The Giants.com crew members give their biggest takeaways from the first week of training camp in West Virginia.
John Schmeelk: The Giants are going to throw to their tight ends a lot. One reason is basic; they are going to be on the field a decent amount. The Giants worked a lot on early downs over the first four days of camp, and they were in a lot of formations with big people on the field. Patrick Ricard was in there at fullback along with two or three tight ends.
We saw more 11 personnel in obvious passing situations and 7-on-7. It is also important to note that wide receiver Malik Nabers is not doing team drills yet, so there might be fewer targets to go around to other players once he gets back.
With all those caveats in mind, it still seems obvious that Isaiah Likely, Theo Johnson, and the tight end group as a whole will be a primary focus of the passing game. Likely's speed allows him the versatility to line up off the line as a wide receiver, whether as a lone receiver to the boundary or in the slot. He can also line up on the line of scrimmage as a Y tight end on the line of scrimmage.
Johnson is more of a traditional in-line tight end, but he has also been featured attacking all three levels of the defense. Tanner Conner has been a frequent target when the second and third teams are on the field. Chris Manhertz has been utilized as a blocker in pass protection and on run downs. He has also been a target on play-action in the flat.
None of this should be surprising given how John Harbaugh teams played in Baltimore with Mark Andrews and Likely. The Giants are going to make their tight ends a focal point of their offense.
View photos from the first week of training camp at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
OLB Brian Burns (0)
Head Coach John Harbaugh
LB Arvell Reese (52)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
WR Braxton Berrios (87), WR Darnell Mooney (17)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3)
K Dominic Zvada (34)
P Jordan Stout (15)
CB Greg Newsome II (20), LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
WR Darnell Mooney (17)
WR Braxton Berrios (87)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
RB Eric Gray (20)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
WR Juju Smith-Schuster (8)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
WR Dalen Cambre (83)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3)
CB Colton Hood (12)
CB Colton Hood (12)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
WR Braxton Berrios (87)
WR Braxton Berrios (87)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
WR Braxton Berrios (87)
WR Darnell Mooney (17)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
Head Coach John Harbaugh
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
S Jevón Holland (8)
G Aaron Stinnie (64)
Team
WR Darius Slayton (18)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
TE Theo Johnson (84)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
QB Jaxson Dart (6), RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
LB Caleb Murphy (33)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
Head Coach John Harbaugh
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
CB Paulson Adebo (21)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
K Ben Sauls (30), P Jordan Stout (15)
P Jordan Stout (15)
Head Coach John Harbaugh
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
WR Juju Smith-Schuster (8)
WR Jalin Hyatt (13)
WR Calvin Austin III (82)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
RB Eric Gray (20)
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
Head Coach John Harbaugh
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
ILB Micah McFadden (41)
CB Deonte Banks (2)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Brandon Allen (12)
T Andrew Thomas (78)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
CB Deonte Banks (2)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3), WR Malik Nabers (1)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
TE Theo Johnson (84)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
DB Elijah Campbell (28)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
WR Braxton Berrios (87)
OLB Abdul Carter (3)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5)
OLB Abdul Carter (3)
ILB Darius Muasau (53)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
ILB Micah McFadden (41)
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
TE Chris Manhertz (85)
TE Chris Manhertz (85)
OLB Brian Burns (0) , Head Coach John Harbaugh
LB's
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
WR Jalin Hyatt (13)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3)
WR Darnell Mooney (17), WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3)
WR Beaux Collins (81)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
WR Darius Slayton (18)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
CB Colton Hood (12)
S Ar'Darius Washington (24)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
S Jevón Holland (8)
DT Josh Tupou (94), DL Shelby Harris (93)
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
LB Jack Kelly (51)
DL Bobby Jamison-Travis (97)
DL Marlon Davidson (67)
T Andrew Thomas (78)
T Andrew Thomas (78)
T Andrew Thomas (78)
CB Colton Hood (12)
ILB Darius Muasau (53)
P Jordan Stout (15)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jameis Winston (19), RB Dante Miller (25)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
CB Nic Jones (31)
WR Isaiah Hodgins (89)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
CB Deonte Banks (2), LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
LB Arvell Reese (52)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
OLB Abdul Carter (3)
T Andrew Thomas (78)
Dan Salomone: You can't talk about this camp without bringing up the man running it – John Harbaugh.
Back when the 2025 season ended, wide receiver Darius Slayton, the longest-tenured Giant on the team, coined the term "Tom Coughlin-esque" when asked about what kind of coach the team needed.
Well, he got one.
"I would say so," Slayton said this week with a laugh. "Yeah, absolutely. I feel like he's in that echelon, that ilk. He obviously came from arguably one of the most old-school divisions in football of the Ravens and the Steelers. I definitely think he's what we needed. There's definitely been a sense of accountability off the rip, which has been huge for us. I'm definitely glad Coach Harbaugh's here."
Slayton added, "Overall, there's just no room for anybody to just do whatever they want. That's the best way I can put it to you. Everybody's accountable. Everybody has to be on time. Everybody has to show effort at practice, or you would be held accountable."
Sounds familiar, especially the part about being on time.
"We're chasing execution," Harbaugh said about the goal for training camp. "We're chasing execution. We're at a stage now, we're getting ready for the games. 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. That's why we want to keep our plays to ourselves when we're doing them out here. So, that's what we're evaluating, is our execution."
Matt Citak: Abdul Carter was generating pressure on a consistent basis last week, racking up sacks, forcing throwaways, and batting some passes at the line of scrimmage. Carter got going over the final six weeks of his rookie season last year, and the second-year pro seems to have carried that momentum over into training camp.
"I've seen an amazing work ethic and a really deep determination to do every little thing right," head coach John Harbaugh told the media last week about Carter's approach this summer. "Very serious-minded guy."
After picking up just a half-sack over his first 12 career games, Carter notched 3.5 sacks over his final five contests, including at least a half-sack in four consecutive games. During that same span, the young edge rusher totaled 28 pressures with no fewer than four in every game. Despite finishing the season with four sacks, Carter did lead the NFL with 48 quick pressures while ranking seventh in total pressures, according to Next Gen Stats. As he heads into his second professional season, Carter is looking to mirror his success from the last month of the season throughout the entire 2026 campaign.
"I think he would tell you just a consistency level," Harbaugh said about how Carter takes his game to the next level this year. "Down, after down, after down. All downs, all situations. Being a complete player on the edge. We'll move him around, too. That includes even dropping him into coverage sometimes. All those things. Play the run, rush the passer, all the movements, stunts, things like that. Cover for guys on movements. All those things that he's determined to do, I've heard him say it many times, to be a complete player."
Carter has not been the only member of the outside linebacker room that has gotten camp off on a strong note. Brian Burns, fresh off his career-high 16.5 sacks last season, has found himself in the backfield a good amount over the first week of practices. Then there is Kayvon Thibodeaux, who has done a little bit of everything so far at training camp. Thibodeaux has had a knack for getting his hands on the football this past week, from numerous batted passes at the line of scrimmage to his pick-six during situational team period.
"I like to see a lot of that," the head coach said about Thibodeaux's interception last week. "That's what you want to see. He's a pretty athletic guy. He's aware. He does have good hands. The ability to rush the passer and also the awareness to bat balls down is massive. Batted balls is a big stat in defensive football in terms of getting off the field. So, it's something we work on. We do not coach our guys against batting balls down in any drill we do. We want to practice it."
View practice photos as the Giants begin training camp at The Greenbrier in West Virginia.
Head Coach John Harbaugh
WR Malik Nabers (1)
WR Darnell Mooney (17)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
CB Colton Hood (12)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
WR Braxton Berrios (87)
DL Bobby Jamison-Travis (97)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
WR Juju Smith-Schuster (8)
WR Jalin Hyatt (13)
WR Braxton Berrios (87)
WR Braxton Berrios (87)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
SVP & General Manager Joe Schoen
WR Malachi Fields (0)
RB Eric Gray (20)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3)
WR Juju Smith-Schuster (8)
WR Braxton Berrios (87)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
WR Jalin Hyatt (13)
WR Isaiah Hodgins (89)
WR Beaux Collins (81)
WR Dalen Cambre (83)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
SVP & General Manager Joe Schoen
WR Malik Nabers (1)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3)
CB Colton Hood (12)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
WR Braxton Berrios (87)
WR Malik Nabers (1)
WR Calvin Austin III (82)
WR Braxton Berrios (87)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3)
WR Beaux Collins (81)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
WR Malachi Fields (0)
WR Juju Smith-Schuster (8)
WR Braxton Berrios (87)
WR Dalen Cambre (83)
WR Darnell Mooney (17)
WR Darnell Mooney (17)
SVP & General Manager Joe Schoen
WR Darnell Mooney (17)
WR Darnell Mooney (17)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
OLB Zaire Barnes (46)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
CB Nic Jones (31)
CB Deonte Banks (2)
S Jevón Holland (8)
CB Dru Phillips (22)
CB Dru Phillips (22)
S Jevón Holland (8)
CB Dru Phillips (22)
G Aaron Stinnie (64)
Team
WR Darius Slayton (18)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
TE Theo Johnson (84)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
RB Cam Skattebo (44)
CB Greg Newsome II (20)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
OLB Brian Burns (0)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jaxson Dart (6), RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
S Jevón Holland (8)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
DB Elijah Campbell (28)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
WR Braxton Berrios (87), WR Darnell Mooney (17)
WR Braxton Berrios (87)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
LB Tremaine Edmunds (49)
S Tyler Nubin (27)
QB Jameis Winston (19)
WR Dalen Cambre (83)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
CB Paulson Adebo (21)
S Jevón Holland (8)
K Ben Sauls (30)
K Ben Sauls (30)
K Ben Sauls (30), P Jordan Stout (15)
LS Ben Mann (58)
P Jordan Stout (15)
K Ben Sauls (30)
K Ben Sauls (30)
Head Coach John Harbaugh
Head Coach John Harbaugh
Head Coach John Harbaugh
Head Coach John Harbaugh
Head Coach John Harbaugh
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
WR Dalen Cambre (83)
linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (49)
linebacker Arvell Reese (52)
linebacker Arvell Reese (52)
safety Tyler Nubin (27)
cornerback Elijah Campbell (28)
linebacker Arvell Reese (52)
quarterback Jaxson Dart (6)
quarterback Jaxson Dart (6)
linebacker Jack Kelly (51), linebacker Micah McFadden (41), inebacker Arvell Reese (52), linebacker Zaire Barnes (46)
tight end Thomas Fidone II (86)
wide receiver Malik Nabers (1)
safety Jevon Holland (8))
cornerback Andru Phillips (22)
safety Tyler Nubin (27)
cornerback Nic Jones (31)
safety Jevon Holland (8)
wide receiver Dalen Cambre (83)
tight end Theo Johnson (84)
linebacker Abdul Carter (3)
offensive lineman Daniel Faalele (77)
tight end Theo Johnson (84)
quarterback Jaxson Dart (6)
running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
kicker Ben Sauls (30)
wide receiver Dalen Cambre (83), wide receiver Braxton Berrios (86)
wide receiver Ryan Miller (5), wide receiver Braxton Berrios (87)
offensive tackle Ryan Schernecke (70)
wide receiver Xavier Gipson (88)
tight end Chris Manhertz (85)
tight end Chris Manhertz (85)
quarterback Jameis Winston (19)
quarterback Jaxson Dart (6)
head coach John Harbaugh
head coach John Harbaugh
guard Joshua Ezeudu (75)
Line of scrimmage
kicker Dominic Zvada (34)
The Giants Foundation 5K & Kids Run
Bring your friends, family and neighbors out to run The Giants Foundation 5K Presented by Quest® on Sunday, November 8th and finish in the end zone at MetLife Stadium!
