The New York Giants will conduct their mandatory minicamp this week, their first under new head coach John Harbaugh and his staff.
The itinerary will be more stringent than in years past, with three days of planned practices before the team breaks for the next six and a half weeks. The weather is expected to cooperate with sun and temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s.
There’ll be plenty to watch at minicamp as general manager Joe Schoen and Harbaugh have stacked the roster with a slew of new faces. Competition for jobs should be fierce.
Here are seven positions we’ll be focused on.
Wide receiver
The addition of Odell Beckham Jr. is the eye candy here, but the real story is the overall depth. With Malik Nabers (knee) and Darius Slayton (sports hernia) not participating, there’s an opportunity for others to step up and make their case for the roster. With the offseason additions of players such as Beckham, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Braxton Berrios, Calvin Austin III, Darnell Mooney, and rookie Malachi Fields (draft), holdovers Isaiah Hodgins, Jalin Hyatt, Beaux Collins, Dalen Cambre, Xavier Gipson, and Ryan Miller will have to shine to keep on the coaches’ radar.
Kicker
Jason Sanders was cut last week, leaving the Giants with two kickers: Ben Sauls and rookie Dominic Zvada. It looks as if the Giants want Zvada to win the job, and he is well on his way to doing that. Sauls has had some rough days at OTAs, and Zvada has shown flashes of his historic college career at Michigan. But there’s a long way to go yet, and Zvada will be pushed. He’ll have to earn it. This coaching staff holds special teams in high regard, and they aren’t about to head into the season with any uncertainty.
Defensive line
Welcome to the post-Dexter Lawrence era. The Giants dealt the All-Pro but replaced him with a bevy of big bodies they hope will stop the run, a dire need this offseason. Lawrence was a snaps-eater, playing 75 percent most seasons, but this group will likely employ a more equitable rotation. D.J. Reader, Shelby Harris, Darius Alexander, Leki Fotu, Sam Roberts, Josh Tupoa, Zacch Pickens, and rookie Bobby Jamison-Travis will all get a shot to display their wares. The Giants have yet to place Roy Robertson-Harris (Achilles) on IR, hoping he may be able to return later in the season.
Offensive line
The starting five appears to be set from left to right: Andrew Thomas, Jon Runyan Jr., John Michael Schmitz, Francis Mauigoa, and Jermaine Eluemunor. The rest of the unit is up for grabs. That’s where things will get interesting this summer. We know Marcus Mbow has the inside track on the swing tackle spot, and the Giants want to give rookie J.C. Davis a legit shot to win a job. Free agents Lucas Patrick, Daniel Faalele, and Jarrod Gray will challenge for spots against holdovers Aaron Stinnie, Evan Neal, Joshua Ezeudu, Jake Kubas, and Bryan Hudson. UDFA Ryan Schernecke is also in camp, and the team is high on him as well.
Cornerback
Paulson Adebo will be one starter, and Dru Phillips will be the starter in the slot. After that, everything is fluid. Free agent Greg Newsome II and this year’s second-round pick, Colton Hood, will battle former first-rounder and starter Deonte Banks for the other boundary corner job. There are others in the mix who will fight for jobs (Rico Payton, Jarrick Bernard-Converse, Korie Black, Art Green) and possibly some later additions. Rookie Thaddeus Dixon (Achilles) appeared to be a solid signing after the draft, but he won’t get a shot due to injury.
Kick/punt returner
With Gunner Olszewski (Achilles) out for the year, the Giants acted quickly and signed Berrios, a player of similar skills. It appears that Berrios will get the first look at the punt and kick jobs, but he’ll have some competition, mainly from Austin and Banks.
Long snapper
The Giants, in a surprise move, let Zach Triner go last week, leaving rookie Ben Mann as the sole long snapper on the roster. The Giants, of course, will have a backup chosen from their existing roster. If Mann is up for the task, the team may not seek to add a veteran down the road. If he’s not, they’ll have to rethink the position.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants mandatory minicamp camp: 7 positions to watch
Reporting by John Fennelly, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
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By John Fennelly, Giants Wire | USA TODAY Network
