Head coach – check.

Free agency – check.

Draft – check.

Spring ball – check.

Training camp – check.

Preseason – next.

The buildup to the 2026 campaign reaches another checkpoint on Saturday. For the first time in a game setting, the Giants will take the field under John Harbaugh for the preseason opener against the Vikings at MetLife Stadium.

"We just really want to see the guys play," Harbaugh said about his approach to preseason. "We want to give them a chance to play free, play loose, and just play to their best game, and try to show and shine what they can do. So, that's what we're doing."

Here are three storylines to follow as we enter this next phase:

Getting Jaxson Dart and the Giants' offense ready for Sept. 13

There is less than one month until the Giants kick off the season against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football at MetLife Stadium and then travel to face the Rams in another primetime game in Week 2. The countdown was top of mind when the Giants reported for training camp in West Virginia. Harbaugh said the main objective there was to chase execution.

"We're at a stage now, we're getting ready for the games," he said. "I mean, that's what practice is for. We're not here to practice. It's not a training camp exercise. We're here to prepare for the games that we're going to play. What plays we call, how we practice, all those things. We're not just running plays out here to run plays."

And Jaxson Dart ran plenty of them throughout his stay at The Greenbrier and back at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

"Now it gets to this point where we're just trying to load up as much film as possible," offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. "As many plays as possible for us to put on tape to evaluate and try to see, OK, what do our players do well and how do we accentuate their strengths and make us the best team possible? As we create this identity of what and who we're going to be."

What remains to be seen is whether that film will include preseason footage of starters.

"And that is the crux of what we have to consider," Harbaugh said. "So, that is a big part of it – executing a new offense – but also a young quarterback. We've got a young quarterback who's just in his second year, who didn't play a whole season even last year. So, he's just getting started. And we're going to be playing two of the best teams in our conference right out of the gates. And so, we'd like to be ready for that. So, that's part of the consideration. You balance that up against the injury considerations. And then if your quarterback's out there, then you've got other guys you might want to put out there to protect him. So, believe me, that's all the things we're thinking about right now."

New defense gets a live test

During Harbaugh's tenure from 2008 through 2025, the Ravens allowed the fewest touchdowns, points, rushing first downs, rushing yards, and third-down conversions. Last season, the Giants allowed a league-high 5.31 yards per carry. Needless to say, shoring up the defense was a top priority from Day 1.

They addressed it through the draft and free agency, notably using the No. 5 overall pick on Arvell Reese and signing veteran Tremaine Edmunds to form a formidable inside linebacker duo.

"We're connected up front right now," defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said. "We're playing with good vertical knockback. We're setting the edge. I think the defensive ends and outside linebackers have been outstanding in setting the edges, and we have some linebackers that fill gaps. They come downhill with a sense of urgency. They're big players. They're aggressive, and everybody's playing with their hat in hands. The biggest thing is just their eyes. They know what they're looking at, and they're fitting accordingly. And if we have something that we mess up, we correct it, we make it right, and then we come out and execute again."

Special teams is an equal third of the game

Offense, defense, and special teams are all equal on a Harbaugh-led team. Look no further than special teams coordinator Chris Horton, who carries the added title of assistant head coach.

"I couldn't ask to be in a better position because I know what special teams means to the team and working for a head coach that has a special teams background," Hortons aid. "You know that you're going to get your time. You know that the standard is going to be the standard, and I love having him in the room because when he's in the room and when he is hands-on, guess what? The players see that, right? The players see the head coach. The head coach is involved. The players see how important it is to the team and to help the team maximize our wins. So, having him around has been a blessing for me, and just to be able to follow that track has been great."

Horton is overseeing an overhaul of the entire kicking battery. While Ben Sauls and Dominic Zvada compete for the kicking job, the Giants also have a new long snapper in Ben Mann, another undrafted rookie. Holding it all together is All-Pro Jordan Stout, who was the best punter in the game last season for Baltimore. The operation will be tested live for the first time on Saturday.

"Trust is a big thing, right? Trust comes with a lot of responsibility, and I think it's easy," Horton said. "It's not because they're young you have to find a way to trust them. It's what they do when they're out there. You build trust through your work. You build trust through your preparation, and the preparation that both these guys are bringing every day, we're trusting them, right? We're trusting them, but we're going to have to trust them in the big moments, and we try to put them in those situations so when they go out there, we feel pretty good about it."