Sportsnaut
The New York Giants concluded their mandatory minicamp last week, and the next time we’ll see them on the field together again will be next month in West Virginia when they report to training camp.
Although the team has yet to practice with pads, head coach John Harbaugh was asked how he would assess what his team has done so far.
“I like the system we’re building. I think the system is really good. It continues to be built. The next step is going to be honing in a little bit in training camp about our identity and what we’re going to be really best at, especially the first three to five games, and really getting good at those things.”
There were some interesting developments during the Giants’ three-day mandatory minicamp practices that will be major storylines when training camp opens in six weeks.
Related: 4 New York Giants Who Will Be X-Factors In 2026
Shortly before mandatory minicamp began, New York signed three free agent wideouts to the roster in Odell Beckham Jr, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Braxton Berrios. All three bring different skillsets that would help the case for making the final roster. OBJ has exceptional hands and is a crisp route runner; Smith-Schuster is physical and a tremendous blocker, and Berrios can be the team’s kick returner. Based on reports, the coaching staff was pleased with what they saw from the veteran wideouts in minicamp.
Currently, Big Blue has 14 receivers on the roster. The players who should be locks to make the team are Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin III, and third-round pick Malachi Fields. With concerns over Nabers’ availability to start the season as he recovers from his second knee surgery, Big Blue may keep seven receivers on the roster.
With only a couple of roster spots up for grabs, the final spots will be earned by the players who show they can be trusted to make a play when their name is called. The wide receiver position battle will be the most competitive and intriguing to watch when training camp opens.
Finding a reliable placekicker has plagued the Giants for the last several seasons. This is why they signed veteran Jason Sanders in free agency. Sanders spent seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins, and despite missing the 2025 season with a hip injury, New York was hopeful he could get back to his 2024 form when he converted 37 out of 41 field goal attempts.
But surprisingly, Sanders was cut earlier this spring, and this left the placekicker battle to Ben Sauls and undrafted rookie free agent Dominic Zvada.
Sauls appeared in three games for New York last season and converted on all of his eight field goal attempts. But according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, he missed 7 out of his 14 field goal attempts last week, while Zvada made all of...
