Lots of thoughts on players and other things before camp begins
With New York Giants training camp almost here, let’s take an alphabetical look at what to watch when it comes to the 2025 Giants.
A is for … Abdul: Expectations are already through the roof for Abdul Carter, the edge defender the Giants selected No. 3 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Carter is the betting favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year, and the Giants themselves seem to believe they have something special on their hands.
B is for … Banks: Former first-round pick Deonte Banks has gone from being counted on to be the Giants’ No. 1 cornerback in 2024 to being looked at as the biggest question mark in a revamped secondary a year later. There is an old saying that you are only as strong as your weakest link. So, will Banks drag the Giants’ secondary down in 2025, or will he become the player the Giants were looking for when they drafted him?
C is for Competition … What will the best competitions be this summer? Could Cor’Dale Flott really take a cornerback job from Deonte Banks? Can Evan Neal be a starting guard? Which wide receivers fill out the depth chart? What competitions are you most looking forward to?
D is for … Dart: As NFL analyst Greg Cosell has said, the biggest priority for the Giants this season is to develop rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka indicated during the spring that the Giants have a step-by-step plan for Dart that spans multiple years. We will get to see Dart play in preseason games this summer, and get some idea where he is on that development curve. Even though he won’t be the starting quarterback Week 1, the ups and downs of Dart’s training camp and preseason will be a daily story.
E is for … Evan: Can Evan Neal make a successful transition to guard after three failed seasons as a right tackle? Neal’s progress at guard will be one of the stories of the summer, and maybe one of the stories of the season.
F is for … Fidone: Can tight end Thomas Fidone, a rookie seventh-round pick, make the roster? If he doesn’t, will he get snapped up on the waiver wire before the Giants can get him to the practice squad? Maybe more importantly, if you are into tattoos would you let ‘Tommy Tatz’ ink you?
G is for … Gano: Can the 16-year veteran show he is healthy and can be relied upon after two injury-plagued seasons?
H is for … Hyatt: Jalin Hyatt added as much as 25 pounds this offseason, hoping the added weight and strength will help him finally become the playmaker the Giants thought they were drafting in 2023. Even Hyatt, though, admitted he has to learn how to run with the added weight. Think about running and cutting full speed while carrying a small child, or while having a 25-pound backpack strapped on. Hyatt was impressive in the spring. Let’s see if it continues in the summer.
I is for … Injuries: Hopefully, the Giants don’t suffer any major ones before the games begin to count in September.
J is for … Jets: The Giants will hold two joint practices this August with the New York Jets. On Tuesday, Aug. 12 the teams will work out at the Jets’ facility in Florham Park, N.J. The following day, Wednesday, Aug. 13, they will be at the Giants’ facility in East Rutherford.
K is for … Kayvon: Media outlet after media outlet has proposed this offseason that the Giants trade fourth-year edge defender Kayvon Thibodeaux. Well, that hasn’t happened. Thibodeaux has been good for the Giants in his first three seasons, but probably not the star hoped for when he was selected No. 5 overall in 2022. Will this be Thibodeaux’s best year? Will Carter’s presence lead to a diminished role? It’s going to be interesting to watch.
L is for … Lawrence: Dexter Lawrence — Big Dex, Sexy Dexy, whatever you want to call him — might be football’s best defensive tackle. With all the upgraded talent around him on defense, that is a scary thought for opposing offenses.
M is for … Mbow: After trading their second-round pick to move up for quarterback Jaxson Dart, the Giants waited until Round 5 to address their need to add youth to the offensive line. Will Marcus Mbow, who is thought to have five-position versatility, pay Day 3 dividends? That would be a huge help for a team that badly needs young offensive line talent.
N is for … Nabers: We never saw star wide receiver Malik Nabers take a single practice rep in either individual or team drills during the spring. The Giants said they were being careful with Nabers as he was rehabbing a toe injury that has bothered him since college. I don’t know about anyone else but I find that curious and can’t help thinking something happened with Nabers during the offseason. It will be interesting to see how the Giants handle Nabers during training camp. Is the toe a concern? Today, no. If Nabers is barely practicing this August, maybe the answer becomes yes.
O is for … Open Practices: There will only be 11 of them during training camp. The schedule is as follows:
Gates will open at 8:30 a.m. ET
All practices will begin at approx. 10 a.m. ET*
Wednesday, July 23
Thursday, July 24
Friday, July 25
Sunday, July 27 (Back Together Weekend)
Monday, July 28
Tuesday, July 29
Thursday, July 31
Friday, Aug. 1
Saturday, Aug. 2
Monday, Aug. 4
Wednesday, Aug. 13 (Jets Joint Practice)
*Scheduled times subject to change. In the event of inclement weather, practice will be moved indoors and there will be no public viewing. For the most up-to-date information on training camp, visit Giants.com, @Giants on Twitter, the Giants App, or call the Training Camp Hotline at 201.935.8111 ext. 1070.
P is for … Paulson: The Giants signed Paulson Adebo in free agency to be their No. 1 cornerback and to lead a young group at that position. Let’s see if he can do those things. The Giants love his work ethic and his willingness to work with his more inexperienced teammates.
Q is for … Quick: The Giants need a quick start to the season. In the playoff year of 2022 they gena 6-1. In 2023, they started 1-5. In 2024, they started 1-3, won a game, then lost 10 straight. Can this training camp provide the groundwork to get off to a decent start despite a difficult first four weeks (at Commanders, at Cowboys, vs. Chiefs, vs. Chargers)?
R is for … Russell: It’s been all sunshine and rainbows with Russell Wilson and the Giants. Wilson, as he always does, said the right things. HIs coaches love him. His teammates love him. That hasn’t been the case for Wilson in recent seasons. We will see how long everyone keeps tossing flowers, rather than “Darts”, at Wilson.
S is for … Skattebo: Will Cam Skattebo’s power-packed “run through telephone poles” style of play translate in the NFL? What role will he play in the 2025 backfield? We will begin to get answers to those questions this summer.
T is for … Thomas: Can Andrew Thomas be healthy for a full season? After two years of leg and foot injuries, including Lisfranc surgery, can he return to form as a dominant left tackle? Those are critical questions for the Giants.
U is for … Underdogs: That is what the Giants will be all season. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Giants favored in just one of their 17 games, Week 5 vs. the New Orleans Saints.
V is for … Victories: How many will there be?
W is for … Winston: Jameis Winston always seems to be having fun. He’s become that lovable, cartoon character backup everyone wants to root for. Until he has to play and starts firing passes to the wrong team. Will Winston get an opportunity to contribute on the field in 2025? Or, would the Giants skip over him and go straight to Dart if Wilson is injured or they simply decide to move on?
(We have now reached the part of this exercise where I wish I had never started it. How would you fill the last three letters?)
X is for … X-Factor: I know, cheesy. But, we do the best we can. Anyway, there are actually several ways to go to figure out an ‘X-Factor’ for the Giants. I am going to go with second-year tight end Theo Johnson, and whether or not he can show the ability to become the big time tight end that head coach Brian Daboll seems to believe he can be. Johnson was showing signs becoming a real weapon in the passing offense before going on IR due to a Lisfranc injury. If he can become a dominant force in the middle of the field that changes the Giants’ passing offense for the better.
Y is for … Yardage (thanks, Tony D.): The Giants were 30th in the league in yards gained last season and 29th in 2023. They spent a lot of resources improving the defense, but made a calculated bet that improving at quarterback would be the elixir for the offense. Can they get to middle of the pack in yardage gained? When they did that in 2022, finishing 18th, they made the playoffs.
Z is for … The end for Brian Daboll?: I am cheating on this one, but our ABCs have not addressed Daboll’s status. If Year 4 is not good enough, however John Mara chooses to define that, it will be understandable if Daboll does not get a Year 5 as Giants head coach.
