7 NY Giants Players to Watch in Preseason Opener vs. Buffalo Bills

The New York Giants will take their summer prep to the next level on Saturday when they visit the Buffalo Bills.

While head coach Brian Daboll has kept his plans for player personnel deployment largely under wraps (except for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, whom Daboll did confirm will play in the game), there should be no shortage of players to watch in determining if what they have shown thus far in training camp is real or an illusion.

Here are a few players we’ll be watching.

WR Jalin Hyatt

Aug 4, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (13) makes a catch during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Much has been made about how underutilized Hyatt had been in the Giants' offense throughout his young career. Throughout training camp, he’s been one of the team’s biggest highlights in the passing game after overcoming some minor injury issues, most recently his calf.

That said, Hyatt has, at least for his first two training camps, looked really good but hasn't carried that over into games. He’ll need to show a better awareness in tracking the ball while it’s in the air, and it will also be good to see if the work he puts into the weight room translates into better play strength.

He has a golden opportunity against the Bills where he could very well see reps with the starting offense if, as expected, Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton are held out of the game.

OG Evan Neal

New York Giants offensive lineman Evan Neal | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Evan Neal sat out Thursday’s practice with an unknown issue, so it’s not even certain if he’s going to play this weekend.

For his sake, hopefully, he will. Neal has been working to convert to guard after three largely unsuccessful and injury-filled NFL seasons at right tackle. Now he finds himself with a huge opportunity to salvage his NFL career if he can show that the glimpses of hope from training camp are indeed for real.

There’s never been any concern about Neal’s ability to run block. Get him in front of someone and he’ll block out the sun. It’s his pass-blocking that has been his kryptonite, and in particular, his footwork, in which he’s had trouble against speed.

Of particular interest, if he plays, will he be able to control his pad level? And will he be able to keep up with the speed that happens inside?

QB Jaxson Dart

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A lot of eyes are going to be on rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, the one player head coach Brian Daboll confirmed will see snaps against the Bills. Dart has mostly looked good in camp, though there have also been a share of hiccups along the way, particularly when under pressure.

But Dart has shown little fear in trying to make plays, which is what a player should be doing this time of year. The question with him will be how quickly he can get the ball out of his hand, especially if the pocket is closing around him. A secondary question will be how he responds if he does make a mistake.

OLB Abdul Carter

New York Giants linebacker Abdul Carter | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

So far, outside linebacker Abdul Carter has been everything the Giants thought they were getting when they made him the third overall pick in April’s draft–and then some.

Carter’s first step off the ball is ridiculously fast, as he often leaves opponents in the dust. He also has a wicked dip move as part of his pass-rushing arsenal, which has contributed to his growing reputation as a game-wrecker.

It’s doubtful that we’ll see some of the packages defensive coordinator Shane Bowen has planned for Carter, meaning that we’ll likely see the young linebacker on the edges, perhaps even getting a starting nod for Brian Burns, who was also held out of Thursday’s practice.

CB Deonte Banks

Cornerback, Deonte Banks | Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Banks has been locked in a training camp battle with Cor’Dale Flott, so much so that not even the team’s media relations staff knew whether to list him or Flott as the starter opposite of Paulson Adebo.

But with Flott dealing with another injury that has cost him a few practices, Banks has a chance to officially end the competition if he delivers consistent play, such as turning his head around to look for the ball and being less grabby in coverage.

WR Montrell Washington

New York Giants wide receiver Montrell Washington (80) participates in drills during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The wide receiver competition is pretty well stacked with several young players vying against the veterans for spots at the bottom of the depth chart. And a guy who has been coming on strong of late is veteran Montrell Washington, who famously quipped that “A play a day keeps the coaches away.”

Washington, like all the other receivers at the bottom of the depth chart, will have to deliver on special teams, something that we haven’t quite seen enough of just yet, but certainly something he is capable of doing.

S Makari Paige

New York Giants safety Makari Paige | John Jones-Imagn Images

The Giants' depth at safety hasn’t been a topic that has come up much this summer, but it’s a losing concern should there be injuries to the starters. Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin are locked in as the starters, and Dane Belton will see a lot of action as the third safety. But this team is going to need a lot more depth, making these next preseason games a golden opportunity for Paige to show he belongs.

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