The pads are officially on and popping in West Virginia as head coach John Harbaugh has the New York Giants grinding through a grueling 10-practice-in-11-days training camp. The mountain air is thick, the energy is electric, and the players are fighting for their professional lives on every rep.
At least, some of them are.
If these guys want the country roads to take them home to the place where they belong -- on the 53-man roster -- they're going to have to fight like hell to get there.
Big Blue entered camp with a lot of question marks surrounding some key roster battles, but with the regular season approaching way too quickly, we're at least starting to get a somewhat clearer picture. A couple of those positional standoffs have already been settled, while other camp battles are collapsing into absolute anarchy.
Giants training camp battles that have ended and have raged on
Consider these camp battles settled
Pass-rush unit
The selection of Arvell Reese at No. 5 in the 2026 Draft threw the fan base and analysts into a tizzy. There was a lot of "where will he fit with all the pass-rushers already on the team," but Harbaugh moved the former Ohio State pass rusher to off-ball linebacker, meaning the pass-rushing picture got a lot clearer entering camp.
Big Blue figures to have one of the most fearsome pass-rushing units in the league in 2026... if things go right. Brian Burns is a mortal lock for the premier edge spot after leading the NFC in sacks last year with 16.5. Second-year, all-signs-point-to-a-massive-breakout linebacker Abdul Carter has locked down the spot opposite Burns.
They'll terrorize opposing quarterbacks relentlessly for 60 minutes week-in and week-out, but if and when they need a break, or it's an obvious passing situation and it's pin-your-ears-back-and-delete-QB-time, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Chauncey Golston are waiting in the wings, ready to contribute.
Defensive line
The G-Men entered camp with a 6-foot-4, 340-pound question mark in the middle of their defensive line. With Dexter Lawrence off to Cincinnati, it was anyone's guess as to who got the honor of filling his shoes. Well, DJ Reader will take his literal spot.
As for the rest of the starters, it's Darius Alexander and Shelby Harris' roles to lose. Leki Fotu and Sam Roberts figure to have a good shot at securing a depth spot, with rookie Bobby Jamison-Travis rounding out the group.
Camp battles still so up in the air you'll question gravity
Cornerback room
Paulson Adebo is CB1, right? Not so fast, my friend. Adebo might have the inside track to the job because of his three-year, $54 million contract, but after looking like the guy who disappointed in Year 1 last season, his starting job isn't as safe as his paycheck implies.
Breathing heavy down his neck is Greg Newsome II, who signed a one-year, $8 million "look-see" deal earlier this offseason. The idea of him has always been better than the player, but Newsome has been splitting reps both in the slot and on the outside, making him a legit threat to steal the starting spot.
Then there’s the “there’s-no-way-he-can-actually-pull-this-off”... right?... Deonte Banks comeback tour, and rookie Colton Hood, who is absolutely skyrocketing up the depth chart. Hood generated serious momentum during Tuesday's practice, physically ripping away a jump ball in the end zone against Beaux Collins.
Dru Phillips figures to be the starting slot corner, but after he regressed significantly in Year 2, his spot is very much in jeopardy. Art Green could and should be the sixth and final corner making the final roster, but he's been impressing here and there, making him an interesting name to keep an eye on as well.
Wide receiver room
The receiver room is just as up in the air as it was entering camp, and it doesn't look like it's going to get sorted anytime soon. Once Malik Nabers gets healthy, he is the clear-cut WR1. Behind him... it's anyone's guess.
Darius Slayton and Darnell Mooney figure to battle for the WR2 spot with Odell Beckham Jr. lurking closely behind. OBJ was seen getting in a decent amount of reps with the first team during Tuesday's practice, which leads me to believe there's a belief in the building that he can fight for a legitimate role.
As for the backend of the roster, that's even tougher to sort through. Third-round rookie Malachi Fields has had an impressive offseason -- his roster spot is a lock, but his role is not. It's unlikely he's going to compete for anything more than the WR3 (if he really shows up the rest of the summer) or WR4. Calvin Austin III, Braxton Berrios, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jalin Hyatt, and Dalen Cambre will be fighting for the seventh spot -- if New York carries seven wideouts.
Kicking competition
The moment we've all been waiting for...
I'm not saying the competition between Dominic Zvada and Ben Sauls is box office, but if it were featured in movie theaters, we're talking Odyssey-level numbers. Okay, maybe Big Blue's kicking contest won't be that big, but it's been one of the most talked-about battles of the summer. And training camp hasn't disappointed.
It's the battle of the undrafteds: Sauls went undrafted out of Pitt in 2025, and Zvada went undrafted out of Michigan in 2026.
Sauls is the incumbent. The 25-year-old was New York's fifth and final kicker last season, making all 15 of his kicks (eight field goals and seven extra points). Consistency might be his thing, but he represents the classic "high-floor, low-ceiling" option.
Zvada-matic, on the other hand, represents the "we don't know what his floor is, but his ceiling is the roof" (shoutout Michael Jordan). The 22-year-old has had an incredible offseason, putting diamond-making pressure on Sauls. He hasn't made every attempt at camp as he did during OTAs, but he has a 57-yard game-winner on his resume during a two-minute simulation drill.
Sauls hit 10 of his 12 attempts on Tuesday, refusing to give up his spot without a fight.
Nobody’s running away with the job, and that’s exactly what makes this battle the most entertaining one on the roster.
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