Giants training camp in the West Virginia mountains gave the roster a few clear answers, and a few players made the most of every rep before the team heads back to East Rutherford.
With 10 practices in 11 days now behind them, the first preseason game on Saturday, August 15, against the Minnesota Vikings is next on the calendar. The result won’t define anything, but it will matter for the players fighting to climb the depth chart and lock down a place on the 53-man roster.
A handful of Giants left White Sulphur Springs in especially good shape.
Abdul Carter looked like a different player at The Greenbrier Resort. After a rookie season in which he found his footing late, the 22-year-old pass-rusher showed up with a sharper plan and the kind of burst that kept offensive linemen off balance. He mixed moves and speed with real purpose, and his work against Big Blue’s starters pointed toward a major Year 2 jump.
Deonte Banks also changed the conversation around the secondary. The 25-year-old has had a rough run since being picked 25th overall in 2023, but he arrived with a new edge after having his fifth-year option declined.
That attitude showed up in his work, too. Banks took first-team reps from $54 million man Paulson Adebo at the CB1 spot, which says plenty about how camp unfolded for him.
At kicker, undrafted rookie Dominic Zvada made the battle look close to over before it really began. The 22-year-old out of Michigan built on a perfect stretch through minicamp and OTAs, showing big leg strength and dead-on accuracy while consistently outkicking Ben Sauls. After the Giants used five kickers in last year’s kicking mess, Zvada’s camp stood out as a major bright spot.
Isaiah Likely may have been the biggest free-agent addition in the Giants’ eyes, and his camp only strengthened that belief. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end looked like a reliable outlet everywhere he lined up, and his work in the red zone was especially strong. New York gave him a four-year, $40 million deal, and the early returns made that number look a lot better.
Malik Nabers brought a different kind of win. After his devastating 2025 ACL tear raised real concern early in the offseason, simply seeing him cut, sprint, and run full-speed individual drills was a huge development for the organization. He looked explosive and confident, and there was even a moment of alarm when he hit the ground after accidental contact with Tyler Nubin, only to pop back up unscathed.
Braxton Berrios helped himself in the crowded receiver room. With roughly a dozen players chasing a limited number of spots, he made the most of the opening created by Gunner Olszewski’s devastating Achilles injury. Berrios showed value on offense and kept reminding everyone about his return ability, which remains one of his biggest selling points.
Dalen Cambre also kept forcing his way into the conversation. The undrafted Louisiana product from 2025 already clawed his way onto the active roster late last season after a long practice squad stay, and he played like a player determined not to let that happen the hard way again. He went up for contested catches and kept grinding on special teams, making himself hard to ignore.
Arvell Reese rounded out the group with the kind of debut the Giants had to love. Their top-five draft pick looked good in spring, but once the pads came on, he looked even better.
New York moved the former Ohio State star off the edge and into a true off-ball linebacker role, and he handled it with the look of a future difference-maker. He and Tremaine Edmunds could end up forming a punishing tandem in the middle of the defense.
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