There is only one way to wrap up the New York Giants offseason workouts. That is with a ‘Kudos & Wet Willies’. So, here are the winners and losers from the spring.
Kudos
John Harbaugh — I have said this before, but hiring Harbaugh was easily the best move the Giants made this offseason. It might be the best decision the franchise has made since forcing Tom Coughlin to turn in his key card.
Harbaugh’s resume, his passion, his credibility, his ability to connect with players, his understanding of what good
football is supposed to look like and how it is supposed to be achieved, have changed everything for the Giants.
Harbaugh’s honeymoon won’t last forever. He will make mistakes. His teams will come up short sometimes. The Giants, though, are in good hands. Finally.
Brian Burns — Burns is only 28, but he could be described as a popular, respected elder statesman around the Giants. The Brian Burns Charity Softball Game, where virtually every big-name player on the roster showed up to support the event, was an example of the respect teammates have for him. Burns shows a willingness to help teammates, and they notice. The man does things the right way. Oh, he is also a terrific player.
Kayvon Thibodeaux — Thibodeaux is the third wheel at the edge position behind Burns and Abdul Carter. He is the subject of constant trade speculation. Traded or not, his future after 2026 might not be with the Giants. There is, obviously, a lot swirling around him.
Thibodeaux, though, seems happy. He seems at peace. He has become a respected leader on the defense. He isn’t moaning about having to compete for snaps, or whining about wanting to get paid. He’s just doing his job.
Arvell Reese/Tremaine Edmunds — I put the two inside linebackers together in one ‘Kudos’ because they are becoming an exciting duo. They are both massive players who stand 6-foot-4 or better. Edmunds has a 97th percentile wing span. They take up a lot of space. They are athletic. They can both make plays.
Reese, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, has impressed both with his talent, and with his humble attitude and work ethic.
The Reese/Edmunds duo could be fun to watch this season.
Deonte Banks — Focus on the 2023 first-round pick, who has had a rocky three seasons, during a Giants practice, and you notice that something is different. Banks is smiling and seeming to enjoy himself more than he has the past couple of seasons.
He has also played better.
Yes, it was only spring practice, but Banks made some noticeable plays this spring while splitting first-team reps with Greg Newsome II. He even high-pointed an interception during mandatory minicamp.
In an aggressive defense that seems more suited to his skill set, maybe Banks can be useful as more than just a kickoff returner.
Dominic Zvada — The undrafted rookie free agent placekicker went 13 of 13 on field-goal attempts over the first two days of mandatory minicamp. You can’t kick the ball better than that.
Odell Beckham — Beckham is not dominating the action daily like he once might have. He does, though, have a chance to make the roster. He is practicing every day. He is showing that he still has good hands, and the ability to run routes and find open spaces in the secondary. He also showed a more mature attitude when he spoke to the media.
Malachi Fields — The rookie third-round pick worked with the first team all spring. That probably won’t be the case once Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton return, but Fields showed enough with his size, hands, and physicality to make you believe there will be a role for him this season.
More from minicamp
- Giants look ahead to West Virginia as offseason program concludes
- Joe Schoen still optimistic that WR Malik Nabers will be ready Week 1
- Kayvon Thibodeaux worried about greatness, not trade speculation
- NY Giants mandatory minicamp, Day 2: Defense wins the day, but OBJ makes a play
- NY Giants mandatory minicamp takeaways: LT, Harry Carson steal the show
Wet Willies
Achilles injuries — The Giants lost three players — cornerback Thaddeus Dixon, defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris, wide receiver Gunner Olszewski — to Achilles tears during OTAs. There is no way to know why, but non-contact injuries in voluntary workouts are devastating.
Brandon Allen — Had I known the third-string quarterback was going to be an interception machine during the spring, I would have kept count of the number of passes he threw to the defense. All I can say is that it was a lot, while Allen had very little opportunity to get on the field.
Ben Sauls — The second-year kicker was a God-send to the Giants at the end of last season, calming down a turbulent kicking situation. This spring, though, Sauls has been shockingly inaccurate. Harbaugh says it is the same miss — wide left — over and over, and is correctable. Still, Sauls’ struggles and Zvada’s strong spring mean Sauls is going to have to be near-perfect this summer to have a chance to win the placekicking competition.
Jason Sanders — It’s not easy for a seven-year veteran to get himself cut during OTAs. Sanders managed it.
Darius Muasau — The third-year off-ball linebacker did not necessarily do anything wrong. It was just clear throughout the spring that rookie Jack Kelly would be ahead of Muasau if there were a real depth chart right now. Kelly was getting the majority of second-team reps while paired with Micah McFadden, while Muasau got third-team snaps.
World Cup madness — I am, at best, a casual soccer fan. I do, though, understand the magnitude of the World Cup. I also realize it is a great thing for the region that MetLife Stadium is hosting games.
The amount of disruption around the Meadowlands Sports Complex, though, is ridiculous. The parking lots are filled with tents and other structures that are still being built, and fans in attendance won’t be allowed to park on Stadium grounds.
I hope it ends up being worth it, but right now it feels like the entire complex is a mess.
