The New York Football Giants head into their first training camp under John Harbaugh. From the first week that he’s had the job, Harbaugh has focused on preparing the team to do one thing: win. With three consecutive losing seasons in the rearview mirror, it’s not as easy as it sounds. This offseason, the team has improved drastically, in spite of the loss of Dexter Lawrence. There have been exciting new free agent acquisitions such as Isaiah Likely and Tremaine Edmund, and loads of talent obtained through the draft, including Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa. However, the turnover from the old regime to the new Harbaugh era leaves some uncertainty around the incumbent players still on the roster. The state of the franchise has looked better than it has in a long time, but in order to reach the full potential the roster has to offer, Harbaugh’s main goal will be to eliminate the lackluster effort and poor decision making that the Giants frequently exhibited under Brian Daboll. Installing a new culture into a flailing franchise won’t be easy, so this camp will serve as the first test to find the hard-nosed, tough, resilient football players that Harbaugh covets. We’ll be taking a closer look at four players who will be under the microscope during training camp. These players will have to learn a new system and battle adversity, age, depth, and injuries in order to win this uphill battle and find themselves on the 53-man roster come September.
The first player looking to prove himself to his new coaches is Thomas Fidone II. A 2025 seventh round selection out of Nebraska, he had a solid camp last year and made the team. The only reason why he fell so low in the draft was because he tore his left ACL two times in college, resulting in him missing significant time and putting him at a high injury risk. However, he displayed soft hands, solid speed, and a willingness to go wherever the football is. In the 2025 preseason he showcased his hands, catching 8 passes and accumulating 64 yards and a touchdown. Despite being limited to only seven games in the regular season, he showed enough flashes to warrant further consideration heading into this year. He’ll have to battle the depth that the Giants added to his position. Isaiah Likely signed a 3 year, 40 million dollar contract, which pushed third year TE Theo Johnson down to number two on the depth chart despite contributing 45 receptions, 528 yards, and 5 TDs. The Giants also re-signed Chris Manhertz and acquired Tanner Conner, a converted WR and long shot to make the team. Fidone has obvious potential: He’s 6-6, 255 with a long catch radius and the height and strength to be an easy check down for second year QB Jaxson Dart. He has to prove that he can be as good or better at run blocking than his main competition, Chris Manhertz. Manhertz was primarily used on run plays throughout the season, and he has carved out a spot for himself by being a solid run blocker in 12 or 13 personnel (1 running back and 2 or 3 tight ends). If Fidone can prove that he can handle that workload, then he’ll have the advantage of being 11 years younger than Manhertz and being a viable threat in the passing game (Manhertz had 1 reception for 7 yards). Considering this, Fidone has a lot going for him. Being in good health heading into camp is unspeakably important, which is something to take into consideration since he ended the season on IR and Harbaugh recently commented on him having a minor “clean up” surgery and said that the team hopes he will be ready at the start of camp. Given the current roster dynamics and intense competition that he’ll face, Thomas Fidone should be one name to watch throughout training camp.
Next up, we have Isaiah Hodgins. Selected with the Bills’ sixth round pick in 2020, he found his way to the Giants by getting claimed off waivers once the Bills cut him during the 2023 season. He contributed throughout the year and even scored a touchdown against the Vikings in the Giant’s first playoff game in more than 6 years. He was eventually released by us in 2024 but resigned midway through last season. Now he’s in a fierce roster battle with the other receivers at his position; the Giants brought on seven new players including rookie Malachi Fields, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin III, and Odell Beckham Jr. The two biggest things that could be problematic for his chances of making the team is the newfound depth the Giants have at receiver and his special teams ability. He could help separate himself from other receivers by focusing on being more explosive and working on his speed. This would help change the perception that he’s not explosive. Around the league, he’s mostly viewed as a possession receiver with not a lot of YAC potential. He needs to show that he can be elusive after the catch, have breakaway speed, and get upfield. Another way Hodgins can improve his chance of making the team would be by contributing to special teams. He’s only 27, so he has the capability to play if he wants to. John Harbaugh is a special teams guy; if you’re willing to stick your head in and get dirty, he’ll notice. Special teams talent was valued and prioritized when he was on the Ravens and it should stay that way for when he is evaluating players for the Giants. The Giants will likely only keep 6 WRs on their roster, and he’ll need to compete for the last spot if Malik Nabers isn’t put on the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP) or injured reserve before camp ends. If Nabers is put on either list, then there will be another spot available and it would help his chances drastically. Overall, Isaiah Hodgins has his work cut out for him. He’s already a pretty solid run blocker, so let’s see if he can find other ways to contribute and be more explosive after the catch. When the Giants play their first preseason game vs the Vikings on August 15th, that would be something to keep an eye on.
On a less optimistic note, Deonte Banks is one player that has been written off as a first round bust by analysts and fans alike. He solidified all of the doubts that had been piling up during the season when the Giants played the Broncos and wound up losing 33-32. Late in the 4th quarter Bo Nix pulled it on a QB option and Deonte was content to keep his feet planted in the ground and without even attempting to get his outside shoulder free and push Bo Nix back inside. He was barely getting touched, perfectly happy to watch Nix run by for a touchdown that gave the Broncos the lead. Even in spite of this, everyone deserves a second chance. The great thing about Harbaugh coming to New York is that he has brought so much optimism to the franchise. So much so that this question has to be asked: Can he and Dennard Wilson solve the Deonte Banks problem? Admittedly, there’s a lot that needs to be done, from poor run support to giving up on plays and seemingly not putting effort into breaking up passes that are thrown his way. However, as hard as it is to admit, we’ve seen countless Giants who have been with the team, done either good or bad, and flourished somewhere else once they left. There have been reports that Banks has impressed during spring workouts and OTAs, and most Giants fans would love nothing more than for him to flourish in Dennard Wilson’s new scheme and have a Pro Bowl caliber year. One skill that would really help him get back on track this season would be to refine his zone technique. Throughout the course of the year he continuously gave up too much cushion when they played Deep Third zone. When he was asked to cover the flat, he was unsure of where to go and was late to the ball. This could be foreboding considering Dennard Wilson’s defense ran zone 75% of the time last season in Tennessee.
That being said, the difference between Shane Bowen (the Giant’s old defensive coordinator) and Dennard Wilson is more significant than most people realize. When it comes to coaching and philosophy, Dennard Wilson seems more readily available and eager to give his thoughts to the players about what they could do better. Shane Bowen was more hands off and content to let the position coaches run the show with the different parts of the defense. To fix this, Harbaugh aquired a new defensive backs coach, Addison Lynch, who developed perrenial Pro Bowlers Patrick Surtain II and Kerby Joseph with the Broncos and the Lions, respectively. He also has 10 years of NFL coaching experience, which is something else that is crucial to have when you’re a position coach. One bright spot for Banks last season was the surprising capability he showcased as a kick returner, averaging 32.7 yards per return and scoring a touchdown. If Harbaugh and Wilson can install the physicality and tenacity in Banks the way both of them have with their previous defenses, then there might be some hope after all. It should also be noted that Banks is in a contract year since the team declined his 5th year option. Hopefully, all of these factors will spark significant changes as we approach camp.
The final player who should be on your radar is Darius Muasau. A 6th round pick out of UCLA, he was thrust into action in the first game of the season after Micah McFadden suffered a foot injury that resulted in him being put on injured reserve for the rest of the year. Muasau missed 5 games, one due to a concussion and the other four because of an ankle injury that landed him on IR. Despite playing 12 games, he had only 25 tackles (22 solo), which was almost half of what he had last year (54). The low number is worrying, especially considering that he played more than 57% of the defensive snaps throughout the season and was right in the middle of the action due to his position at inside linebacker. He had 1 sack and only 1 TFL (tackles for loss). All of these low numbers paint the picture of him not flying to the ball and being hesitant, which for a linebacker can be even worse than whiffing on a tackle: if you can’t read your keys, get off your block, and get to the ballcarrier in time, then that’s the same result as getting there and missing the tackle, and with it, an opportunity to make a big play. One crucial thing for him moving forward is to focus on being reactive and shedding blocks. His tackling has been solid when he gets to where he needs to be, so the low tackle total seems to be more of him not reading the play quick enough. With that comes not being able to react, which continuously puts him in a bad situation.
One thing that he does have going for him is that he doesn’t need to be a starter; those spots are already filled by Arvell Reese and Tremaine Edmunds. If he makes the team after training camp, it would probably be a result of him showing he can do well on special teams. He’s contributed to that unit significantly when not being preoccupied with starting on defense. He should be able to sit back and take in the new playbook and scheme, and learn it with full confidence. Knowing the playbook and what the defense is trying to accomplish on any given play with the playcall is unspeakably important; if you know that you’re able to fly to the ball faster, which in turn will result in Muasau putting himself in a better position to get where he needs to be and make the play. As for getting off blocks, with Harbaugh and Wilson overseeing the revamped defense, there will probably be a couple of techniques that they’ll be able to show him that will help with that particular skill. For now, time is on his side. He should be ready for the moment when his number is called. Look for Muasau in the preseason and see how fast he’s playing. If he’s flying to the ball and reading his keys instead of thinking, that’s a good sign. If he isn’t able or ready to, then somebody else will be.
Overall, the Giants are in a really good position heading into camp. The fact that the players we’re focusing on aren’t starters and most of them will be charged with playing special teams or backing up the first offense or defense speaks to how well John Harbaugh and Joe Schoen have built this team to get ready for the start of the season. Training camp starts July 28th, 2026 in West Virginia. It’s another important milestone of the Harbaugh era as we inch forward towards the start of the regular season. With a rejuvenated defense, an exciting offense, and a revamped special teams room, the franchise has the pieces in place to kick off an exciting new period in the history of the New York Football Giants.
My name is Chris Jelinski. I’m a sophomore and I play wide receiver for my high school football team. I have a really strong passion for writing and sports. My favorite football team is the New York Giants and I also follow the Knicks and the Yankees. In my free time, I like to read, bake, and spend time with my family.
0 Comments