Good morning, New York Giants fans! Here are the stories you need to know about after Day 12 of Giants training camp.
After Years Of Losing For Giants, John Harbaugh’s Arrival Is A Breath Of Fresh Air | FOX Sports
[Practices are] different than what it was under Brian Daboll … and Joe Judge … and Pat Shurmur … and, to an extent, even Tom Coughlin, who drilled his players hard but not often for as long. Still, the early reviews from the players have been nothing but positive. Or, at the very least, they’re not complaining. There’s been too much losing around here for too long for anyone to be upset
about an accomplished coach who wants to push them.
And Harbaugh has been thrilled to learn that these Giants are ready to work. “I see it, in this organization and this team, with the players especially,” Harbaugh told me shortly after practice. “These players are determined to do what is required to become good enough, to earn the right to have a chance to win a football game. I feel like I see that. I see it every day in what they do and how they carry themselves and how hard they work. And I know they look back and they say, ‘Man, we’re getting better. We see it.'”
Malik Nabers’ hands are still working
The Giants were ‘starving for direction.’ The solution: Follow John Harbaugh | The Athletic
“I feel really great about the situation, and I feel loose,” Harbaugh told me after a recent practice at the Greenbrier Resort’s Sports Performance Center, where the Giants spent the first two weeks of training camp. “You know, they tell the Marine snipers, ‘Stay loose, stay focused.’ You’ve got to be both. You can’t be focused and tight, and you can’t be loose and undisciplined.”
As Harbaugh quickly clarified, those snipers confront stakes far more serious than anything the sport of football can throw at a head coach. “This is different,” he noted. “It should be easy to do it here.”
2026 New York Giants training camp: Latest intel, updates | ESPN.com
The Giants’ biggest problem last season was their run defense. It was close to historically bad while allowing 5.3 yards per carry. It’s hard to succeed that way. New coach John Harbaugh is well aware. He and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson have made it a priority to stop the run this season.
So far, so good. Veteran nose tackle DJ Reader has been a force in the middle throughout training camp. First-round pick Arvell Reese’s physical approach has been a major asset. That was again the case in live drills during Monday’s practice, which was the latest reminder that the Giants appear to have made serious gains on this front. “It’s just technique and mentality,” outside linebacker Brian Burns said. “We just really put an emphasis on being in our gap but also having … a mean mentality when it comes to the run. We’ve got some goals that we want to reach this year.”
How Jaxson Dart’s training camp progress is showing up on and off field | The Record
Jaxson Dart faked the handoff and rolled the other way on a naked bootleg, nothing but green grass between him and the first-down marker on a third-and-5 play during team drills.
“Critical situations” is how Giants coach John Harbaugh termed it, and all Dart did was what he was supposed to do.
Serby: Giants hopes completely hinge on Jaxson Dart taking second-year leap | New York Post
Jaxson Dart rolled to his right and began scrambling. And when he slid for the first down inbounds by the right sideline, a cheer erupted from the defense.
“I clapped,” John Harbaugh said and smiled. “I applauded.”
Peter Schrager on John Harbaugh
Giants’ Bryan Hudson has ‘risen to the occasion’ as OL injuries mount | USAToday.com
Without the absences of John Michael Schmitz Jr. and Lucas Patrick, Hudson would likely be operating primarily with the third team. Instead, the coaching staff has elevated him into work with the starters after already increasing his snaps with the second unit.
“I think he’s done really well,” Harbaugh said. “It’s funny because we did feel like we needed to get him in there, even with the twos, and then now with the ones, and he’s risen to the occasion so far.”
Preseason legends: Who are the best preseason players in recent NFL history? | PFF
By sheer volume, stalwart backup QB Brandon Allen leads the way with 2,579 preseason passing yards over the last decade. His stat line also illustrates why he has spent his career on the bench rather than as a viable starter, throwing nine touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Allen will likely get an opportunity to add to those totals this summer as he battles for a roster spot with the Giants.
Retired linebacker David Mayo stands alone as the preseason tackling king of the last decade. Across nine NFL seasons spent with four NFC franchises, Mayo is the only player to accumulate 100 preseason tackles since 2016.
From Big Blue View
- Giants injuries: Abdul Carter (hand), Jaxson Dart (ankle) practice
- ‘Confident’ Darnell Mooney not worried about Giants’ WR depth chart
- Giants training camp, practice No. 12: Discussion thread
- Giants making the best of practicing in Quest construction zone
- Survey: NY Giants vs. Vikings – What are you watching?
This week’s opponent
Vikings name Kyler Murray starting Week 1 quarterback for 2026 season | NFL.com
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