The New York Giants are no strangers to a kicking crisis -- in fact, their special teams room has felt like the Upside Down for years. Before finally finding a pulse at the position late last year, general manager Joe Schoen cycled through five different kickers, hoping anyone with a pulse could consistently put the pigskin through the uprights. Seriously, even I was waiting for a tryout.
Big Blue watched in disbelief as field goal tries went from "should be automatic" to completely catastrophic.
The kicking carousel seemingly stopped when they landed on 2025 undrafted kicker Ben "Better Call Sauls" Sauls. He stepped up in the final three games, bringing a brief sigh of relief by drilling all 15 of his kicks -- converting eight field goals and seven extra points.
However, summer brought a reality check. During mandatory minicamp, Sauls couldn't buy a make even if he wanted to, looking nothing like the guy who closed out last season. By the time the team wrapped up spring drills, Sauls might've put the "ick" in "kicker" for Big Blue. Now, undrafted rookie Dominic Zvada has the chance to rewrite the script and turn the nightmare into something more... Zvada-matic.
Dominic Zvada is the obvious choice to finally solve Giants' kicking woes
Relying solely on young, unproven legs carries major risk, a lesson head coach John Harbaugh knows all too well. Last year, his Ravens went with rookie kicker Tyler Loop, a gamble that blew up in spectacular fashion when the 24-year-old missed a game-winning field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18, all but crushing Baltimore's playoff hopes.
Not bringing in a veteran presence to put daily pressure on both Sauls and Zvada this summer could easily backfire on New York. They had former All-Pro Jason Sanders on the 90-man roster earlier this offseason, but decided to part ways with him to roll with a two-man operation for camp.
If mincamp was any indication, Zvada has the clear inside track to a roster spot. The 22-year-old made all 13 of his attempts, while Sauls went 7-of-14 -- not exactly the showing anyone, especially the 2025 UDFA, was hoping for.
UDFA cornerback Thaddeus Dixon could have been a strong option, but he tore his Achilles earlier in the offseason. Shoutout to long snapper Ben Mann, too. The former Boston College Eagle has a good shot at taking over long-snapping duties. Anquin Barnes Jr. could have a shot at beating out fellow rookie Bobby Jamison-Travis if he has a strong camp, but it's still a long shot, especially after all the defensive linemen the G-Men have signed this offseason -- that camp battle will be a total dogfight.
With Better Call Sauls already stumbling through the spring, Zvada couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity. If he keeps drilling kicks the way he did during minicamp, John Harbaugh might not have much of a choice when it comes time to trim the roster to 53.
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