The Giants are at the point where the summer work ends and the hard decisions begin, with the 53-man roster coming into focus after a long preseason grind.
One thing that stands out from this camp is how much John Harbaugh pushed the group. The Giants have gone through 21 practices since the start of training camp, compared with 15 over the same stretch last year. The sessions have also been tougher on the body clock: 12 of them lasted more than two hours, while just four of Daboll’s practices went that long last year.
Harbaugh has gone deep into the details. Situational football has been a constant for every staff, but he has spent more time on game management - leading late, trailing late, end of half, and the like - than any of the previous four Giants coaches I’ve covered in the post-Tom Coughlin era.
The work has covered everything from the pregame stretching routine to the victory formation. At this point, it would be a surprise if the Giants are not sharp on fourth-and-1, because that scenario appears to have been drilled as much as any other this summer.
There’s also some buzz around the offensive staff. Matt Simms impressed by Giants OC.
The outside view of the roster is mixed. One preview argued that if Giants fans want to believe this team can be frisky and fight for a wild-card spot, they can make that case. The path would require Harbaugh to show he still has it, Dart to become an exciting playmaker and stay healthy, and Carter to turn into a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
But that same preview stopped short of buying in. It said Harbaugh did not look like a great coach with the Ravens last year, that Dart needs to prove much more before anyone can call him a real difference maker, and that the roster still has too many holes and too little depth.
It also questioned whether the offensive coaching staff can do more with less. The projection there: 6-11, with 2026 framed as more of a transition season while Harbaugh figures out which players he wants to build around.
The rookie class has drawn its own share of attention. Francis Mauigoa, the Round 1 pick at No. 10, has fit in at right guard since the opening day of camp and has helped in the run game with what was described as a nasty style of play. The caution flag is his summer health, after he missed time with a stinger following an earlier diagnosis of a herniated disc in his back.
Colton Hood, the Round 2 pick at No. 37, has had a more uneven summer, but he remains in the mix with Deonte Banks, Greg Newsome II and Paulson Adebo for one of the outside corner spots. He’s likely to open the year as a backup, though he should get opportunities. His competitiveness has shown up, and so have the penalties that come with it.
Arvell Reese has also turned heads. Drafted No. 5 overall, he arrived with the question of whether he’d stay at off-ball linebacker or move to edge rusher, but the Giants kept him at his college spot because of their depth at defensive end. He has looked comfortable there throughout camp, flashing the athleticism and sideline-to-sideline range that made him such an appealing prospect.
With roster cuts due by Sunday, the pressure is on across the bottom of the roster. Harbaugh has spent the final stretch of camp trying to keep that message clear, telling bubble players, “Your best dream is not too big - matter of fact it might not even be big enough.”
That urgency is already showing up in the way the team has been evaluated. The Giants are entering the next phase with plenty still unsettled, and the final roster decisions are going to tell the real story of how this camp was spent.
In Other News...
Giants Just Made A Receiver Decision Fans Wont Easily Shrug Off
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New York is still sorting through its wide receiver options as the final roster picture comes into focus, and Hodgins departure is a reminder that nothing is being handed out in that group. For a team trying to settle on its best blend of size, reliability and depth, the next few moves at the position will say a lot about what the Giants value most heading into the season. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Preseason Win Was Overshadowed By An Ugly MetLife Scene
The Giants preseason win over the Jets at MetLife Stadium should have been a clean tune-up and a chance to look ahead, but part of the afternoon in the stands turned ugly. A physical altercation broke out in a sideline section, and video of the scene spread quickly on social media as the game went on below it, with the Giants still handling business on the field in a 23-6 victory.
What made the episode especially jarring was how visible it was from the start, with injuries apparent before security stepped in to separate the fans and restore some order. The cause of the fight was not clear, leaving the teams latest preseason result with an unwanted backdrop and another reminder that the crowd control storyline can sometimes overshadow what happens between the lines. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Backfield Battle Could Leave One Surprising Name Waiting In Week 1
As the Giants move toward the NFLs final 53-man roster deadline, their running back room has become one of the more intriguing parts of the offseason puzzle. Projections have four backs, Skattebo, Tracy, Singletary and Harris, making the roster, which gives the team enviable depth but also creates an unavoidable numbers crunch once gameday roles are sorted out.
The real question is not just who survives the cut, but who ends up waiting on the sideline in Week 1 if all four stick. The Giants also added a little more roster movement on the defensive side by acquiring lineman C.J. Okoye from the Ravens, but it is the backfield logjam that could still produce the most surprising early-season wrinkle. [Read more 🡒]