5 Most Important Storylines Entering Giants Training Camp

From Jaxson Dart's transition to Matt Nagy's offense to a wide-open cornerback battle, here are the biggest questions the Giants must answer before the 2026 season begins.

The New York Giants open training camp at The Greenbrier, with several questions needing to be answered. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

New York Giants training camp opens this week with several key storylines set to unfold over the next several weeks before the 2026 regular season begins.

Jaxson Dart Faces a Steeper Learning Curve Under Nagy

Jun 9, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) throws a pass during the minicamp activities at Quest Diagnostics Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The offensive system implemented by offensive coordinator Matt Nagy is completely different than what Jaxson Dart ran under Brian Daboll.

The biggest difference is that Daboll kept a lot of what Dart did at Ole Miss in order to help the then-rookie acclimate to the speed of the NFL game, that system barely pushing Dart outside of his comfort level.

This system under Nagy will challenge Dart to go outside of his comfort level. There will be more reads and adjustments and more work done under center than what was seen from Dart last year. 

Based on how he looked in the spring, Dart was starting to get the hang of it, though there were times when he appeared to be hesitant.

Interestingly, the Giants didn’t add a fourth quarterback for camp, a move likely made so that the three quarterbacks already on the roster–Jameis Winston and Brandon Allen–can get their fair share of reps.

But the guy who is going to need as many practice and preseason game reps as possible to develop that comfort level in the offense is Dart.  

Malik Nabers' Workload Will Be Carefully Managed

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Malik Nabers has avoided landing on the PUP list to start camp, which is a positive development. But his avoidance of that designation does not mean that he’s 100% ready to go with zero restrictions.

Nabers is going to be gradually ramped up starting with the team’s first few practices, the hope being that by the time Week 1 rolls around, he’s a full-go.

While it’s unlikely that Nabers will participate in any preseason games, how much he does each day in practice and how he looks is going to be of great interest to spectators.

In particular, will Nabers be able to regain the burst that he had pre-injury? And will he trust his knee to start and stop on a dime and make cuts on his routes? And will his workload increase or will there be any point where he’s dialed back other than for the occasional load management?

A best guess is that Nabers is going to have his practice load managed not just throughout camp, obviously, but even into the regular season. 

The Giants have but one starting job open at the moment, and that is the second cornerback spot which was vacated when Cor’Dale Flott went to Tennessee in free agency. 

During the spring, Deonte Banks and Greg Newsome II emerged as the leading candidates for the job, but one can’t rule out rookie Colton Hood, who is the future at that spot. 

Hood might not necessarily be ready until later in the year, but in the meantime, the battle for the job will most likely be between Newsome and Banks, two former first-round picks who have seen their respective careers not evolve the way anyone hoped. 

Receiver Depth Chart Hinges on Odell Beckham Jr.'s Role

Jun 9, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) makes a catch during the minicamp activities at Quest Diagnostics Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With there being questions as to when Nabers will be fully ready to go, the Giants will need to figure out what their receiver corps will look like in the interim. One guy who a lot of people will be watching is Odell Beckham Jr, who is trying to end his career in the same place he began it.

Beckham is no longer the receiver he was during his first stint with the team, but based on what he showed during the spring in limited reps, he does look serviceable. Will he become the de facto No. 1 receiver while Nabers rounds into shape? 

Or will the Giants, as is anticipated, have more of a committee approach taking on those targets that otherwise might have Nabers’ name written on them?

The other question is how many receivers the Giants will keep. With the tight ends expected to take on a big role in the passing game, perhaps there isn’t going to be a need to keep more than six receivers, with the bottom two at the position being purely special teams players.

Defensive Line Depth Is Thin After Injuries

Nov 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris (95) leaves the field after losing to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Giants defensive front has undergone a complete renovation due to the Dexter Lawrence trade and the Achilles injury suffered by Roy Robertson-Harris, who like Lawrence was a starter last year.

Meanwhile the Giants have already had some other injury issues hit the unit. C.J. Ravenell was waived due to an injury, replaced by Marlon Davidson, a player who has an injury history. 

The Giants also have five defensive linemen on the roster over the age of 25 with three of them over the age of 30. 

In short, the unit is one catastrophic injury away from the defensive line being sent into a tailspin unless they can get youngsters like rookie Bobby Jamison-Travis and second-year man Darius Alexander up to speed quickly enough to reinforce the depth.

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