9 Winners and 3 Losers From the Giants' 26-3 Preseason Rout of the Dolphins

The New York Giants dominated the Miami Dolphins 26-3 in Preseason Week 2. Head coach John Harbaugh rested many of his starters, including quarterback Jaxson Dart, but the backups stepped up in a big way.

With the roster cut deadline rapidly approaching, multiple Giants players needed strong performances to secure their spots. Some met the challenge in a big way, potentially vaulting themselves up the depth chart. Others fell short, risking their places on the final roster.

With just one more preseason game to go, here are a few winners and losers from the Giants' win over the Dolphins.

Winners

WR Darius Slayton

Slayton has had a quiet summer since being cleared physically to return from an offseason hernia procedure. It also hasn’t helped that he’s had rookie Malachi Fields nipping at his heels for the No. 2 receiver spot.

So after a quiet 2026 preseason debut in which he didn’t have any pass targets thrown his way, Slayton did all he could to prove his worth against the Dolphins, catching four of six pass targets for a team-leading 58 yards.

The veteran wideout was especially productive on New York's first drive of the game, picking up 34 yards on two catches, which helped put the Giants in position for Winston's touchdown scramble.

CB Dru Phillips

Phillips had a clear lowlight in the first quarter, when he committed a pass interference penalty while allowing a long completion to Dolphins wideout Kevin Coleman Jr.

The slot defender, in his first preseason action of the summer, quickly turned things around, though.

Phillips forced fumbles on back-to-back plays on Miami's second drive. The first was hardly noticed, as the receiver immediately recovered the ball. The second was definitely noticed when linebacker Micah McFadden recovered it for an early turnover.

Phillips finished second on the Giants’ defense with three tackles this week.

WR Calvin Austin III

Aug 22, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III (82) breaks the tackle of Miami Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (10) during the first quarter of a preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Austin had an all-around productive game on both offense and special teams.

Offensively, he made defenders miss when he had the ball in his hands, as he caught both of his pass targets for 24 yards and a long of 20. Austin even converted on a long third down on New York's final drive of the first half.

The Giants made it a priority to get the ball into Austin's hands. He took an early jet sweep for a 21-yard gain, caught a screen pass, and was the primary punt returner in the first half, where he had two returns for 29 yards, his longest being 18 yards.

In an offense that prioritizes quick passes, Austin's ability to pick up yards after the catch—he had 10 this week, which was sixth on the team—will be valuable.

LT J.C. Davis

The Giants’ rookie sixth-round draft pick went the distance at left tackle and only allowed one pressure, this after allowing no pressures in his preseason debut last week. Davis was part of a backup offensive line that was stellar this week, but more specifically, Davis might very well have locked up a roster spot with his play this week.

CBs Greg Newsome II/Paulson Adebo

Jul 30, 2026; White Sulphur Springs, WV, USA; New York Giants cornerback Greg Newsome II (20) participates in a drill during training camp at The Greenbrier Resort Sports Performance Center. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The projected starting cornerback duo on the perimeter was back from missing last week due to injuries, Newsome with a knee and Adebo with a hamstring strain.

Between the two of them, they allowed just one reception on four pass targets (the one allowed by Adebo for just 12 yards) and combined for two forced incompletions and one pass breakup.

That might not sound like a lot, but considering the Dolphins only attempted 16 passes all game long (completing eight), Newsome and Adebo’s combined effort certainly stands out.

DL Bobby Jamison-Travis

The young rookie defensive lineman, who now wears No. 97, feasted on the Dolphins this week. He recorded one tackle, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit, all of which were apparently enough to feed his football appetite, with Jamison-Travis finishing as the Giants’ fifth-best run defender this week.

New celly alert 🍽️ pic.twitter.com/yPQAsVlkQd
— New York Giants (@Giants) August 22, 2026

SAF Tyler Nubin

Nubin rose to the challenge this week by finishing as the Giants’ highest-graded defender in coverage. He allowed just one completion for three yards, forced one incompletion, had one pass breakup, and recorded a stop against the run in what was one of his better showings of the summer.

QB Jameis Winston

Winston, who started off the summer looking out of sorts, was as close to perfect as could be this week.

Getting a full half’s worth of work, he finished 15-of-21 for 150 yards and had an 11-yard touchdown run in what was as solid a showing as one might see this week from a backup quarterback.

Losers

RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Aug 22, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) celebrates gaining yardage against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter of a preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the second consecutive week, Tracy had one of the most impactful negative plays of the day for the Giants.

After a couple of nice runs late in the first quarter, he fumbled the ball after taking a handoff from Winston. The Dolphins quickly recovered, forcing New York's only turnover of the game.

After being listed as a co-starter next to Cam Skattebo in the team's initial unofficial depth chart, Tracy may be falling behind.

WR Odell Beckham Jr.

Aug 22, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) breaks a tackle against Miami Dolphins cornerback Ethan Bonner (27) during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Beckham, the fan favorite, dropped a sure touchdown pass late in the second quarter—a ball that was right in his hands.

While he continues to fight to get open and get the ball, miscues like these aren’t going to help his quest for a roster spot, no matter how open he gets or how popular he might still be among the fan base.

DL Darius Alexander

For the second week in a row, second-year man Darius Alexander was virtually invisible against the run. In nine run defense snaps, he did not record a single tackle or stop, finishing 31st among 32 Giants defenders against the run, per Pro Football Focus.

With Chauncey Golston, who was the eighth-best Giants-graded run defender this week, having himself a strong summer, it might be worth watching if he starts to take snaps from Alexander, especially as Golston continues to get more reps at defensive tackle.

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