Five Questions the Giants Still Can't Answer Heading Into Training Camp

While several NFL teams have begun their mandatory minicamps, the New York Giants finished early, so they’re not enjoying any downtime before the start of training camp, which this year will be held away from the friendly confines of their East Rutherford headquarters.

The Giants not only got a lot of work done in learning the new systems being put in place on both sides of the ball, but it was also an opportunity for head coach John Harbaugh and his staff to get a feel for the type of players they truly have.

That said, there are still some loose ends that the team will need to tie up before the end of the summer. Here are the five biggest ones.

What’s the True Deal with Malik Nabers?

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Both Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen continue to express optimism that receiver Malik Nabers is trending in the right direction.

We’d certainly hope that would be the case, as suggesting otherwise would be a setback. But there is a big difference between trending in the right direction and actually being ready for Week 1 of the season.

Schoen, in an interview with Yahoo Sports reporter Jori Epstein, expressed that optimism but continued to hedge, if just a bit, noting that “these things take time so it’s not instant” and that “every patient is different”.

The bottom line is that until Nabers is actually on the field, it might be wise to refrain from getting too excited about his chances for Week 1.

That’s not meant to be a downer, but the fact of the matter is that Nabers was not seen on the field working off to the side with a trainer; instead, he was doing his rehab work inside, where he had immediate access to the equipment needed to facilitate it.

That’s significant because you usually want to see a player coming off an ACL procedure at least jog during practice and be locked into what's happening on the field.

But here is the biggest tell-all. If the Giants were THAT sure that Nabers would be ready–and again, let’s hope they are right with their hunch–why sign Odell Beckham JR and Juju Smith-Schuster?

Yes, they need bodies for training camp, and there is no doubt that Nabers will start training camp on the active PUP list. But the longer he continues to remain sidelined and in the slog of his rehab, the less likely he’s going to be ready for Week 1.

And even if he is physically able to play, how long will it take for him to look like himself again, given that he will need to get into football shape?

Nabers himself said it best. When he’s ready, he’s ready. It might behoove the Giants to stop trying to put a percentage on how far along the kid is, so as not to put any extra pressure or expectations on him, and just let nature take its course.

If Nabers isn’t ready, what will the receivers look like?

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. | Thomas Salus-Imagn Images

Excellent question. Figure Darius Slayton will be good to go after missing the spring while recovering from a sports hernia surgery.

Rookie Malachi Fields will also probably be a lock so long as he avoids the injury bug. And one would think that Braxton Berrios takes the place of Gunner Olszewski, the latter of whom is on IR with an Achilles injury.

That’s where the questions begin. Will Odell Beckham Jr and Juju Smith-Schuster both make the roster, or will it just be one of the two? What about Calvin Austin III and Darnell Mooney, the veteran free agents signed earlier in the year? Will there be roles for them?

And will there be any receivers besides Berrios who are kept just for special teams, like Dalen Cambre?

There’s a lot of sorting to be done this summer among the receivers and who the projected seven will actually be. And we didn’t even talk about who might land on the practice squad as insurance.

Does Deonte Banks Realistically Have a Chance at Cornerback 2

New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

For those who were all set to write off fourth-year cornerback Deonte Banks, you might want to hold off on publishing the obituary marking the end of his Giants career.

Banks, for what it’s worth, had one of the best springs of his short career. And while there have been past instances where guys have looked like they were in mid-season form during the spring only to fade faster than a rainbow after a rainstorm, this is an important development for Banks, who is battling to win a starting job against rookie Colton Hood and veteran Greg Newsome II.

Banks has been far more engaged in drills and with teammates than in the past. He’s practiced with more pep in his step, perhaps a result of the system he’s been given being more of a match to what he does well. And he’s been practicing with a purpose.

“Right now we've built the trust, and he's being consistent in his technique. So that's all we really needed from him to prove that he can do,” said Giants defensive backs coach Addison Lynch.

“And now he's showing up day in and day out. He's being a pro, he's putting in extra work, so he's motivated to do the right things, and he's headed in the right direction.”

The important thing with Banks, whose talent has never been in question, is his confidence. Far too often in the past, if he’d get confused or be beaten in coverage, that was all she wrote.

This past spring, even if he did get beaten in coverage, which wasn’t that often, he came right back at it, showing a short memory and a stronger resolve to get the next one.

If that continues and Banks emerges as the winner for the right cornerback spot, then that’s a big win for both the Giants and Banks.

Can Jaxson Dart Take That Next Step in His Development?

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jackson Dart was pretty good as a rookie, good enough to convince Harbaugh that he didn’t need to look elsewhere for a quarterback.

But there have been three areas in particular where Dart showed he was still green: processing under center, deep-ball consistency, and knowing when to say when as a runner.

Dart told reporters that he better understands the importance of being smart when he takes off as a runner, even going so far as to say that unless the situation calls for that extra burst of bravado, he’s no longer going to make it a habit of being reckless.

Working under center and deep-ball consistency are two different stories. Dart, who acclimated himself to the speed of the pro game by working mostly out of the shotgun, saw a number of snaps this spring under center.

It was undoubtedly a whole new world for him, given the difference in field vision, the footwork tweaks he had to make, and the need to turn his back on the defense as he dropped back.

The footwork is coming along, according to quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan.

“There's a timing and forward work element to everything in the passing game,” he said. “If your feet are in rhythm with what the play design is, I think that’s really important.”

Besides the footwork, there’s also a matter of ensuring Dart gets his line of vision set up properly.

“That eye discipline and where you're supposed to look and what you're looking at and why you're looking at it also helps that decision-making process and that timing and that tempo that you wanna play with the rhythm and the passing game,” he said.

As for the deep ball, the Giants got Dart bigger receivers to work with who happen to have a wider catch radius.

But Dart has to do his part in remaining patient and going through his reads rather than just chuckling the ball up for grabs or bailing out on the play in favor of a scramble.

Additional reps, including pregame reps, should help with all that.

Is the Kicking Competition Really Over?

Michigan place kicker Dominic Zvada | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

You’d think so after Dominic Zvada was perfect with his attempts, whereas Ben Sauls was not. But it’s much too soon to declare Zvada the winner based on a few dozen kicks, of which, by the way, it’s unknown how he did during those practices that were closed.

First, there weren’t really many pressure situations from what could be gauged at the practices that were open to the media.

Expect Harbaugh to create some pressure situations for Zvada and Sauls, assuming both make it to West Virginia this summer, and expect that to carry over when the preseason games start.

There is also the question of navigating the winds in the Meadowlands. That’s what ended veteran Jason Sanders’ trial with Big Blue: Sanders tended to kick the ball high, which would cause it to get caught up in the wind.

What about kickoffs? While you’d like to have whoever wins the kicking competition also handle kickoffs for you, punter Jordan Stout can fill that role if absolutely necessary–he’s done so 13 times over his career, nailing eight kickoffs as touchbacks.

Based on his usage in that role, it looks more like Stout is not a strong consideration for the kickoff role with the Giants unless there is an emergency.

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