John Harbaugh doesn't tend to reveal much about his team. The New York Giants head coach has been quiet about his plans this preseason, even keeping his decision on whether or not to play his starters under wraps.
But there's only so much that he can hide once preseason games get rolling. The G-Men take on the Minnesota Vikings in their preseason opener on Saturday afternoon. While preseason games can bring on some wild overreactions, there will be some obvious clued about Harbaugh's plans for the Giants.
Here's what we're looking out for in East Rutherford.
How different does the Giants' offense actually look under Matt Nagy?
New coordinator Matt Nagy is expected to bring an important shift to the Giants' offensive scheme. He has had Jaxson Dart practicing from under center more often this offseason. His downhill running scheme should be the focal point of the offense.
But Nagy's previous stint with the Kansas City Chiefs doesn't suggest that his offense will be dramatically different from what Dart is used to. In fact, the Chiefs were under center less than the Giants were last season, ranking third in the NFL with a shotgun rate of 80%.
Greg Roman joined Harbaugh's staff as a senior offensive assistant. Most of the schematic updates coming out of training camp align more closely with Roman's scheme than with Nagy's. The preseason opener will reveal just how much Nagy plans to change in New York.
Is Malachi Fields the favorite for the Giants' WR2 role?
Rookies always generate buzz at this time of year, but third-round receiver Malachi Fields seems ready to push for a spot in the starting lineup. He has been making big plays in training camp and seems to have outplayed Darius Slayton thus far.
The Vikings are expected to play some of their starters on both sides of the ball, so Fields will have a key opportunity to show what he can do against starting-caliber NFL cornerbacks. The Giants have plenty of receivers to rotate through, but Fields will get his chance to shine.
How real is the hype surrounding Giants rookie Jack Kelly?
Speaking of exciting rookies, sixth-round linebacker Jack Kelly has been a star in training camp. He has firmly established himself on the second line of the depth chart and could overtake Micah McFadden for the third off-ball linebacker role.
Kelly should get plenty of run in the preseason opener and could be moved around the formation in defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson's positionless scheme. The rookie has the athleticism and instincts to make plays. This is the time for him to show it off.
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