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Cover 3

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Cover 3: Biggest storyline heading into summer break

COVER-3-OFFENSE-HUDDLE

The Giants.com crew members discuss what will be the biggest storyline heading into training camp.

John Schmeelk: The first big story will be health, as it is for every NFL team. Is Cam Skattebo a full participant to start? Is Andrew Thomas? When does Malik Nabers make his return? In terms of what happens on the field, I will be interested to see how the Giants deploy their wide receivers and in what order. Are veterans Darius Slayton and Darnell Mooney immediately the top two wide receivers or does someone else fight their way into the lineup?

Is Calvin Austin III the starting slot or do late veteran additions like Odell Beckham Jr., Juju Smith-Schuster, and Braxton Berrios fight their way into the conversation? Does Malachi Fields' unique size give him an opportunity that a rookie third-round pick doesn't usually get? Does second-year receiver Beaux Collins fight his way into a larger role? Does Dalen Cambre's special teams ability help him make the team? Then you have veterans like Isaiah Hodgins, Jalin Hyatt, Ryan Miller, and Xavier Gipson. There are a lot of guys that have proven they can play in the wide receiver room, and I'll be curious to see how the Giants decide to deploy them.

Since we have seen so many reps from the wide receivers in the spring, I wanted to pick a different position in the trenches like defensive tackle, but I think there are just more interesting storylines at wide receiver. I can't wait to see how this group performs against a big, talented cornerback group once the pads come on and contact is allowed.

View the top photos from 2026 Giants Minicamp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

Dan Salomone: Unlike last year, the offseason wasn't dominated by quarterback scenarios in both the draft and free agency. That freed up the Giants to address team needs with a wider lens, but in the NFL, the focus always comes back to the position.

Jaxson Dart is learning his second NFL offense in as many years since he was drafted No. 25 overall. He will be under the microscope – even in West Virginia – when training camp kicks off next month. It won't be anything new or unexpected for the quarterback. That's life in the NFL. But he will lead the charge of a sophomore class who set out to turn things around for the organization. Having an established head coach with a Super Bowl ring will only help their pursuit, which begins soon.

"It's a lot of things that I haven't done before," Dart said about the new system. "So, it's been fun to kind of get new experiences, try new things, have communication with the coaches on what I like, what they like and get a ton of reps at it. So, I think that's been fun for me. At the same time, there's a little bit more that's involved within it. So, it's been fun to learn, to have the command, the control at the line of scrimmage. And you have the keys to get what you want and put your offense in the best situation. So, it's very versatile. There's a lot of just things that we can do within the system from a personnel standpoint. And the guys have been able to pick it up at a good level, and we've been able to play fast."

View photos of the New York Giants' 2026 roster as it currently stands.

Matt Citak: There are a few different storylines that people will certainly be talking about as the Giants head down to West Virginia for training camp. The potential growth and development of Jaxson Dart in Year 2 will be up there, along with the health status of numerous players on both sides of the ball. But to me, the biggest storyline going into camp will be what the Giants get out of their secondary.

The Giants' front seven has the makeup to be a dominant group, led by edge rushers Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, along with linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese. While the absence of Dexter Lawrence will certainly impact the interior defensive line, the Giants added several veterans to help fill that void, including DJ Reader and Shelby Harris. If the secondary can take a big step up, then the Giants have the potential to be one of the league's better defenses.

Perhaps the biggest addition made on the defensive side of the ball was the addition of Dennard Wilson as the play-caller. Wilson comes to the Giants with plenty of experience under his belt, including two seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Titans. Prior to that role, he served several seasons as a defensive backs coach, including during the 2023 campaign where he coached under John Harbaugh in Baltimore. The Ravens had one of the NFL's top pass defenses that season, ranking inside the top six in passing yards, touchdowns, and yards per attempt allowed, along with ranking third in interceptions. While it was only a few weeks of spring practices, Wilson has seemingly already made an impact on the secondary, as the group was likely the most impressive unit during team drills over the past month. But don't take it from me – here's what Kayvon Thibodeaux had to say a few weeks back.

"Dennard Wilson is a great coach," the outside linebacker said during OTAs. "I asked him today does he think he's the best DB coach in the league? Of course, he said yeah. Of course he's going to. For me, I didn't ask him that because I didn't think it. I asked him that because our DBs have been playing at a high level. I saw this same defense before. So now seeing these guys play at a pace that is unbelievable, it's no question of how great of a coach he is."

Take a look at rare photos of New York Giants training camps through the years.

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Giants announce 2026 open training camp dates

New York Giants 2026 Training Camp, presented by Ford, will be held at The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia and will feature six practices free and open to the public.

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