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Cover 3: Final thoughts from spring football

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The Giants.com crew members give their final takeaways from spring practices after they wrapped up last week at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

John Schmeelk: The Knicks won the championship over the weekend, their first in 53 years. But the process to get here did not start when the series started against the Spurs. It didn't start when the postseason began in April, or even when the season started back in October. It began in 2020 when the Knicks hired Leon Rose and Tom Thibodeau to begin this renewal process.

The Knicks were as bad of a franchise as there was in professional sports from 2002-2019. They were a laughing stock and a punchline with moments that were worse than anything the Giants have been through over the past 12 seasons. But they put the right people in charge and eventually found the right player, Jalen Brunson, to lead the team back to relevance and success.

He will not get a ring, but the Knicks would not be here without Tom Thibodeau and the foundation he built as the Knicks heads coach. He brought a level of seriousness and history of winning that was lacking from the Knicks franchise for a long time. What jumped out to me this spring is how John Harbaugh seemed to be building the same exact type of foundation for the Giants.

The players are being held to a high standard and working extremely hard to make sure they are ready to play at a high level come September. The operation is extremely organized and buttoned up, with everything being done for a reason based in winning. The feeling is much different compared to anything since Tom Coughlin was the team's head coach.

The Giants also hope that Jaxson Dart can play the role of Jalen Brunson and be the team's point guard that not only makes winning plays, but also leads the organization and brings the best out of everyone around him.

2026 is the beginning and there is a long way to go, but these steps are necessary for the Giants to eventually get to where they have to go.

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

Dan Salomone: I've written enough about Arvell Reese and Tremaine Edmunds this spring, so I went outside the box for this one. The new inside linebackers will only be enhanced by the players on the edge, and vice versa. One of them is Kayvon Thibodeaux, who has built a lot of momentum heading into a pivotal season.

In a public setting at the Giants Town Hall, Thibodeaux acknowledged the challenge of playing for John Harbaugh. And, by all accounts, he has risen to it.

"He is the number one question-asker in all the meetings," the head coach said. "Did you guys know that? Top question-asker."

"I'm so proud of Thibs, dog," said Brian Burns, a three-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker and team captain. "And I don't want to sound all sentimental or whatever, but just the man he is and he's becoming, like the way he handles his business, is something that's really inspirational. He's doing everything right. He's leaving no stones unturned, and that's something that I really commend him on because he is put in tough situations at times, and he's handled it like a pro. I definitely wish the best and expect the best out of him this year. He's been playing his best ball for the past two years, and I expect him to have a great year, honestly. Yeah, man, I'm really proud of Thibs, for sure."

Following a sophomore campaign in which he recorded 11.5 sacks and started all 17 games, Thibodeaux has eight sacks over the past two seasons while missing 12 contests. It was not for lack of trying.

"Even last year, he's been the hardest worker on the defense," Burns said. "And I can say that humbly speaking. But I can say that like he's really -- he's outworked a lot of guys, day in and day out, including myself. And that's kind of what inspires me because he's pushing me as well, because it's a friendly battle in our room all the time. Just him being able to work that hard, going through the trade speculations and all that stuff that's going on, it's just something that a man would do. I've got the utmost respect for that. I will say that."

No. 5 certainly seems to be a man on a mission heading into season No. 5.

"I would say, when you are self-aware, man, you can be honest," Thibodeaux said. "I'm not crazy, I know why fans feel the way they feel. We've been losing. I didn't have 10 sacks, 15 sacks. I had it one year, but it's consistency, it's greatness. I live for greatness. For me, I've never worried about what people think because I want to be great, too. If it ain't great, trust me, I know.

"As far as everything around me, I'm on a mission, and I'm aware enough to know what I've got to continue to get better at, and I'm humble enough to say, hey, help me. Help me find what things I can do to get better or how I can do it. It's been great for me. I'm happy I'm in a position where, you know, if I go play great, God is good. If I don't go play great, God is still good. I've been able to accomplish my dream by being here, and now it's time to go take everything I deserve."

View the top photos from spring practices at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

Matt Citak: The Giants have made some major changes since the conclusion of the 2025 campaign. A new coaching staff was brought in, led by Super Bowl champion John Harbaugh and three new coordinators, along with numerous free-agent additions. The Giants also added seven draft picks, starting with two in the top 10. Despite all of these new members to the organization, perhaps the biggest key to the team's success in 2026 will come down to the development of the 2025 draft class as they head into Year 2.

It starts with quarterback Jaxson Dart. The second-year signal-caller spent the spring learning the new offense, which features a blend of previous systems of offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan, and senior offensive assistant Greg Roman. Dart showed encouraging flashes throughout OTAs and minicamp as he connected on some big plays with the team's collection of pass-catchers. The 23-year-old will be running his second NFL offense in as many years, so his continued growth during training camp will be pivotal as we inch closer to the start of the season.

On the other side of the ball, the potential for a sophomore leap from outside linebacker Abdul Carter looms large. Carter was a menace during team drills the past month, as the young edge rusher was finding his way into the backfield on a consistent basis. Of course, there is no contact during spring practices, so Carter's performance going up against the offensive line not permitted to block at full speed must be taken with a grain of salt. But the 22-year-old looked even more explosive than he did at the end of last season. If he can carry over his performance from the final six weeks of last season into this year, Carter and Brian Burns could combine to form one of the most fearsome edge duos in the entire NFL.

Dart and Carter garner the most attention from the 2025 draft class as the two first-round picks, but several other members of the class are also looking at big roles this season. Fourth-round pick Cam Skattebo looked good in his limited action last year before suffering the season-ending injury, and the young running back was able to make it back on the field for team drills during last week's minicamp. Defensive lineman Darius Alexander is poised to take on a bigger role following the trade of Dexter Lawrence, and the young tackle gave a preview of what he can do with some strong plays throughout the spring. Then there's also Marcus Mbow, who could end up being the team's swing tackle in 2026. If this draft class is able to make a collective jump heading into their second season, which they showed glimpses of during spring practices, then it could go a long way in helping the Giants make some noise in 2026.

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

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