5 Position Battles to Watch at Giants Training Camp

From a crowded receiver room to an unsettled kicker competition, here's every roster battle to track when the Giants hit the practice fields in West Virginia.

New York Giants wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Giants are now less than a week away from the start of their annual training camp after a chaotic offseason that saw over 40 newcomers join the squad. Many of those new faces are set to compete for roster spots or starting roles.

This year’s camp promises to be highly competitive across the board, but five key position battles will take center stage starting with the 10 practices scheduled to be held in West Virginia next week.

Wide Receiver Pecking Order Remains Unclear

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

While Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton remain at the top, the rest of New York's wide receiver room looks completely different.

The Giants signed Calvin Austin III, Darnell Mooney, Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Braxton Berrios and drafted Malachi Fields.

Using last year's initial 53-man roster as a benchmark, only six of the 14 current receivers on the team are likely to make the active roster. This will be a training camp battle for spots 3-6 on the depth chart. 

Early performances indicate that Smith-Schuster and Berrios are the biggest names likely to be left out.

Second Starting Cornerback Battle Isn't Decided Yet

Jun 3, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants cornerback Colton Hood (12) participates in drills during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Paulson Adebo will man one of the outside cornerback spots, but the other is still up for grabs. Newcomers Greg Newsome II and Colton Hood will compete with Deonte Banks for the starting role.

Newsome is the early favorite, but Hood's fit in defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson's system makes him an intriguing dark horse.

Both players will push others down the pecking order. Korie Black, who played almost 200 defensive snaps for the Giants as a rookie, has an uphill climb to make the roster.

Dominic Zvada Leads Ongoing Kicker Competition

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants place kicker Ben Sauls (30) gestures after a field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Giants haven't had a stable option at kicker since Graham Gano went down with an injury early in the 2025 season. What started as a three-man offseason competition has been whittled down to two after veteran Jason Sanders was released.

Dominic Zvada and Ben Sauls will compete for the job in training camp. Sauls finished strong in 2025, nailing all 15 of his kicks, but in the spring practices open to the media, Zvada was the better performer on field goal attempts. Kickoffs will ultimately come into play in determining who wins this battle.  

Does Kayvon Thibodeaux Have a Sneaky Chance to Start on the Edge?

Jun 9, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) answers questions from the press after the minicamp activities at Quest Diagnostics Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Brian Burns is locked in as a starter on the edge for the Giants, but the other spot is more fluid than fans may expect. Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux will both play significant roles, with their snap counts likely falling in a similar range.

Thibodeaux offers more edge-setting ability in the run game than Carter, potentially making him a starter on early downs.

Big Blue may only keep these three outside linebackers, as they should be able to get additional pass-rushing help from inside linebacker Arvell Reese and defensive lineman Chauncey Golston.

Interior Defensive Line Needs Someone to Step Up

Jun 3, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Leki Fotu (98) talks with defensive tackle Bobby Jamison-Travis (97) and defensive tackle Josh Tupou (94) talk during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The interior defensive line has experienced as much turnover as any position group on the roster this offseason. 

Free-agent signing D.J. Reader will be the Giants' starting nose tackle, but the rest of the pecking order is unclear. Shelby Harris and Darius Alexander will compete to start beside Reader.

The offseason arrivals of rookie Bobby Jamison-Travis and veteran Leki Fotu may push players like Sam Roberts and Josh Tupou off the roster.

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