The 2026 NFL training camps have kicked off around the league, and our team reporters are on the ground each day following all the action. Giants reporter Jordan Raanan has the latest intel on standouts, highlights, position battles, depth chart movement, cut decisions and, of course, the quarterbacks room.
What follows is everything we are seeing and hearing at Giants camp. How will the Giants handle increased expectations and a new coach? Who are the breakout players to watch, especially for fantasy football? And which players on the roster bubble could make the final 53?
Catch up on all the updates, including the Giants' top camp performer and biggest lingering question.
Camp updates for all 32 NFL teams
Latest news from Giants camp
Giants' Malik Nabers 'felt good' in 1st full-speed live drills
Giants QB Jaxson Dart 'puzzled' by latest concussion test request
A Harbaugh team meeting during training camp -- an inside look
Monday, Aug. 17
The referee at practice threw a flag on Colton Hood after he cut off wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in the end zone. The rookie cornerback didn't like the call and made it known.
Coach John Harbaugh saw it unfold. He didn't agree with Hood's assessment and sent him to the sideline. But not until they had a quick chat.
"I wasn't angry. I just wanted to make the point that, you know, what are you arguing about?" Harbaugh said. "The ball was in the air and you pushed the receiver and redirected him. It was a restriction. That's going to be pass interference. But he's competitive. He's competitive. He wants to win every snap. And I think [that's] part of the journey for the young corners."
Hood had his ups and downs in the preseason opener -- a 13-10 loss against the Minnesota Vikings. And again at Monday's practice. Harbaugh said Hood was going to be playing plenty and just wanted to accelerate the learning curve.
Hopefully this was a lesson learned.
More observations:
C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (concussion) and CB Paulson Adebo (leg) returned to practice after sitting out last week and the preseason opener.
The defense closed practice with interceptions of Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston deep in its own territory. First, Kayvon Thibodeaux tipped a pass into the arms of Abdul Carter, who raced the other way for a touchdown. Then Winston was picked by Ar'Darius Washington. Good for the defense, not so much for the offense.
Who is the Giants' top performer so far at camp?
TE Isaiah Likely The offseason acquisition has been the Giants' No. 1 receiver with Malik Nabers not participating in team drills. He's been quarterback Jaxson Dart's safety net, leading all first-team receivers in catches by a wide margin.
"Zay's done a great job," offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said.
The way Likely smoothly gets in and out of breaks has just looked different from incumbent starter Theo Johnson. He also seems to have the best handle on the new offense given his familiarity with coach John Harbaugh and senior offensive assistant Greg Roman from Baltimore. Given the way Dart likes to throw to his tight ends, it suggests that Likely is in for a breakout season given the chemistry they already have developed.
What still needs to be answered over the course of preseason games?
Can the offense put it together? There are a lot of things working against Dart early in camp. He's learning a new offense, doesn't have Nabers in live drills and the structure of practice prohibits endless freelancing, which is perhaps what he does best. So it has been a struggle.
The offense has failed to put together many big days in practice throughout the summer. Nagy said they expected there to be "highs and lows through this process" for their young quarterback. To see Dart and the first-team offense have some success in the preseason, even if it's just flashes, would be a welcome sight and could provide a confidence boost entering the season.
Thursday, Aug. 13
The Giants are working hard at training camp. There is no doubt about that. Even on a rare day when they weren't in pads and ran a mental-rep practice that resembled a walk-through, coach John Harbaugh had the Giants on the field for two-plus hours.
The practice concluded with them going over pregame introductions and the new routine for warmups. Every detail is important at the difficult Camp Harbaugh, which had players in full pads at seven of the past 10 practices.
"My toughest training camp in 10 years," said fullback Patrick Ricard, who came over from Baltimore with Harbaugh.
In a way, this has reminded some Giants of a college camp. With fewer rules, the big school colleges are known to run much harder and longer practices than the NFL.
"I was with another Harbaugh [Jim Harbaugh at Michigan] for five years and it seems very similar to that," guard Jon Runyan said.
Now the Giants will see if it leads to better results.
More observations:
Wide receiver Malik Nabers wore a red jersey for the first time and participated in a good chunk of the walk-through. The star receiver caught close to a handful of passes as he inches closer to live drills off a torn right ACL. "Soon," Harbaugh said earlier this week. Sometime next week would seem likely.
The Giants have their preseason opener on Saturday afternoon against the Minnesota Vikings. Harbaugh wouldn't say whether QB Jaxson Dart and the starters would play. It seems like they might get some work as they learn a new offense. "That is a big part of it, executing the new offense," Harbaugh said. "But also a young quarterback. You've got a young quarterback who is just in his second year and didn't play a whole season even last year. So he's just getting started."
Players who didn't practice Thursday: CB Paulson Adebo (worked on side), C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (concussion) and WR Jalin Hyatt (leg).
Players who returned to practice (limited): CB Greg Newsome II (knee) CB Dru Phillips (knee) G/C Lucas Patrick (knee) WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee).
Wednesday, Aug. 12
The kicking competition continues: Ben Sauls went 5-of-6 on field goal attempts in Wednesday's practice. Rookie Dominic Zvada went 7-of-7, including a 61-yarder to end practice.
Overall in camp, Zvada is now 48-of-51 on kicks. Sauls is 41-of-48.
"They're both having really good camps," coach John Harbaugh said.
Running back Cam Skattebo and tight end Isaiah Likely peer-pressured Harbaugh into having Zvada attempt the 61-yard kick after the offense repeatedly sputtered in end-of-game situations. There were 10 seconds remaining on the clock and Harbaugh had the offense out on the field ready to run a play from the 44-yard line.
He reconsidered. Zvada drilled the kick with plenty of room to spare (it clanked off the back fence) as the offense went wild.
At this point, it seems a fait accompli that the Giants will carry a kicker with little to no experience come Week 1.
More observations:
Odell Beckham Jr. caught a pair of passes in live drills after a couple of quiet days. Harbaugh said Beckham will play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Vikings.
Harbaugh took the high road on whether QB Jaxson Dart will play. He decided to intentionally "dodge" that question.
Backup cornerback Art Green had a really strong practice. He knocked down a handful of passes. It comes at a time when the Giants are looking for someone to step up at cornerback.
CBs Dru Phillips (knee), Greg Newsome II (knee) and Paulson Adebo worked on the side at Wednesday's practice. Harbaugh said Adebo was "day to day."
G Francis Mauigoa was a full participant after being limited Tuesday.
WRs Juju Smith-Schuster (knee) and Jalin Hyatt (leg), C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (concussion), C/G Lucas Patrick (knee) and DB DJ James did not practice.
Tuesday, Aug. 11
It was another rough afternoon for the Giants' offense. The unit sputtered and failed to hit any downfield throws during a practice without full pads.
During one red zone drill, quarterback Jaxson Dart threw touchdown passes to Theo Johnson and Malachi Fields on two of the first three plays. He followed with five straight incompletions, including an interception at the goal line by Arvell Reese.
These are the learning curves with a new offense.
"[Tuesday] was an average practice, maybe below average," offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. "It wasn't good enough. [Dart] knows that, we know that. We'll put it on tape, but we also talk about success through struggles and ... there's going to be some struggles as we go through this now in training camp and during the season. But how do we react?"
The season starts in just over a month. The Giants are combining the offenses of Nagy, quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan and senior offensive assistant Greg Roman. They're putting as much as possible on tape and plan to pare it down to accommodate the talent.
The clock is ticking.
More observations:
Reese's interception included a circus catch. He dropped into coverage, sprinted to the flat and put an arm in the air. The ball hit off the back of Reese's hand, and he tipped it to himself for the interception at the goal line. It was the latest highlight for the No. 5 pick. "He's been impressive," defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said.
CB Paulson Adebo and WR Jalin Hyatt missed practice. That left three of the Giants' top cornerbacks (Adebo, Greg Newsome II and Dru Phillips) on the sideline. Big opportunity for rookie Colton Hood and Deonte Banks.
Outside linebacker Abdul Carter (hand) returned to practice after sitting out Monday. Rookie guard Francis Mauigoa participated only in individual drills after getting banged up Monday.
Second-year tight end Thomas Fidone II is catching everything these days. He had another highlight-reel diving catch deep down the middle of the field from Jameis Winston. He later added two more catches during live drills, including a touchdown in the red zone. It's going to be hard for the Giants to leave Fidone off the roster.
Aug. 10
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."
More observations:
OLB Abdul Carter missed practice because of a hand injury. Harbaugh did not think it was serious.
CB Greg Newsome II (knee), CB Dru Phillips (knee), WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee), C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (concussion) and G/C Lucas Patrick (knee) also missed practice. OLB Chauncey Golston left practice because of a neck/head injury.
Giants kickers made all 13 of their field goal and extra point attempts. Ben Sauls was 7-of-7, and Dominic Zvada was 6-of-6. Both have had nice camps.
Aug. 8
The Giants finished their 12 days in West Virginia with another physical practice filled with goal-line and run-game work. It was a typical John Harbaugh workout. No easy days.
Harbaugh thinks it's going to make a difference for a team that won seven games combined the past two seasons.
"Well, I think we got a lot better. That's probably what we got out of it. We improved tremendously," Harbaugh said. "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."
The trip helped with team building and camaraderie.
"I would give it an A, A-plus for that. It's been really everything," Harbaugh said. "We've been able to focus on the task at hand. There's really no distractions out here. It's a beautiful setting. It's a beautiful resort. Everything has been excellent. And the guys have been able to lock in on the football. The fields have held up extremely well. I mean, every little thing has been good. It's not lavish by any stretch in terms of the facility, but it's everything we could want. Maybe that's even better."
John Harbaugh gives training camp in West Virginia an A+.#Giants #NFL #Greenbrier pic.twitter.com/ViNEz0BeWb
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) August 8, 2026
More observations:
RB Cam Skattebo returned to practice after stretching out his leg the previous day. He participated in all 10 practices in West Virginia as he returns from a fractured ankle last year.
Defensive lineman Darius Alexander had a strong practice with multiple sacks in live drills. It concluded a nice camp for the second-year player whom the Giants are counting on to make a leap.
Aug. 7
Wide receiver Malik Nabers looked the best he has this summer during individual drills Friday. He continues to get better -- making sharper cuts, jumping and landing on the affected leg and running crisper routes as he rebounds from a knee injury.
This is the best Malik Nabers has looked. He continues to get better, making sharper cuts, jumping and landing on the affected leg and running crisper routes.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) August 7, 2026
John Harbaugh agreed. He said the next step is that Nabers is going to "work his way back into practice more and more." pic.twitter.com/SoMkGC3t8X
Coach John Harbaugh said he noticed this was the best version of Nabers, who is getting to the final stages of recovery. The next step is for Nabers to "work his way back into practice more and more."
The expectation seems to be that Nabers will return to live team drills in the next couple of weeks. That would have him trending to be ready for Week 1 against the Cowboys.
"[Return to play coordinator Allison Boudreau] is working with him, and she's been working on situations where you're off-balance, landing off-balance and unpredictable type situations that you're going to get rather than just doing normal rehab and then getting out there and all of a sudden being surprised by the awkwardness of football," Harbaugh said. "Try to create that as much as you can in a controlled setting."
More observations:
The offense had perhaps its best day of camp. On its final drive, the unit went the length of the field with tight end Theo Johnson and running back Dante Miller each making multiple receptions. The series concluded with a 2-yard touchdown from quarterback Jaxson Dart to wide receiver Darius Slayton. Dart finished 16-of-19 passing on the day.
Malachi Fields on the offense: "It just keeps building over time. We've had almost two weeks now, just getting together, so I think we'll just keep jelling, keep clicking, and we'll just keep building that confidence as we go into the preseason."
Cam Skattebo left practice early after stretching out his left leg. Harbaugh described the issue as "working through the football shape part" and didn't think it was serious. C John Michael Schmitz Jr. left after getting his "bell rung" and is being evaluated, while OLB Brian Burns continues to nurse a minor ankle injury.
Aug. 6
The Giants shed the pads after three straight days of full contact. Coach John Harbaugh ran a 2½-hour walk-through to give his players' bodies some rest.
They'll be back at it Friday and Saturday with full padded practices before leaving West Virginia.
Harbaugh has run a hard training camp to date. The Giants ran over 100 live plays in the heat Wednesday. It has been in stark contrast to the training camps they had under Brian Daboll.
But the Giants knew this was going to be the case. Harbaugh is known to run a tough camp. Even his practices in the spring don't waste time and have a lot of live periods.
"Man, it's tough, gritty," cornerback Greg Newsome II said. "We're going to work, and I like that. There's no off days for us in terms of not competing. He's going to make sure we compete. We're always doing situational football and things like that. So, it's been super fun to play. He's a great coach. We're always talking all the time and I'm super excited to play for him."
More observations:
CB Dru Phillips has a mild knee sprain and will miss some time. CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse also didn't practice again and is dealing with an "ongoing" knee problem. Harbaugh said the Giants might sign another cornerback.
Jaxson Dart doesn't seem too worried about the offense despite the early inconsistency. "We're taking steps each day," he said. "Obviously there are thing that you go out there and maybe it's our first time running something and you have things to talk through. A lot of times we'll have the opportunity the next day to go out there and try to fix it and run it again. So I think the really good thing I'm seeing about our offense is the communication after practices to be able to fix the adjustments the next day. That's really encouraging to see."
Aug. 5
It was another up and down day for the Giants' offense. It really has been the story of training camp in West Virginia.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart and Co. were pedestrian again on Wednesday, even against the second-team defense. He threw a pair of interceptions early, before tossing three touchdown passes and rushing for two more in red-zone drills.
Coach John Harbaugh thought it was a good response after Dart let the frustration get the best of him one day earlier.
"The football response absolutely was there. Yeah, he stepped up," Harbaugh said. "A lot of third down stuff we did. Fourth down stuff, fourth down in the red zone to win the game, things like that.
"Yeah, he had a heck of a practice. It was impressive."
Dart and the first-team offense have yet to fully hit their stride this summer. And there are some built-in excuses. Dart is learning a new offense. He's also without his No. 1 receiver in Malik Nabers, who still isn't taking part in team drills as he recovers from a knee injury. Still, it would be nice to see them put together a complete practice before leaving West Virginia.
More observations:
Second day in a row Odell Beckham Jr. had a strong practice. This time he had four catches in live drills. He continues to get open and make it a tough decision for the Giants whether to find a roster spot for the veteran receiver.
Outside linebacker Brian Burns, wide receiver Malachi Fields and safety Beau Brade all sat out Wednesday's practice with what Harbaugh called "minor" deals. Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee swelling) returned to practice after sitting out the previous day.
Rookie Dominic Zvada went a perfect 10 of 10 kicking field goals. He's now 28 of 31 on field goals at training camp and has to be the leader in the clubhouse to be the Giants' kicker this season.
The Giants signed two players: CBs D.J. Jones and David Long. In order to make room, they waived wide receiver Beaux Collins with an injury designation after he was banged up this week and placed defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris on injured reserve after tearing an Achilles in the spring. That ends Robertson-Harris' season with the Giants.
Aug. 4
In his quest to make the roster, Tuesday was an important practice for Odell Beckham Jr. For the first time this summer he worked with the first-team offense for most of the day.
Beckham caught a pair of passes and had another would've-been touchdown grab in a strong performance.
Beckham worked alongside Darnell Mooney and Braxton Berrios on a day when Darius Slayton and Malachi Fields seemed to have their workloads limited. Malik Nabers continues to participate in individual drills but mostly stands around and watches when the team breaks into live periods.
"Just probably worked out that way [Tuesday]," coach John Harbaugh said of Beckham working with the first team. "He ... I don't know, worked out that way."
Regardless, Beckham continues to get open consistently. He might not look like Prime Odell, but he still can play and create separation.
A look at Odell Beckham Jr. (3) running some routes: https://t.co/0ww4KElzb9 pic.twitter.com/HdsZSbC8Pg
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) August 4, 2026
More observations:
Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster sat out practice with knee swelling, according to Harbaugh. Smith-Schuster is also fighting for a roster spot.
Look out for wide receiver Dalen Cambre. He had another strong day with three catches in live drills, including a touchdown from Jameis Winston on a rub route at the goal line. Cambre worked his way onto the Giants' roster in the second half of last season and played well on special teams.
The penalties that plagued the Giants on Monday were again a problem early in Tuesday's practice. They committed five more penalties in the second padded practice of the summer, including four in the first few live drills.
Rookie guard Francis Mauigoa had his ups and downs in one-on-ones. He got the better of Abdul Carter on their first matchup but was spun around after they immediately ran it back. Mauigoa did recover. Still, Carter beat him cleanly at the onset.
Aug. 3
It was a rough day for the Giants' offense in pouring rain on the first day in full pads. The performance was really an extension of the early part of training camp for Jaxson Dart & Co.
A lot of penalties. Too many mental mistakes. Not enough positive plays.
Dart threw an interception into the hands of safety Jevon Holland when the ball slipped out of the quarterback's hand while throwing. The Giants failed to score a touchdown on any of their drives and committed nine offensive penalties, everything from delay of games to endless false starts to holding by a wide receiver.
"I think two things," coach John Harbaugh said. "I mean, I think you've got the elements a little bit, and you've got the first day in pads. So, it's not really unexpected, but we'll be working on it."
Harbaugh added that he generally believes the offense is ahead of the defense early in camp. That seems not to be the case with his sloppy Giants as they digest new schemes.
More observations:
It was another strong practice from first-round pick Arvell Reese. The rookie linebacker had a run stop early in practice and later a sack when he beat left tackle Andrew Thomas. "The rookie has been impressive. Kid has a real chance to be special," veteran defensive tackle DJ Reader said.
Cornerback Deonte Banks is flashing early this summer. The former first-round pick has provided sticky coverage on receivers throughout camp. Monday's practice was no different. He tipped a pass that resulted in an interception by linebacker Micah McFadden. Banks later had Darius Slayton blanketed but dropped an interception that hit him in the chest. After some struggles, maybe Banks has it figured out?
Aug. 1
It has been a quiet start to training camp from Odell Beckham Jr.
Until Saturday.
On the day when the Giants had their largest crowd of the summer at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, Beckham made the biggest play of the day. And received the biggest ovation of the summer to date.
The veteran receiver made a leaping grab over a defender in the back of the end zone for a touchdown from quarterback Jameis Winston during 11-on-11 drills. It sent the crowd of approximately 2,000 fans into a frenzy and served as a reminder of what used to be.
It was a big play for Beckham, who is battling for a roster spot with several other veterans. Braxton Berrios has stood out the most of the group this camp, until Saturday.
"There's a lot of really good football players in our room right now," wide receiver Darius Slayton said. "From a competition-level standpoint, it's ... raised the competition level."
More observations:
Malik Nabers was back on the practice field after a day of rest Friday. He looked good running routes. This is a positive sign as he recovers from a serious knee injury that required multiple surgeries."[Saturday] seemed like a good day from what I can tell," coach John Harbaugh said.
Jaxson Dart and the offense have struggled the past few days. Saturday was an up-and-down practice for the second-year quarterback learning a new offense. It began with a feathery deep ball down the left sideline to Malachi Fields. Two plays later, Dart had a pass tipped by linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and intercepted by Paulson Adebo. Later, he had a bad interception to Edmunds and hit tight end Theo Johnson on a deep ball. Overall, Dart went 22-of-33 in live drills.
The Giants have the day off Sunday and return Monday for the first full practice with pads, which is the closest to real football we'll see before the preseason. Harbaugh said the Giants won't tackle to the ground. It will be "wrap and release," but it will be more physical. "It's almost that time," outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux said.
July 31
Second-year linebacker Abdul Carter has enjoyed a strong start to training camp. It has him thinking big.
His goal: "Be Defensive Player of the Year, for sure."
Can it be this year?
"Absolutely," he said.
Why?
"Just my process. I know who I can be and the belief in myself. I know what I'm capable of and I know if I put the work in and believe in myself, trust in myself, trust in my teammates, trust in my coaches, I can be whoever I want to be."
Lofty goal after 4.0 sacks as a rookie. But Carter feels he learned a lot from last year, when he was benched twice for missing and being late to meetings. He thinks he hit his stride late in the season and can carry it into the next year.
More observations:
Second-year defensive lineman Darius Alexander ended practice with a leaping interception of Jaxson Dart near the line of scrimmage. The Giants were in field goal range at the time and it ended a sloppy practice that was filled with penalties on both sides of the ball.
Kicking update: It was Ben Sauls' turn Friday and he made eight of his 10 field goal attempts.
July 30
Pass rusher Abdul Carter reminded everyone why he was the No. 3 overall pick last year. He was a menace in the second practice of the summer, constantly in the backfield and even getting credited with some sacks. Even more promising (though it was without pads) was that some of his best rushes came against standout left tackle Andrew Thomas. That is going to be a battle to watch throughout the summer.
New coach John Harbaugh has liked what he's seen from Carter this offseason. He thinks it's just a matter of "consistency" with the young edge rusher who was benched on multiple occasions during his rookie year.
More observations:
Wide receiver Malik Nabers said he has "felt great" but doesn't want to put a timeline on his return. "When I'm ready, I'm ready," he said. It was also interesting that Nabers said he's been running routes for weeks and the reported timeline for his second surgery was incorrect. Bottom line: He still confirmed he had the second surgery.
Edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux had a tipped-pass interception that he returned for a touchdown. It's early but he has looked really good. Expect to hear his name a lot this summer going against the second-team offensive line.
Daily kicking update: Only one field goal was attempted during Thursday's practice and Dominic Zvada nailed a 57-yarder with room to spare. A good bounceback from the undrafted rookie.
July 29
The big news out of West Virginia was that star wide receiver Malik Nabers was back practicing with his teammates for the first time. But he wasn't on the field with the offense during team drills.
Even without him, quarterback Jaxson Dart and the offense were the story. They looked good. Dart went 17-of-24, which included three spikes and a drop by tight end Theo Johnson. It was a promising sign for a unit that struggled a bit in the spring learning a new offense.
"Offense played at a really high level," Dart said about the first training camp practice of the summer.
It still wasn't Dart or Nabers who were the biggest standouts on the day. It was Braxton Berrios. He caught five passes in live drills, including a long touchdown from Jameis Winston; it was a good start for Berrios as he competes for a roster spot as a wide receiver/returner.
More observations:
The kicking battle began with rookie Dominic Zvada making four of his six field goal attempts. Second-year kicker Ben Sauls made five of seven, with his final attempt of 61 yards having the distance but just missing wide right.
Odell Beckham Jr. didn't catch a pass during live drills. Beckham looked good running routes early in practice and received praise from coach John Harbaugh -- it just didn't lead tos any catches. All eyes are on the veteran as he tries to make the team at a crowded position.