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Cover 3: Players to watch at training camp

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The Giants.com crew members discuss players to watch when training camp kicks off in less than a month.

John Schmeelk: I can go a lot of different ways with this. Do I go with a player who has some questions I want to see answered? Or do I pick a player I just can't wait to see once the pads come on? I'm going with the latter and leaving Dan with some low-hanging fruit to talk about Arvell Reese. Instead, I'll discuss the Giants' second first-round pick.

I want to see Francis "Sisi" Mauigoa put the pads on and start hitting some people. John Harbaugh has always valued a downhill running game, and Mauigoa has the potential to be the best people-mover on the interior of the offensive line. The Giants have some powerful veterans at defensive tackle that know how to hold the point of attack, and I want to see how Mauigoa stands up to them in the run game.

I am also excited to see how he handles the unique challenge of playing guard with defensive linemen lining up right on top of him with less time to react after the snap and before contact. I am really excited to watch him as a puller in some of Greg Roman's gap run schemes that we have seen in his previous stops. He is a good athlete and I expect he will excel as a puller even if that isn't something we saw him do a lot of in college.

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

Dan Salomone: After he was drafted fifth overall, Arvell Reese set out to earn the respect of his new teammates, especially the veterans. "I want to show the team right away that I'm one of those guys that would rather be seen and not heard," the Ohio State product said at rookie minicamp on May 9. "Especially as a rookie, that's what you've got to do. You've got to know what you're doing on the field before you say what you're about."

A few days later, Reese and the rest of the 2026 class were thrown into the deep end with the veterans. Needless to say, he didn't sink; he swam. This is where you have to throw in the obligatory warning about it just being a dozen non-contact practices, but there is no reason to think Reese won't be able to translate his superb spring into the summer and beyond.

Not only did he make coaches daydream about what they can do physically with a second 6-foot-4, 240-pound inside linebacker (see: Tremaine Edmunds), but Reese also showed the intelligence and instincts to be in the right place at the right time. Thus, he achieved what he set out to do.

"I told Arvell ... watching his college tape, a lot of the plays that he was making was quote unquote off the line of scrimmage," fifth-year tight end Isaiah Likely said. "So seeing how well he drops into coverage, how well he's been in space and how instinctual he is in zone coverages, that was really something I raised my eyebrows to because that's something that wasn't really highlighted before he got here, and I would tell him just keep playing ball the way he's playing."

"I always speak to when he said he wants to be seen, not heard," said Brian Burns, who is coming off a career-high 16.5 sacks and his third Pro Bowl campaign. "And he's embodying that every day. He don't speak out too much, don't talk back or nothing like that. He just does what he's told, works hard, and it's showing up on the film, and he's earning the respect of the older guys for sure. I really appreciate him coming in like that. And him and Tremaine look scary as hell. If I was [quarterback Jaxson] Dart – yeah, I'd be nervous."

Get ready for the 2026 season with photos from Media Day at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

Matt Citak: Since John and Dan took the easy choices, I'll go with the top pick from last year's draft. After a slow start to his rookie campaign, Abdul Carter got going towards the end of the 2025 season. The young outside linebacker picked up at least a half-sack in four consecutive games at the end of the year, which set a new franchise rookie record, with 3.5 total sacks during that span. He also picked up a minimum of four pressures in each of the final five contests, according to Pro Football Focus, accumulating a total of 28 pressures across that final stretch.

Carter finished the season with the seventh-most quarterback pressures, according to Next Gen Stats, and was only five behind Myles Garrett for sixth. Furthermore, Carter also racked up 48 quick pressures (under 2.5 seconds), which led the entire NFL and were five more than the next highest player (Nik Bonitto had 43). While his sack total finished at four, these underlying metrics show that some positive regression is likely for the second-year outside linebacker. Carter showed some encouraging signs throughout spring practices, but with contact not permitted during OTAs and minicamp, his performance must be taken with a grain of salt. Once the pads come on at training camp, though, it's a whole other story.

While speaking to the media back in early April, the team's new defensive coordinator shared his excitement about coaching both Carter and Brian Burns and their versatility within the defense.

"They were so attentive in the room, talking about the style of ball, how we're going to play up front, the violence in which we're going to play in, the way we're going to build a wall and set violent edges to make teams run in a phone booth, how we're going to play vertical knock-back, how we're going to crush and close, these guys can do it all," Dennard Wilson said about the two outside linebackers. "Plus, they add the versatility, you can move them around.

"Last year and even in Penn State, especially with Abdul, the way he was used, you can move him off the ball, he can be the spinner on third downs. You can add a fifth rusher. There is numerous things you can do with both of the guys. Both of them are smart football players. They have a good grasp of conceptual defense."

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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