Giants Rookie Watch: What Each Draft Pick Must Accomplish in Training Camp

Things are about to get real for the New York Giants as the entire team reports to The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, for the start of training camp today. The first practice is set for Wednesday.

The Giants' rookie draft class has already been in the building since last Thursday, when they were required to report for what is a more extended orientation.

Overall, general manager Joe Schoen’s fifth draft class (and the first in collaboration with new head coach John Harbaugh) has brought a level of excitement to where it’s believed early on that each player will be able to contribute in some way this coming season.

That said, all of the rookies have areas in which they will need to improve before they even come close to reaching their ceilings.

Here’s a quick rundown on some of the key areas of improvement each of the seven draft picks will need to address over the next several weeks.

R1a: LB Arvell Reese

Jun 9, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants linebacker Arvell Reese (52) answers questions from the press after the minicamp activities at Quest Diagnostics Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Giants were surprised and delighted when Reese fell to them at the fifth overall pick in the draft, especially after admitting that none of the simulations they ran would produce such a result.

But in Reese they have themselves the other half of their revamped inside linebacker group, and a player who head coach John Harbaugh said will get involved right away.

Reese is an exciting young player, but there are some areas where he can level up his game. The first is being more disciplined when going against interior offensive linemen. Historically, Reese has relied on raw power to win his battles, but at this level, that approach won’t always work.

As a pass rusher, Reese will also need to develop a plan on every rush rather than simply relying on speed alone.

But where he stands to improve the most is in coverage, where he allowed a 97.3 opposing passer rating in two seasons at Ohio State after allowing 84.2% of the passes against him to be completed for an average of 8.7 yards per attempt.

R1b: OL Francis Mauigoa

Apr 24, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants draft pick Francis Mauigoa addresses the media during the introductory press conference at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Although Francis Mauigoa has practiced some at guard, he’s only played the position in an actual game a very small handful of times. And to his credit, he’s hit the ground running in his conversion from tackle to guard, drawing praise from his coaches.

But there are still areas in which Mauigoa can grow as an interior offensive lineman, starting with space adjustment.

He’ll go from working on an island to working in a phone booth where things happen fast, particularly against the more athletic and quicker defensive linemen that one can find in today’s NFL.

And with that, he’ll need to get into his pass set quicker than he did at tackle, where he had a little more depth in which to adjust.

The good news for Mauigoa is that he can expect to receive a lot of reps this summer to build up a comfort level, the hope being that by the end of the summer, everything regarding playing inside becomes second nature to him.

R2: CB Colton Hood

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

The expectation for cornerback Colton Hood is to compete for a starting job, specifically the one that opened when Cor’Dale Flott moved on via free agency to Tennessee.

Realistically, though, Hood might be one of those players who won’t necessarily begin the season as a starting cornerback, but who, through reps and coaching, will round into shape to take on a bigger role later in the year.

Hood’s core skillset is a perfect match for what this new Giants defense is calling for. He’s a physical press-man corner who is very good against the run, which has been an Achilles heel for the Giants defense for years.

Hood needs to show progress in several areas, starting with improving his reaction time and footwork, particularly in off-man coverage.

He’ll also need to show better awareness when the ball is in the air and he has his back to the quarterback, and he will need to make sure he’s not grabby when receivers make their break.

R3: WR Malachi Fields

Jun 3, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malachi Fields (0) participates in drills during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fields was brought on board in part due to his size and catch radius, both of which offer quarterback Jaxson Dart a bigger pass target, especially down the field.

Fields is a big-bodied perimeter target and an ideal red-zone option given his size. He’s also a very good downfield blocker, an underrated skill that people don’t talk enough about when it comes to receivers.

Where he can improve his game is against press coverage, where he must avoid allowing cornerbacks to re-route him or disrupt the timing of his route once the ball is snapped.

The good news is Fields is a big and physical receiver. He’llneed to keep refining his technique and timing to nullify the effects of press coverage against him, with a focus on using his hands to swat away any jam attempts by defensive backs.

R6a: OL J.C. Davis

The Giants have been trying to add young talent to their offensive line that actually sticks around for a while. They did well in finding Marcus Mbow last year, and they are hoping that J.C. Davis, the first of their three sixth-round draft picks, follows in Mbow’s footsteps.

Davis projects as a tackle, but he might also be able to give the Giants snaps at guard down the line, where his lack of lateral ability would be minimized.

If Davis does end up slotted in at tackle, he'll need to improve his balance against speed rushers and add power to his game to better handle bull rushes. The good news though for this rookie is he’s probably a year away from having to see extensive action.

R6b: DL Bobby Jamison-Travis

The Giants’ second of three sixth-round picks projects as a future nose tackle in this league, a role he’s unlikely to take on this year given the presence of veteran D.J. Reader.

Jamison-Travis is a physical, two-down, run-stopping force who will compete to be Reader’s backup. Still, for him to eventually succeed Reader at nose tackle, Jamison-Travis will need to show that he can better handle double-team blocks while maintaining gap integrity.

Another area in which Jamison-Travis’s game can develop is in the pass-rush department. While no one expects him to contend for the team's sack lead, developing an ability to push the pocket could bode well for him eventually becoming an every-down player.

R6c: LB Jack Kelly

New York Giants linebacker Jack Kelly | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The last of the Giants’ three sixth-round draft picks needs to clean up his missed tackles, of which he posted a career 18.5% rate and a single-season high of 22.4% last year for the BYU Cougars. To do that, he needs to do a better job of wrapping up the ball carrier.

Another area where Kelly can really help himself (besides special teams, which is where he will likely see the bulk of his action as a rookie) is in shedding blocks against the run.

Some scouting reports have cited his short arm length (31 ⅛) as a problem to overcome, but an increase in upper body strength should help him improve.

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