MAY 6. GIANTS HIRE FORMER NFL DEFENSIVE BACK FOR FRONT OFFICE ROLE. The New York Giants announced that they have hired former safety Usama Young to fill their Vice President of Player Engagement role.
Young appears to have replaced long-time Director of Player Engagement Ashley Lynn, who is no longer listed on the Giants’ website.
Prior to joining the Giants, Young had been in the NFL Player Enrichment office since 2017. His role is to support players and their families by guiding them toward continuing education, financial, and professional enrichment programs. He also worked with incoming rookies to ensure they had access to programs and resources to help them flourish as they transitioned from college to the pros.
Young, a third-round draft pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2007, spent eight seasons in the league, including four with the Saints, two with the Browns, and two with the Raiders, before calling it a career after the 2014 season.
MAY 2. GIANTS PART WITH NATIONAL SCOUT. With the 2025 NFL draft over, the New York Giants have begun tweaking their scouting department.
National scout Mike Derice, who was hired by the team in 2022, general manager Joe Schoen’s first season, is no longer listed on the team’s website.
Derice, who had been with the Giants for three seasons, was once included in a survey of 26 NFL-certified agents as “a future GM to watch,” a poll conducted by The Athletic. Derice had received at least one vote from those surveyed.
Before joining the Giants, Derice had been with the Indianapolis Colts, with whom he had been for ten seasons. His path briefly crossed with current Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown during the 2015-16 season.
MAY 1. GIANTS LEGENDARY LINEBACKER TO GET HOLLYWOOD ROYAL TREATMENT. For 13 years, New York Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor was a larger-than-life presence on scores of televisions every Sunday.
Now, football fans who marvelled over Taylor’s relentless play or who might have missed his era but have seen highlights on YouTube, will soon get a chance to get the real story of the man who changed the way the position was played.
The former New York Giants legend and NFL Hall of Famer will be the subject of A Giant Amongst Men. This multi-platform media project will include a narrative feature, a limited series, and a documentary.
The project is being spearheaded by Stoked Sports & Entertainment, a Beverly Hills-based management and production company that recently struck an exclusive deal with BEL Productions for Taylor’s life rights.
Stoked Sports & Entertainment, co-founded by former NBA player turned filmmaker Jarnell Stokes, focuses on helping athletes and other crossover talent transition into various industries beyond sports.
The project is in its early developmental stage, so casting has not been announced yet. But the project will delve into Taylor’s life both on and off the field, including the controversies that surrounded him during the height of his career.
The project’s executive producers will include actor-producers Blake Leon (American Gigolo) and Curran Walters (Titans) for BEL Productions, as well as Jarnell Stokes, Aisha Corpas Wynn, Beth Fryman Poulin, Sean Mik’ael Butler, and Patrick Strøm for Stoked Sports & Entertainment.
Casting and other key contributors, such as writers and directors, will be determined in the coming months.
MAY 1. REPORT: GIANTS UDFA GETS FIFTH-HIGHEST GUARANTEED MONEY AMONG UDFAs LEAGUE-WIDE. Every year after the draft, the New York Giants, in their quest to land undrafted free-agent talent, often increase the amount of money offered to specific players.
They have reportedly done so again, giving undrafted free agent receiver Da’Quan Felton $264,000 in total guaranteed money. This is currently the fifth-richest deal for a 2025 UDFA league-wide.
Felton, 6-foot-5 and 213 pounds out of Virginia Tech, combines premium height, length, and speed (4.5 40-yard dash at the combine). He started his collegiate career at Norfolk State, gaining an extra year of eligibility after the program was put on hold during the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He finished his time at Norfolk State as a second-team All-MEAC honoree, leading the team with 39 receptions, 573 yards, and seven touchdowns in 11 starts.
Felton, whose father Ron was a tight end at Norfolk State and his cousin, Shyron Stith, was a running back at Virginia Tech and the NFL (Jaguars in 2000 and Colts in 2002), appeared in 48 games with 42 starts over his college career. He caught 137 passes for 2,090 yards and 19 touchdowns.
The Giants will hold their rookie minicamp on May 9-10 next weekend.
