The New York Giants are coming home to New Jersey after a 12-day stay at The Greenbrier, where they conducted 10 practices in the hills of West Virginia.
The team bonded and appears to be better off for making the trip, but what did we learn during their time there?
Here are the top five takeaways from this week's practices.
They survived Camp Harbaugh
Everyone knew that life under the new head coach would be different. Now they know how different it will be. The new regimented, disciplined structure was fully fleshed out in West Virginia, and the players embraced it. Padded practices were the norm, and it was all football all the time.
So far, Harbaugh likes what he's seeing from this group, a team that won just 13 games over the past three seasons.
“I think we got a lot better,’’
Harbaugh said after a final practice on Saturday. “That’s probably what we got out of it. We improved tremendously. We’re much further along than we were when we started. I think we can look back and say that we’ve come a long way."
John Harbaugh gives training camp in West Virginia an A+.#Giants #NFL #Greenbrier pic.twitter.com/ViNEz0BeWb
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) August 8, 2026
Jaxson Dart bounced back after a shaky start
The Giants have been forcing Dart to take snaps from under center more this season rather than in the shotgun or pistol. The goal is to improve Dart's footwork and overall mechanics and to see the field better.
It took Dart a few practices to get the drills down. His passing was erratic, and the offense looked overmatched by the Giants' much-improved defense.
That changed in Week 2. Dart's passing improved, and the Giants breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Jaxson Dart with his best practice of Giants camp. Looked much more decisive vs pressure. Making proper reads. Ball hit ground just once on final drive-the-field period against mix of 1s and 2s on defense.
No pre-snap penalties to speak of.
TD pass to Darius Slayton caps it. pic.twitter.com/ryYk07ZY6w— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) August 7, 2026
Arvell Reese has hit the ground running
The Giants' first-round pick in this year's NFL draft is making the front office look like geniuses thus far. He is all over the field and is displaying the violent nature of his game.
On Friday, Reese made back-to-back hits on running back Cam Skattebo that drew some "oohs and ahhs" from the crowd at camp.
"That's the best sound you can get," Reese said, referring to the pop you hear when you hit the ball carrier just right.
Arvell Reese (cyborg) in his first fully padded practice:
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) August 3, 2026
• "Has a real chance at being special" - DJ Reader
• "He was all over the field against the run and even had a sack" - @JordanRaanan
• "You see the talent ... he's very sharp for a 1st-year guy" - HC Harbaugh
•…
No real injuries to report
Considering the intensity of the practices and the competitive nature and culture Harbaugh was instilling, the Giants left West Virginia fairly intact.
Two starters, center John Michael Schmitz (stinger) and slot corner Dru Phillips (knee), were the only injuries of concern, but Harbaugh didn't believe either was serious.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II went down with a leg injury, but he was able to continue after a short scare. Skattebo got shaken up, leading onlookers to think he had a setback, but he appeared to be fine afterward.
Interesting to see how things play when Giants go home & practice on the artificial turf. So far the injuries have generally been limited to nothing serious (knock on wood).
— DragonSoul.eth 🐲 (@DragonSoul) August 8, 2026
Hopefully that continues in Jersey when they get to Giants Stadium (yes I still call it Giants Stadium).
Uncertainty at cornerback remains
The Giants' cornerback situation is still in flux two weeks into training camp. Paulson Adebo, Deonte Banks and free agent Greg Newsome II are vying for starting spots. So far, it's been a mixture of highs and lows from all three.
One solution could be staring the Giants right in the face. Colton Hood, the team's second-round pick in this year's draft, is coming on and getting better with every practice.
Colton Hood has been "very good" against the run so far in camp and a "willing" tackler, per Art Stapleton.
— Big Blue Film Room (@BigBlueFilmRoom) August 9, 2026
Hood, the Giants 2nd rounder this past draft, has drawn praise this summer.
Stapleton recently predicted that Hood would start, if not Week 1, soon after. pic.twitter.com/ikWv5XgMRF
"I'm a physical guy. I feel like, as a corner, that's a part of the job description," Hood said this week. "Tackling and being physical. So, I was excited to get the pads on for the first time in a really long time, and get out there and tackle somebody."
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants training camp: 5 takeaways from Week 2
