Former Giants WR Warns Buccaneers About Tommy DeVito

Getty A former New York Giants WR is warning his new teammates about Tommy DeVito.

Turning to their third-string quarterback should make the New York Giants underdogs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12, but Sterling Shepard has a warning for his teammates about Tommy DeVito.

Former Giants wide receiver Shepard saw firsthand what DeVito could do when the undrafted passer won three of his six starts last season. Shepard admitted, “I love Tommy, man, he’s definitely an energetic guy. He’s very confident and that’s the reason why I’ve been telling these guys, you know, it’s not somebody that we can take lightly. He’s going to go out there with confidence and play his type of style of ball,” per SNY.tv’s Giants Videos.

DeVito became something a of a cult hero taking teams by surprise in late 2023. Shepard and the Bucs don’t want to fall for the same plot twist, but the Giants are counting on a change at football’s most important position to energize what’s been a pedestrian passing game.

Tommy DeVito Promoted to Giants QB1 for a Reason

The Giants promoted DeVito, who began this season No. 3 on the depth chart, over expensive backup Drew Lock, was a questionable and odd decision for some. Yet it turns out there’s a specific reason head coach Brian Daboll wants DeVito back in the lineup.

It isn’t all about avoiding paying Lock performance incentives. Instead, choosing DeVito has more to do with what his arm talent can do for the Giants’ wide receivers, particularly Malik Nabers.

The sixth player taken in the 2024 NFL draft credited DeVito with a strong arm. Nabers also revealed what Daboll has told him about DeVito’s quick release.

As Nabers put it, DeVito’s “intention with the ball is precise. He’s able to deliver the ball before you get out your break. So Daboll told me, ‘Make sure you get your head around pretty fast because the ball’s going to be coming’. So that’s my main focus is just getting my head around. He’s going to throw the ball before I get out of my break. So just having that as a quarterback for anticipation for him to throw the ball before you get out your break. So that’s what we need,” per NorthJersey.com’s Art Stapleton.

Not being able to make quick throws with velocity is why the Giants benched and ultimately parted ways with DeVito’s predecessor Daniel Jones. Having somebody get the ball out faster won’t just help Nabers and his fellow receivers thrive.

DeVito releasing passes sooner can also beat a Buccaneers defense blitzing 29.1 percent of the time, per Pro Football Reference. It’s the seventh-highest pressure rate in the NFL, and the Bucs will keep blitzing at MetLife Stadium if they take Shepard’s warning seriously.

Sterling Shepard’s Missed in Giants Passing Game

Shepard was a credible asset for the Giants when healthy, and he’s been missed after his eight-year stay with Big Blue came to an end in the offseason. That’s because Wan’Dale Robinson hasn’t quite made the slot role his own.

The team’s second-round pick two years ago is supposed to an option-route winner for the Giants, but not everybody is convinced. Among the doubters, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports still doesn’t “get the fascination with Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson. A player that small (5-8, 185) is only valuable if he’s elusive. Yet he never seems to be as open as he should be and he’s averaging 3.9 yards after each catch — 92nd among NFL WR.”

Robinson’s lack of escapability is summed up by his modest seven-yard average per catch. That number doesn’t compare favorably to the 10.4 yards Shepard is averaging.

Perhaps DeVito’s promotion will unleash Robinson’s full potential and prove Shepard is right to be wary about the Giants’ new QB1.