The Giants may have stumbled into their answer at kicker, and it’s coming from an unexpected place.
While most of the attention this offseason has centered on the big-name additions and the splashier roster moves in the first year of the John Harbaugh era, the most important development for Big Blue’s consistency could be happening on special teams. After years of kicking instability, Dominic Zvada has suddenly put himself in position to claim the job.
ESPN recently highlighted surprise players for all 32 NFL teams, and for the Giants, the nod went to the undrafted free agent out of Michigan. Zvada has already started separating himself from Ben Sauls, and if that momentum carries into training camp, he could win the starting kicker role.
That rise has been quick. Giants reporter Jordan Raanan noted that Zvada moved into the lead over Sauls this spring during minicamp and the media-open practices, where he went a perfect 13-for-13 on field goal tries.
Zvada arrived at minicamp listed behind veteran Jason Sanders and Sauls on the depth chart. Sanders has since been released to make room for recent signings and has since been picked up by the Jets. The 22-year-old Zvada brings a strong résumé with him, too: he was a First Team All-American and the Big 10 Kicker of the Year in 2024.
The opportunity is there because the Giants had no settled answer at the position. Graham Gano was waived earlier this offseason with a failed physical designation, ending a stretch in which injuries repeatedly interrupted his run with the team. Those issues bled into last season, when New York cycled through five different kickers in 2025 before finishing with Sauls.
Now the Giants head into 2026 with a fresh start at the position, and Zvada is the one who may have grabbed it. If he keeps this up, he won’t just be a surprise name - he’ll be the kicker New York has been looking for.
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