game and you come out, a guy that’s been on that staff and seen how a player reacts.
Or when it’s August and it’s tough and you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel during the dog days, but these sources have seen these players fight through it and show the grit and toughness to overcome that, that’s what you’re looking for.
Again, hats off to my college staff. They do a great job with the research in the off-season and the information that they gather on these players that allow these players to be on the board and in position for us to draft them.
Q. You made the announcement on Kayvon Thibodeaux’s fifth year option. What’s the decision on Evan Neal’s?
JOE SCHOEN: Yeah, we’re not going to exercise Evan’s fifth-year option.
Q. Now that you’re through the draft, what position is Evan Neal primarily going to be working at?
BRIAN DABOLL: We haven’t been on the practice field yet. We have an idea of what we’re going to do, but it’ll be flexible. He’ll do anything he can do to help the team.
Q. The Purdue lineman, Mbow, do you see him as a tackle —
BRIAN DABOLL: No, he did a good job playing tackle. He’s athletic. He can bend. I think he’s got, like Joe talked about, some position flexibility to move inside if we need him to. We’ll start him out at tackle is the plan, but I think once you get to those type of down the line linemen, if you will, the position flexibility is important, but we’ll start him out at tackle.
Q. In regards to — you now have four quarterbacks, a rookie who you’re going to try and develop who’s a first-round pick and two other quarterbacks who are going to need to learn the system. How do you plan on going about making sure that they get enough reps and how do you —
JOE SCHOEN: Sure, fair question. We’ll have a plan for that and we’re working through that. We kind of did that a little bit at Buffalo with Josh in terms of the initial plan of how we wanted to approach it and the reps that we needed to take and the things we wanted to see him do.
Jaxson will get a fair amount of reps with the threes and maybe you’ll see him in there, sprinkle him in when he doesn’t even know he’s supposed to go in there just to see how he reacts being in a different atmosphere. He won’t know when or why. And then continue to work with the two older guys.
Again, it’s a little bit unique because you’ve got two quarterbacks (Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston) that are just learning our system, so they’ve only had four meetings. So by the time Jax gets here, he’s not going to be too far behind, where sometimes you’ve got guys that have been in there for three, four, five years, and it’s good with Tommy (DeVito) in there because he has pretty good familiarity for what we need to do.
They have good chemistry in there right now with Shane (Tierney) and Kaf (Mike Kafka) in there when they’re talking about things, and they give their input from the experiences that they’ve had and Tommy gives input of this is how we’ve done it, and it’s been good. We’ll add Jax to the mix and we’ll have a plan to work with him each and every day.
Q. You’re not a big snaps — reps for your backup quarterbacks during the regular season. Do you have to adjust that when you have a rookie quarterback to make sure that you find a way if he’s not playing to get him reps?
BRIAN DABOLL: Yeah, we’ll talk about that when the time comes. We’ll focus on Phase I and Phase II and Phase III and then training camp. There’s some time for that, but we’ll have a plan. We’ll have a plan for not just him, for all the young guys coming in. But that will be an important plan for Jax. I look forward to executing that plan with him.
Media Q&A with Cam Skattebo:
Q. What did you think about your chances of coming here? Obviously, this was one of the spots that might’ve been on your radar. You came here for a visit?
CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, I mean, when I got there, I felt comfortable. The coaches were very nice to me, made me feel like they wanted me a lot.
I was very happy to be there, and I was enjoying the moment. New York was awesome to me, so I love being there, and I’m glad I’m going to be a Giant.
Q. How do you describe your playing style?
CAM SKATTEBO: Physical, downhill, get to the end zone back. I love to score touchdowns. That’s what I do.
Q. Where does your mentality come from? Everything you hear about you is how hard-nosed you are, how tough you are, all that. Where does that come from?
CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, just growing up in a hard background and with an older brother that picked on me a little bit when I was younger. He set me up for success, and my dad also being hard on me as a kid, understanding where I could take this football stuff in life, and he preached on me every day about it, and it’s now coming to light.
Q. You didn’t have any FBS offers coming out of high school, I believe, correct?
CAM SKATTEBO: Correct.
Q. For you just to get to this point, what does that say about the work you put into becoming the player that you are now?
CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, it’s been awesome. I just continue to keep my head down and work, and I’m excited. The journey that I’ve been on has been a long one, but we’re here now, and to be a Giant, I’m blessed to be here, and I can’t wait to get to New York and start playing ball.
Q. What was that like getting the phone call there?
CAM SKATTEBO: It was awesome, man. Super emotional. I’ve worked all my life for this, so something that I’ve been praying on, and it’s finally coming to light, so I’m excited.
Q. There’s such emphasis now with running backs certainly, 40 speeds, fast, running by guys. You’re not that player. Is that something that you really appreciate about yourself, that you’re not a guy who maybe is going to run past everybody but you can still get in the end zone anyway?
CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, I wouldn’t consider myself not that player, but I can do it if I need to. I play my brand of football, and I continue to do that, and that’s what given me success. I’m just going to keep playing how I play and just get better every day.
Q. Going all the way back to your early days when you first started playing, were you always that player, or was there a turning point where you decided to play more physical and be that brand that you’ve kind of made yourself into?
CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, no, you can go back, watch some film from back in the day. It’s always been a very physical game for me. Since the age of six years old, I’ve been doing the same thing. Throughout my life I’ve stuck with the path that I’ve put myself on, and it’s working out. I’m going to continue to do that because that’s what is bringing me success.
Q. You put some six-year-olds in the ground back in Pop Warner days?
CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
Q. You brought up your family. What was it like to share this moment with them and to get to this point, especially with the relationship you have with your older brother?
CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, it’s awesome. Just being here and having a good time with my family and enjoying it, and being able to have everybody that I want here, just for them, all the support they’ve given me the past couple years and my whole life, it’s just been nothing but unbelievable, and I’m proud to be a Giant, and everyone loves that I’m going to New York. We’re ready to go. We’re juiced up, and I’m excited to be there.
Q. When you play a nasty brand of football, do you think that can be contagious on a team, and how is that contagious when you bring the kind of attitude and physicality that you do?
CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, physicality is definitely contagious. If someone gets ran over, it hypes the other guys up and it gets them going. I’m going to continue to bring that and hopefully it feeds off on to my teammates.
Q. You posted a tweet about four years ago where you said, with the blank pick in the draft, some team selects you. First of all, do you remember that tweet, and what do you think about it now knowing that tweet has come to fruition?
CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, it’s been awesome, man. I mean, I tweeted that almost four years ago, and I believed it and not many people did. But as long as you believe in yourself, that’s what matters. It’s continued to give me hope and continued to give me something to strive for, so it’s been awesome that I’ve been able to meet those expectations of myself from the past.
Q. When did you think that was going to become a reality?
CAM SKATTEBO: I was hoping yesterday, but today was the day, and the Giants pulled the trigger. I’m glad it was today, and I was just waiting and glad that I got a call.
I thank the Giants for having me, and I can’t wait to get there.
Q. You have a little bit of a chip on your shoulder about not being picked yesterday?
CAM SKATTEBO: Absolutely. I mean, I was expecting a call – there are seven rounds in the NFL Draft, and I was expecting a call. I wasn’t too bummed about it, but I knew at some point I was going to get the call, so I wasn’t too worried, and I’m glad it was today. It kind of shows more of the path of how people have doubted me a little bit, and now that the Giants believe in me, I’m going to believe in them and what they’ve got and what we have as a team, and I’m going to try to go win a championship.
Q. When you were here on your 30 visit, how much after that did you really start looking at the depth chart here and seeing where you fit in, what kind of offense they would run with you here if you were here? Did you put that kind of work into figuring out if you were to come here what it would look like?
CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, not a ton, but I’ve had some talks with coaches, and they didn’t promise me anything. They told me I need to come in and work, and what happens, happens. I’m going to come in and give it everything I’ve got, and whatever happens throughout that process, we’re going to make it work, and we’re going to keep striving for greatness. I’m excited to be there, and no matter what role they’ve got for me, I’m ready to take on.
Q. It seems like you kind of can do a lot of things. Did you play much special teams in college or at all?
CAM SKATTEBO: Yes, I did play some special teams, something I can do, something I will do in the league, and something I’m going to take very prideful in what I do because that can lead to a long career. I’m excited to, like I said, play any role that they give me, and it’s going to be fun.
Q. You finished fifth in the Heisman voting so you were one pick away from coming to New York. Have you been to New York much at all?
CAM SKATTEBO: I’ve never been to New York, no. My first time was on my visit, and my second time wis when I fly out to be on the team. I’m excited to be in New York, and it was awesome when I was there, and I can’t wait to go back.
Q. Does it feel a little bit sweeter even though you didn’t come out for the Heisman ceremony you’ll be out here for a pretty good while now as a professional?
CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, that’s awesome. I wasn’t too bummed about the Heisman situation. Those were great players. But I’m going to New York now for a long time, so let’s do it.
Q. I know you get to your level and you believe in yourself and you believe you’re the best. I know you said at the end of the season you were ready to prove that you’re the best running back in this class. Is that just a belief, something to say, or why do you think that’s an important motivation for somebody to kind of go out and prove that?
CAM SKATTEBO: Yeah, I mean, I’ve been doubted my whole life, so I hate answering certain questions because there’s certain things that you don’t really have answers to, how other people think and stuff like that. I’m ready to play football for the New York Giants, and I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got. I can’t wait to be there. It’s going to be awesome.
Media Q&A with Marcus Mbow:
Q. Marcus, what was that like getting the phone call? Take us through what the last couple days have been like for you.
MARCUS MBOW: Very exciting. I mean, I’m very blessed to be in the position I am and extremely excited to get ready to go to work and just get to where I’m supposed to be.
Q. Did you see this coming from the Giants? I know you were out here for a visit. What’s been your interaction with the Giants?
MARCUS MBOW: It’s been great interactions. Had interviews with them at the Senior Bowl, top 30, thought everything went well, tried not to put too much thought into all the visits in general, but definitely excited. Definitely surprised, and I’m happy to be where I’m at.
Q. You played tackle and guard certainly. Have the Giants told you where they see you fitting in?
MARCUS MBOW: No, not necessarily. Kind of just excited to see where I’ll be playing at. Looking forward to hearing from the o-line coach and head coach to see where they want me.
Q. Do you have any sense of what you like better or what you’re maybe more suited to at the NFL level?
MARCUS MBOW: Not necessarily. I feel like I’ll be able to succeed at all five positions. Been working them all, and they all feel pretty good, so I’m excited to see where they want me.
Q. You said all five. Is center something you’ve worked on in the past or you just picked that up during the pre-draft?
MARCUS MBOW: I’ve been working on it since the season ended, so just practicing snapping and whatnot, but it doesn’t feel too abnormal to me.
Q. Is that something NFL teams gave you feedback, that that could be a potential home for you or at least something to be good for you to be able to do?
MARCUS MBOW: Yeah, some have asked me if I can snap and whatnot. But that’s really it.
Q. At the Senior Bowl, what were some things you heard from the Giants at the Senior Bowl that they really liked about you?
MARCUS MBOW: We were just watching tape, going over it, seeing what I remembered, knocking people over, seeing movement, seeing athleticism. Just the good highlights on tape.
Q. Knocking people over; is that something you kind of cherish up front? Is that a mentality for you?
MARCUS MBOW: No doubt. Putting people on the ground, winning reps, demoralizing people. It’s always fun. It’s definitely part of the reason I love the game.
Q. What do you make of the Giants’ O-line room? I’m not sure how familiar you are throughout the process and how much time you’ve been able to look into it.
MARCUS MBOW: I mean, I’m excited to be around all these guys. I’ve seen a lot of these guys, whether it was when they were in college or throughout the league watching film, hearing about them through the grapevine, and I’m excited to get around them and just see what it’s like.
Q. A lot of the projections had you probably going earlier than this. What was the feeling like for you going through the draft and waiting for your name to be called?
MARCUS MBOW: It was a waiting game, but at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter. Just got to do what you can with the opportunity you’re given and go kill it.
Q. You were a teammate of (running back) Tyrone Tracy, correct?
MARCUS MBOW: Yes, sir.
Q. What do you remember about him?
MARCUS MBOW: I mean, that’s my guy. We’ve been in touch a good amount throughout this process. I was talking to him earlier today, so I’m extremely excited to be back with him and ready to go put it back on the line for him for sure.
Q. Do you think you can block for him?
MARCUS MBOW: I know I can block for him.
Q. You sound pretty subdued. Is that just your normal demeanor? What was this whole last 10 minutes or so like for you emotionally?
MARCUS MBOW: Yeah, it’s usually just how I am. I feel like I’m more a pretty chill guy. I was definitely pretty excited when I got the call. But I’d say overall I’m a pretty relaxed guy.
Q. You had mentioned earlier you hadn’t really thought about or at least put any anticipation into when you would get the call. How did you spend today? How did you spend last night? What were you doing, just hanging at home? What’s been your mood, and how have you bided the time the last two days?
MARCUS MBOW: I did have a draft party yesterday, but things didn’t work out, so just had my family over today at the house sitting around, enjoying (hanging out with them) waiting for a call.
Q. Just to clarify for us because we want to make sure we get this right, and I think we read in the pronunciation guy with your name, is it ‘bow’ or ’em-bow’?
MARCUS MBOW: Just ‘bow’.
Q. When you talked to Tyrone Tracy, what did he say to you to kind of encourage you as you were waiting?
MARCUS MBOW: He was saying not to let it get to you. Pretty much what everybody else says. It’s not where you get drafted, it’s just what you do with it, not to expect anything and just take what you got and run with it.
Q. And now you both are fifth-round draft picks. Was that pretty cool that you waited and now you’ve seen your name called in a similar place that Tyrone was last year?
MARCUS MBOW: Yeah, it’s pretty cool. Definitely pretty cool hearing my name called, no doubt.
Media Q&A with Thomas Fidone:
Q. How did it feel getting that call that you were coming to the Giants?
THOMAS FIDONE: Oh, man, there’s no feeling that I can describe it as. Honestly, it’s just what you think it might be as you’re watching it, as someone who’s worked their whole life for something. I don’t know how to — it’s an indescribable feeling.
Q. When you tore your knee for the second time, did you think that this was still a possibility, or were you questioning it at that point?
THOMAS FIDONE: No, I definitely knew it was going to be a possibility. I just knew that it was going to take more time than I thought, and it wasn’t going to be the way that I had originally planned it out in my head, as we thought as a family, as a team that I was on at the time, definitely always believed in myself and knew that I could put my mind to this and make it to this point.
Q. What were your interactions like with the Giants during the draft process?
THOMAS FIDONE: All very positive. I spoke with the tight ends coach numerous times. He came down for a private workout after a pro day and went over film, and had a Zoom meeting with him, as well. Definitely positive interactions, and there was definitely interest, at least from what I thought, from both sides. It’s been really good.
Q. What do you think you need to develop to transition to the NFL?
THOMAS FIDONE: I think obviously there’s always a learning curve anytime you go from one place to another or one league to another. The NFL is full of amazing players. Just being able to get a chance to develop and get better as a player and contribute to a team any way I can.
Q. What do you make of the Giants’ tight end room as you got to know the coach and just got a little bit more familiar with the team?
THOMAS FIDONE: I think they’ve got a really good room. (Tight end) Daniel Bellinger and Theo (Johnson) and then they have the vet (Chris Manhertz) who’s been (in the NFL) for a while, all very good guys, and just excited to be able to go in there and put my head down and work and hope to be able to contribute in any way possible.
Q. What do you bring to the table? What are the Giants getting in you?
THOMAS FIDONE: They’re getting an athlete. They’re getting a tight end who can do everything. Really good in the route game. Really good in the blocking game. Very physical. I’m a physical player, also a very competitive player. I want to win every rep. They’re getting someone who’s going to strive to be better every day and get 1 percent better every practice and every game, the ultimate competitor.
Q. What did your head coach have to say about the Giants throughout this process? I’m curious to know about (University of Nebraska Head Coach) Matt (Rhule). Obviously we know him well around here.
THOMAS FIDONE: Yeah, he was a GA there a long time ago. He definitely had positive things to say about it. He talked to me throughout the process and said that the Giants were interested, and he thought that they were interested. It’s been good. I’m excited. Coach Rhule is from that area, so it’s definitely up in his woods. He definitely had all positive things to say.
Q. I think your scouting report said that you’re a big tattoo guy and that you even tattooed yourself. Are you going to put the Giants on your body now or any draft mementos?
THOMAS FIDONE: (Laughs) I might have to. All my tattoos mean something to me, life moments, things I believe in. Definitely something I’ll have to think about going forward is a tattoo for sure.
Q. How many do you have?
THOMAS FIDONE: Oh, God, I don’t even know. Probably 12 or 13 or so.
Q. How many did you do yourself?
THOMAS FIDONE: I just did one on myself.
Q. Did I hear this right, that your last college game was actually here in New York?
THOMAS FIDONE: Yes, my last college game was in Yankee Stadium.
Q. What was that experience like?
THOMAS FIDONE: It was awesome, being able to play in Yankee Stadium, it’s a historical place, a historical team, and then to spend a week in New York for seven to eight days during Christmas was awesome. It was a really cool experience.
Q. Now that you’re going to be in New York, do you reflect on that, now you can say that was a preview of what you can expect out here maybe?
THOMAS FIDONE: I mean, yeah. Seems like it. I’m not really sure. The whole time I stayed in the city, so I’m not too knowledgeable on New York and how it is, if there is much green or how far away the green is and stuff like that. All you ever hear about is the city.
Media Q&A with Korie Black:
Q. What was it like getting the call and finding out you were drafted?
KORIE BLACK: Oh, my gosh it was a crazy experience. It was like – kind of like just seeing through the whole day of the draft and stuff like that it’s kind of overwhelming. When I heard my name, it was a sigh of relief.
Just like happiness, too, and just kind of remembering just how much work I put in and stuff like that. So, it was great to hear my name being called.
Q. How did it go in regards to your expectations? Like were you waiting for several rounds? How do you think today was going to play out coming in?
KORIE BLACK: Yeah, I wanted to get picked a little bit earlier, but like one thing was just like as long as I’m picked, especially by the Giants, because I took a top 30 visit there so it means a lot.
Q. What stood out about your visit to the Giants?
KORIE BLACK: Just about the whole city and then just like the staff as well. Just everybody in the building was just like great, great vibes and stuff like that. Very friendly.
So just kind of reminded me of like a family environment.
Q. Was this your first time coming to New York City?
KORIE BLACK: Yes sir, that was my first time.
Q. For you coming, did that make it more special being in the big city and enjoying that whole vibe besides getting to know the team a little bit?
KORIE BLACK: Yeah, exactly. Just being there, like you said for the first time was just really eye opening. Just you always see New York in movies and stuff like that, but my first time just be able to actually see it was amazing.
Also, with the experience with the Giants was just great altogether.
Q. What was the pre-draft like for you, not getting invited to the combine, and how much did that put the weight on your pro day?
KORIE BLACK: Yeah, just added fuel to the fire. Just me wanting to show that I was good enough to be able to get invited to those things and stuff like that.
But also, it gave me more time to really train and stuff like that for my pro day as well.
Q. You run a 4.3 40; is that right?
KORIE BLACK: Yes, sir.
Q. What does that speed do for you on the field? How does it help a cornerback?
KORIE BLACK: I feel like it will help me with my whole game as far as just like playing defense, corner, then also special teams as well.
Just being able to really play as far as corner, just being able to have makeup speed if that’s needed and stuff like that.
Just playing fast as well like on special teams, just being able to get down the field fast.
Q. Are you usually the fastest guy on your team?
KORIE BLACK: Yes, sir. I’ve always been the fastest on my team. It’s been fun. It’s been good for sure.
Q. You got some more competition here I’m sure, right?
KORIE BLACK: Yes, sir, yeah. I’m ready for some friendly competition.
Q. What special teams unit did you play on in college?
KORIE BLACK: So, I played punt and punt return a lot. During my earlier years I wasn’t as heavy so like playing kick return and stuff like that. Having to block was just kind of where I kind of lacked at just because of my weight and stuff like that.
Because I came in to college at 160 so I was kind of small. Being able to play gunner and doing things like that was where I could really showcase just me being a good football player coming in.
Because I wasn’t playing as much defense, so just being able to show that I’m a good player using my speed and making plays really I feel like helped me with the rest of my career.
Q. Did you talk a lot like in terms of a role with special teams with the Giants? Was that a focus of your visit?
KORIE BLACK: Yes, ma’am, kind of. Just showing that I could play defense, but coming in, you know, just having to develop, learn, and stuff like that. Special teams was a big thing of just, again, getting my feet wet for this new level that I’ll be playing at.
And using my athletic ability would be beneficial as well for me on special teams.
Q. Are you close with anybody on the Giants? Any players that you know pretty well?
KORIE BLACK: No, not many. I am under the same agency as (cornerback) Tre Hawkins. We’re kind of from close to the same city. He’s from Temple and I’m from Waco. So, we’re kind of close.
But we talked a few times. Not a lot.
SATURDAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE WITH DARIUS ALEXANDER…
The transcript and video of DT Darius Alexander’s (3rd round) press conference is available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube.
