The Giants are closing in on the final week of training camp, and the biggest storyline is less about one practice and more about the shape of the roster itself. Friday night’s preseason matchup with the Jets arrives at a useful time, because several of the questions hanging over this team are still very much alive.
One of the clearest bright spots is Deonte Banks, who says the new staff has changed the feel of his game. After playing more aggressively under Wink Martindale and then regressing under Shane Bowen, he now sounds energized working with Dennard Wilson.
“This is fun,” Banks said. “I’m having a great time with it.
I wouldn’t say I’m more confident because I feel I’m always a confident dude. I guess you can see it in my play more.”
Banks said the coaching change gave him “a reset,“ and “let me be me.” When asked what that meant, he spelled it out plainly: “Let me go out there and play my game.
Let me go out there and do what I do best.” That has translated into a heavier dose of press coverage and man-to-man work, the kind of usage that leans into his aggressiveness.
The offensive side of the ball still comes with more uncertainty. Malik Nabers remains the key name in the group of skill players, even though he is still working his way back from a torn ACL. Cam Skattebo is also dealing with an ankle injury, which leaves the long-term picture a little hazy even if the early signs are encouraging.
FOX Sports ranked the Giants 23rd among NFL skill-position groups, noting that the ranking could climb if Nabers and Skattebo are both ready for the start of the season. Nabers was described as the team’s most dangerous weapon by a wide margin, with the rest of the receiver mix expected to come from Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin and rookie Malachi Fields, along with perhaps what’s left of Odell Beckham Jr. The piece also pointed to a possible jump from TE Isaiah Likely, calling him a John Harbaugh transport from Baltimore who often thrived behind Mark Andrews.
Beckham is also at the center of one of the more interesting roster calls. The Athletic left him off its projected 53-man roster, instead giving the final receiver spot to Braxton Berrios.
The reasoning was straightforward: Beckham has flashed in camp and still looks like he can play, but he also dropped what would have been a touchdown catch on Saturday, and that kind of mistake is hard to absorb when you are fighting for a place. Berrios, meanwhile, has piled up catches and offers more value on special teams.
There’s a similar squeeze forming in the backfield. Bleacher Report labeled Tyrone Tracy Jr. a loser after a rough two weeks, pointing to a missed block in the preseason opener that led to a sack on Jaxson Dart and then a lost fumble before halftime against the Dolphins.
Tracy finished that game with six carries for 26 yards, while Devin Singletary posted eight carries for 40 yards and a touchdown. The report said it would not be a surprise if the Giants moved on from Tracy, especially if they view him as a liability in pass protection.
It also noted the addition of Narris Harris, a 6-foot-1, 232-pound back who can handle early-down work alongside Cam Skattebo, and suggested Singletary may have played his way into the No. 3 role.
Up front, the defensive line remains one of the biggest personnel projects for the staff. The Record’s roster projection had D.J.
Reader, Shelby Harris and Chauncey Golston as starters, with Darius Alexander, Bobby Jamison-Travis and Leki Fotu as backups. The question there is whether Golston can truly hold up as a starter in base run defense after flashing at 5-technique.
The report also raised concerns about Alexander against the run and suggested the Giants may still need more help, with the waiver wire and trade market likely to matter.
There’s also a broader warning sign built into the numbers. ESPN pointed out that the Giants lost six games last season that could have gone the other way against winning teams, including four in which they held at least a 90% win probability in the fourth quarter.
Only three other teams have ever lost four such games in a season: the 2013 Buccaneers, 2009 Steelers and 2015 Giants. ESPN also noted that those 2015 Giants saw Tom Coughlin’s tenure end.
The schedule won’t make things easy right away. Dennard Wilson’s defense opens against the Cowboys and Rams before the slate softens a bit, and ESPN’s FPI has the Giants facing the league’s eighth-toughest schedule over the full season. Even with that challenge, the projection left room for a surprise run, with the idea that a last-place team could jump into the playoffs in 2026 if the offensive standouts stay healthy for much, or all, of the year.
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