Braxton Berrios has turned Giants training camp into a real opportunity, even if the path to the 53-man roster is still narrow.
New York brought in Berrios in early June along with Odell Beckham Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster, and the veteran receiver immediately stood out for one reason the others can’t match: special teams value. That matters more now after Gunner Olszewski suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, opening a lane for Berrios to make a case beyond just catching passes.
The production has been there, too. The Athletic’s Dan Duggan noted that Berrios has a “distinct advantage” because he’s been working against less-than-stellar slot cornerbacks, but he also made it clear the numbers on the field still count.
“Still, his production can’t be ignored,” Duggan wrote. “Berrios’ return ability gives him true game-day value.”
Berrios arrives with a solid NFL résumé. A 2018 sixth-round pick of the Patriots, he has 140 catches for 1,360 yards and six touchdowns. Most of that came during his four seasons with the Jets from 2019-22, when he was one of the more dependable targets in the pre-Garrett Wilson years.
His biggest splash came in 2021, when he earned first-team All-Pro honors after leading the league with 30.4 yards per kick return. But Giants fans hoping for a repeat of that kind of return magic probably shouldn’t hold their breath. Berrios turns 31 in October, and he hasn’t been a regular returner since 2023.
The bigger roster question is how many receivers New York actually keeps. If the Giants go with six, Berrios still has work to do. If they keep seven, the picture gets more interesting.
Barring injuries, the Week 1 receiver group is expected to include Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin III, and rookie Malachi Fields. Austin’s hold on a spot may be a little less secure than the others because the Giants only guaranteed him $450,000 this offseason. Berrios, meanwhile, signed a one-year veteran minimum deal with no guaranteed money.
That opens the door to a scenario where New York keeps Austin, Berrios, and another receiver, whether that ends up being Beckham, Smith-Schuster, or someone else. Another name that has been floated is Browns receiver Cedric Tillman, especially if Joe Schoen could also get something back in a deal involving Jalin Hyatt.
Hyatt has made his own push by taking on gunner duties on punt returns, and a strong preseason could help him stay in the conversation even if he doesn’t make the final cut. At the very least, it could keep him in the mix for a practice squad spot.
For now, Berrios has the clearest reason to believe camp can turn into something more. The Giants open the preseason against the Vikings next Saturday.
In Other News...
Giants Camp Is Already Turning Up Pressure On Several Roster Names
Training camp is only getting started, but a handful of Giants already find themselves in an uncomfortable spotlight. The early returns have not been especially kind to Jaxson Dart as he works to adjust to the offense, Evan Neal has seen his reps reduced, Paulson Adebo has slipped out of the starting cornerback spot, and Ben Sauls is fighting through a crowded kicking competition. None of that has triggered any roster moves yet, but it has given the first stretch of camp a sharper edge for a team still trying to sort out where some of its key names fit.
For the Giants, the next few preseason practices and games will matter a lot for players trying to steady themselves before the roster picture tightens. Camp can always shift quickly, especially at spots where performance is being judged rep by rep, but these early struggles have already put pressure on several familiar names. The encouraging part for the staff is that there is still time to respond. The less encouraging part is that time is starting to feel limited. [Read more 🡒]
Malachi Fields Is Creating A Giants Receiver Problem They Can't Ignore
Malachi Fields has turned training camp into a real audition, and the rookie wide receiver from Notre Dame is making the most of every rep he gets. With injuries thinning the room around him, Fields has been able to show why coaches and analysts keep taking notice, flashing the kind of route running and physical play that can make a young receiver hard to ignore when the pads come on.
The most encouraging part for the Giants is how well Fields has translated that work into the red zone, where he has looked comfortable as a target and a finisher. For a roster still sorting out its receiver pecking order, his rise creates a problem the team has to pay attention to, because camp reps can start to look a lot more like regular-season opportunities when a rookie keeps stacking good days. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Could Complicate Cam Skattebos Role Sooner Than Expected
Cam Skattebo was always going to matter to the Giants' backfield plan, but the picture around him may be changing sooner than many expected. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, the team is exploring ways to add another running back to the roster, a move that would give the offense more options behind its current group and keep the workload from settling too quickly in one direction.
The broader idea is pretty clear: New York wants a more dynamic runner alongside Skattebo, someone who can bring a different element to the rotation and help round out the depth chart. It is still unclear when, or even if, the Giants will actually make that move, but the reported interest suggests the backfield competition could get a lot more interesting before long. [Read more 🡒]