EAST RUTHERFORD, Nj. — The New York Giants spent much of Thursday’s practice, of what has been an otherwise grueling and physical training camp running at less than full-speed in preparation for Saturday’s preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings, but it may have been the most important practice session of training camp.

That’s because star wide receiver Malik Nabers, still working his way back from a torn ACL suffered in Week 4 of last season, took part in 11-on-11 drills for the first time this camp.

“It's a big step,” head coach John Harbaugh said after practice. “It's a big step to get into team drills. So, for him to do that was – yeah, it was a milestone, for our team.”

Nabers was wearing the red non-contact jersey, but his presence on the field was certainly outsized.

During the full-team periods Nabers was on the field, the quarterbacks seemed to be making a conscious effort to get him the football, and he responded by hauling in a few passes and then cutting upfield finishing at full speed. At one point after finishing out a catch, Nabers reached down sweeping the grass in celebration, as his teammates let out an ovation 55 yards away.

“It's great to have him (Nabers) back out there,” Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart said. “I've said this before, he has a certain presence about him anytime he touches the field and I think the big thing today was also you just saw how excited he was himself to be out there. 

“And we're in like an ACT-style format of a practice but he's running all the way down, scoring. Yeah, just can't wait for it to be full go when the time comes.”

For a Giants offense that is going to want to push the field, and needs to see its second-year quarterback make a leap, having Nabers take another significant step in his road to a full recovery is encouraging.

“I feel like the players were excited when we talked about it in meetings this morning,” Harbaugh said, of the team’s reaction to Nabers’ return. “They were excited.”

Second-round rookie cornerback Colton Hood looks the part of a starting NFL cornerback.

At six feet and 195 pounds, Hood has the size and length that defensive coordinators love building their secondaries around.

Thursday afternoon, the former Tennessee standout flashed some elite closing speed on a couple of routes, and doesn’t seem like he’s afraid to get handsy in coverage when it comes to fighting for the football.

It isn’t difficult to imagine the kind of exotic rush concepts defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson might be able to draw up, either, sending Hood on a corner blitz when he already has the likes of Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Arvell Reese and even Kayvon Thibodeaux all on the field together at the same time, as well.

Instant analysis and takeaways as Malik Nabers returns to team drills at New York Giants Training Camp.

Braxton Berrios is having the kind of camp that could push him into the Giants’ wide receiver rotation.

With Nabers sidelined, there have been a lot of reps to go around for Giants receivers, either early in camp at the Greenbrier or now in East Rutherford, and it sounds like Berrios has been among the standouts of a group that also includes veterans Odell Beckham Jr., Darius Slayton, and Darnell Mooney each trying to create some separation both in terms of the depth chart and even spots on the 53-man roster.

In addition to what he’s been able to do on offense, Berrios also adds major value in the return-game, which could give the former sixth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft a leg-up in any decisions over which receiver to keep going into Week 1.