Why Dalen Cambre is the Wildcard of the NY Giants’ Wide Receiver Battle

The New York Giants had a makeshift wide receiver room in 2025, especially after Malik Nabers suffered a season-ending knee injury in week four.

59.5% of the Giants’ receiving production in 2025 came from wide receivers, with most of that production no longer available for all of the 2026 season.

Wan’Dale Robinson is now with the Tennessee Titans after having a 1,000-yard season last year, and Nabers is still recovering from his knee injury.

The Giants used the offseason to bring in rotational and depth pieces like Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III, but the competition in the room should still be wide open for the final couple of spots.

That’s where players like Dalen Cambre, Ryan Miller, and Beaux Collins will all be looking to make their mark.

Obviously, those players will fill different roles in the room. Still, given the minimal roles they should be expected to play, versatility, contracts, and special teams contributions will likely help inform those decisions.

Dalen Cambre, WR

Height: 6-0
Weight: 192
EXP: 2 Years
School: Louisiana
How Acquired: FA-’25

2025 in Review

New York Giants wide receiver Dalen Cambre | John Jones-Imagn Images

Cambre signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent with virtually no college production following the 2025 NFL Draft.

While he was initially viewed as a head-scratching addition, special teams were always going to be his calling card to give himself a chance.

What many didn’t expect was how impressive Cambre would be throughout the summer, consistently creating explosive plays as a receiver.

Through the preseason, Cambre would finish with just two catches for 45 yards on five targets, working as both an outside and slot receiver.

Cambre was released as part of the final roster cuts for the Giants after the preseason, but would join the practice squad a few weeks later.

After using his three elevations, the Giants signed Cambre to the active roster for the remainder of the season.

Cambre was active for seven games in the regular season and would play a significant role on special teams while making five appearances on offense without registering a target.

As a special teamer, Cambre registered five total tackles while participating on both sides of kickoff and punt teams.

Contract/Cap Info

Following the 2025 NFL Draft, Cambre signed a standard three-year undrafted free agent contract, which was terminated when he was waived at the end of the preseason.

Cambre would re-sign with the Giants' practice squad in September on a two-year deal worth $1,845,000 with no guaranteed money at signing.

The Giants will have no issue parting ways with Cambre if they want to, whether it’s by cut or trade, as there’s no dead cap penalty attached and it creates $1,005,000 in cap space.

Cambre is the lowest-paid wide receiver on the Giants' roster each year, which could be seen as either a positive or a negative.

As a positive, the Giants will have little incentive to release Cambre to create cap space, since the savings are so small.

On the flip side, Cambre has virtually no protection for the Giants to try to avoid a dead cap penalty.

If the Giants are deciding between Cambre and any other player(s) on the back end of the roster, they may choose to keep another player that does have a dead cap penalty attached.

2026 Preview

Is it going to get old that Harbaugh’s Special Teams Coordinator experience and background keep coming up when talking about depth players and their ability to contribute? Absolutely.

Does that make it any less relevant or true? Not at all.

Cambre made it to the NFL because of his experience and ability to contribute as a special teamer at Louisiana, and could very well go the way of Matthew Slater, who had a 16-year career as a core special teamer in New England.

At his ceiling, Cambre should be able to contribute more offensively than Slater, especially if what we saw during the 2025 summer was an indicator of what he can become.

If Cambre proves capable of contributing offensively as a depth option this summer, he could be the last receiver on the roster, which could leave an extra spot available depending on Nabers’ status as we approach the regular season.

With Gunner Olszewski expected to miss the 2026 season with an injury, that opens a roster spot for a depth receiver who also contributes on special teams.

However, if Cambre is unable to show he can be an offensive contributor, the Giants will be forced to decide whether they are willing to keep a player who’s a pure special-teams player in a time when teams are prioritizing players who can contribute as depth as well as special teams.

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