Irish in the NFL: T.J. Jones thriving in preseason for New York Giants

The former Notre Dame receiver is making the most of his playing time in the wake of a depleted position group for the Giants.

The New York Giants brought in former Notre Dame receiver T.J. Jones in late July. Most figured it was a precautionary measure in the event that Golden Tate’s PED suspension held up — which it did.

As a result of Tate’s absence and a handful of injuries at receiver for the Giants, Jones is getting plenty of reps — and targets — so far in preseason.

On Friday night, Jones was targeted four times — the most of any Giants receiver. He caught three of those passes for 32 yards and a touchdown, helping New York beat the Chicago Bears 32-13.

Through two preseason games, Jones has been targeted ten times, catching nine balls for 104 yards and two touchdowns. As you may have guessed, he leads the Giants in every one of those categories.

Jones is essentially playing the same role that Tate will play once he’s back from suspension, lining up all over the field in a mix of over-the-middle slot routes and a running a couple of deep looks.

Filling in for Tate, however, won’t be the only reason he makes the team. Jones has proven to be more than just a warm body in camp. His play so far in preseason is indicative of a guy who could be an impact player once the regular season gets rolling.

So far, Jones has been beyond dependable, and the Giants need as much dependability at the receiver position as they can get heading into the 2019 campaign.

He’s never been targeted more than 49 times in a single season. That will likely change in this year, making him a strong candidate to have a breakthrough season that positively impacts both his team and his fantasy football stock.