The New York Giants emerged from the 2026 NFL Draft as one of the weekend's biggest winners, securing a four-player rookie haul that looked ready to command 53-man roster spots and compete for immediate snaps.
Landing linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 5 was a coup, but paired with premier offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa falling into their laps at No. 10, new head coach John Harbaugh suddenly has two elite, blue-chip building blocks to sculpt the future of Big Blue.
Now, the honeymoon phase is over. With the first week of training camp in the rearview mirror, Monday brings the moment we've all been waiting for: the first padded practice of training camp.
While this rookie class has looked incredibly sharp throughout the offseason, that assessment comes with a massive caveat -- they've been doing everything in shorts. Putting on the pads changes everything. As the intensity ramps up at The Greenbrier, here is where the Giants' rookies stand after Week 1 of camp, right as the real hitting begins.
Giants training camp rookie updates on ahead of padded practices
Arvell Reese, LB
Expectations are naturally sky-high for a No. 5 overall pick, but Arvell Reese is somehow already exceeding them. While everyone spent the spring arguing over his role as a pass rusher, defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson has the former Ohio State standout playing off-ball linebacker alongside Tremaine Edmunds -- and the immediate results have been great.
The early theme of Reese’s camp has been his insane coverage range. During Friday's session, quarterback Jaxson Dart tried to thread a pass to Odell Beckham Jr. in what looked like a soft spot in the zone. Reese instantly closed the gap, showcasing his rare 6-foot-4, 243-pound frame and massive wingspan to knock the ball away.
The play caught the eyes of Harbaugh: “I think he looks really good... He got that wingspan out there and batted that ball down. That was a great football play.”
Beyond the physical traits, linebacker coach Frank Bush has reportedly raved about the 20-year-old's rapid grasp of the mental side of the game. When you mix his coverage instincts with his athleticism and frame, it’s obvious why people are already seeing a Defensive Rookie of the Year contender.
The real test starts once the pads come on, but through Week 1, Reese looks exactly like the absolute stud the Giants expected when they took him at No. 5.
Verdict: Stock up
Francis Mauigoa, OL
The hype around Francis "Sisi" Mauigoa has been building since draft night, and ESPN even ranked his selection among the top 50 moves of the offseason. But while his talent is obvious, his first week of training camp has been a quiet adjustment period.
With Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor locking down the tackle spots, the former Miami tackle was forced to move inside to right guard. He has taken all his first-team reps next to center John Michael Schmitz, indicating that the role is his to lose come Week 1.
The raw strength and intelligence are there, but playing on the line with limited contact and in shorts hasn't revealed much of anything yet. He gets a "stock neutral" tag for now simply because the real evaluation begins today when he gets to use his 6-foot-6, 330-pound frame to manhandle the defensive linemen.
Verdict: Stock neutral
Colton Hood, CB
Second-round pick Colton Hood is riding a classic rookie roller coaster through his first week of training camp. The physical cornerback out of Tennessee has split his time between making splash plays and giving up tough completions as he adjusts to NFL speed.
His biggest highlight of camp came during 11-on-11 drills when he jumped a route on a pass from Winston, taking it all the way back for a pick-six. The play was called off by an offside penalty, but Hood’s reaction time and instincts looked as sharp as ever.
Following the play, SNY’s Connor Hughes urged fans to "keep an eye on that guy because there's a chance that this kid ends up being really good."
Even CBS Sports’ Emory Hunt noted on The Huddle that Hood’s explosiveness out of his break has quickly put him in serious contention to compete for a starting spot:
“When I looked at Colton Hood, what instantly stood out to me was how explosive he is out of his break,” Hunt said."I think he’s now put himself in contention to vie for a starting spot with how well he stood out in the spring.”
However, the rookie corner has also taken some lumps. Later in that same session, receiver Dalen Cambre tracked down an underthrown deep ball from Jameis, making a tough, contested catch over Hood down the right sideline.
He lands at "stock neutral" for now because he's still fighting for consistency, but the coaching staff is giving him every opportunity to step up big time.
Verdict: Stock neutral
Malachi Fields, WR
Malachi Fields came into training camp looking to build off an impressive showing at minicamp and OTAs. It was always going to be hard for Fields to separate himself from the (enormous) wide receiver pack at camp, which is why it's not surprising that he hasn't exactly stood out yet, despite showing some flashes.
The Athletic's Dan Duggan noted on Saturday:
"Rookie Malachi Fields had an impressive contested catch over Greg Newsome on a deep jump ball from Dart after he broke the pocket. Fields has gotten a ton of first-team reps this spring, but had been quiet."
The 6-foot-4, 218-pound wideout has shown he can make tough, contested catches, but he'll need to do more than that if he wants a bigger role on the offense. On Day 1 of camp, it was reported that the soon-to-be 23-year-old made one of the most impressive catches on the day, jumping over defenders to reel in a pass from Jameis Winston. The big-play ability is there, the first-team reps are there, but he just needs to be a bit more active and consistent for me to give him a "stock up" verdict.
He always felt like a lock for the 53-man once the Giants traded back into the third round for him, so, "slightly up" it is.
Verdict: Trending up
Jack Kelly, LB
Jack "Cannonball" Kelly has been almost impossible to ignore at training camp. The 23-year-old has "sleeper" written all over him after catching everyone's attention at practice with his elite speed, pass-coverage instincts, and gap-shooting ability -- three things he excelled at during his time at BYU.
Giants.com's Matt Citak took notice of Cannonball on Saturday, writing:
"First, during 7-on-7s, Kelly ran across the field and was able to bat the ball away for a pass breakup. Later on during 11-on-11s, the 23-year-old ran step for step with Calvin Austin III on a route deep down the field. Kelly knocked the ball away while almost coming down with an incredibly athletic interception."
Initially expected to fight for a rotational depth role, Kelly's making that assumption look silly. His ability to line up both as an off-ball linebacker and as a pass-rusher fits seamlessly into what defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson wants to do. With padded practices officially underway, Kelly is putting tons of pressure on guys like Darius Muasau and Zaire Barnes for a 53-man roster spot.
Verdict: Stock up
Note: There haven't been updates on Giants' sixth-round picks Bobby Jamison-Travis and J.C. Davis. We'll have more on both players as training camp progresses.
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