Humbled OBJ Ready to Give His All Plus Other Things We Learned from Giants' OTA 9

Although he had a relatively quiet practice, New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was the star of the day, still on Cloud 9 after receiving a second chance to finish his career with the team that drafted him back in 2014.

But this version of Beckham, who still showed playfulness at times off the field, is much different from what the Giants got earlier in his career.

Beckham, who has traveled down numerous rocky roads since being traded by the Giants after the 2018 season, is way more mature and humbled, having signed a one-year veteran salary benefit deal that offers no guarantee of a roster spot.

“I know I’ve got a lot of work to do,” he told reporters after practice. “I know (head coach John) Harbs (Harbaugh) and I have talked about it. I came here to earn anything. I came here to earn it, work hard every day, and be the best I can for the team.”

Beckham, who often referenced his young son as a key driving force in everything he does these days, knows that some of what he did during his first tenure wasn’t necessarily the smartest thing to do, but he said it was done out of a strong desire to be great.

“As far as regrets, I'm kind of one of those people, for better or worse, never regret anything, because at one point in time it was exactly what you wanted. I don't hang my hat on it. I learn from it,” he said.

“If I regret anything, it would be not winning here and not being the guy that I know that I could have been, allowing things to get in the way of that.”

He’ll use those experiences to continue growing.

“I wish that things could have gone differently, but they went exactly how they were supposed to. I always trust in God and His plan. Maybe if I stayed here, something worse could have happened. I take it for what it is. As I said, I want to make the most of the opportunity now.”

Here are a few other takeaways from OTA No. 9

Rough Day for the Kicker

New York Giants kicker Ben Sauls | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

A day after Jason Sanders was sent packing, first-year kicker Ben Sauls had his own adventures when called upon to try field goals.

Saul went 4-of-10 in his first go-around, badly shanking a pair of misses. Later in the practice, he redeemed himself a bit by hitting two field goal attempts, but it's still shaping up to be a one-sided competition in which rookie Dominic Zvada appears to be winning.

Sanders, who was picked up by the Jets, was not a fit for the environment, according to head coach John Harbaugh.

“His style might not be a perfect fit for here really right now,” the head coach said of Sanders, who tends to kick the ball high to where it can get caught up in the winds.

DJ Reader’s Common Link with Dexter Lawrence

Jun 3, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle DJ Reader (98) talks with media after organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

New nose tackle DJ Reader doesn’t view himself as a replacement for Dexter Lawrence, who was traded before the draft to the Bengals. Instead, he sees himself as an “addition” to a defensive line room that has undergone a vast offseason makeover.

“If you kind of look out there, we kind of got a get-off-the-bus type of team,” he said of the revamped defense. “You look at it, there's a bunch of big, strong, fast guys running around. That's exciting when you're playing on defense.

“You see the special pieces on the edge. You got three edges that are proven and can play. The guys in the middle are safeties and linebackers. It's a team you kind of want to be around.

“You look at the guys; you see what is in your room. A lot of teams aren't really built like that. If you can do it right and put it together, it can be special.”

Reader had the distinction of being the second-most double-teamed offensive guard last season, behind Lawrence.

“I think I've always done a good job of just kind of taking that in stride, knowing that it's important for those guys who really play pass-rush and they do this daily,” he said.

“These are the guys that are going out there and getting pressure up the middle, so the quarterback can really roll to them. I've always had good edges. I think my edges usually have good seasons when they play with me, so it's been good.”

Sisi the Sponge

New York Giants offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa (65) looks on during a drill. | John Jones-Imagn Images

First-round draft pick Francis Mauigoa is just a fountain full of questions, according to teammate Jermaine Eluemunor, who added that the tookie offensive lineman’s curious nature is a good thing.

“He just wants to learn. He asks a bunch of questions. He’ll watch a film; he'll ask me a question about this or a set, and he’ll ask for my opinion and be talking to (left guard Jon) Runyan, be talking to (center John Michael) Schmitz, but he’s also a really confident guy. Also, a really hard worker and doesn't take BS from anyone,” Eluemunor said.

The veteran offensive lineman proudly shared that his young teammate isn’t afraid to mix it up a bit with outside linebacker Brian Burns, the team's best defensive player at the moment.

“He’s not afraid to get in Burns' face or get in (outside linebacker) Abdul’s (Carter) face,” Eluemunor said. “And let them know that when we put in pads on and, like, if it was a game, he would be waiting for him right there, waiting for him to spin back inside so he can smack him. It's like that young-guy energy that you kind of feed off.”

“Sisi is a really hard-working guy. He's a physical guy. I think the sky's the limit for him. It's been a lot of fun.”

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