The 4 New York Giants That Have The Most To Gain By Having An Impressive Summer
The John Harbaugh era will kick off in full swing in a few weeks when the New York Giants report to training camp in West Virginia.
The 2026 season is one of the most important seasons in the 102-year history of the franchise, as ownership is hopeful that Harbaugh can turn the franchise around.
“I look at it like a real opportunity. It’s going to be a chance to get locked in. It’s a simple place to be, you know. You don’t have to deal with coming back and forth from a hotel. Obviously we’ll get away from the World Cup stuff and the construction here, which is a plus too for us.” Harbaugh said shortly before the team wrapped up mandatory minicamp.
All of the players will look to make an impression on their new head coach. The starters will look to solidify their position on the roster, whereas the players who are on the bubble will look to earn a roster spot.
Here are the four players with the most to gain by having an impressive training camp and preseason.
Deonte Banks
Everything New York has done this offseason indicates they’re losing patience with Deonte Banks and are ready to move on from him. They declined his fifth year option, they signed free agent Greg Newsome II, and the Giants used their second-round pick (37th overall) to draft Colton Hood.
It’s literally now or never for Banks. In his three years in New York, he has shown poor play, lack of focus, and effort. Those traits will get a player cut fast, especially with a new regime in place.
The hope is that new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson and his aggressive scheme will bring out the best in the 2023 first-round draft pick. Banks has been praised for his play during minicamp, but he’ll have to continue this trend during the summer.
If Banks resorts back to his poor play, it’s unlikely that the team will cut him because he has a dead cap hit of $4.32 million, but he will finish his tenure with Big Blue riding the bench.
Odell Beckham Jr
After years of speculation on a possible reunion, the Giants finally signed Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham played his first five seasons with Big Blue from 2014-2018, where he had four 1,000-yard seasons, voted to the Pro Bowl three times, named Second Team All-Pro twice, and was the 2014 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Since then, he’s suffered two torn ACLs, won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams, and played for John Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. Despite the fact that he hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2019, many believe he has enough left in the tank to be a productive wideout in 2026.
He’ll have a tall hill to climb if he’s going to make the roster. New York has 14 wideouts currently on the roster, and Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin III, and rookie Malachi Fields are locks to make the team. These leave only two or three spots up for grabs this summer.
At 33, OBJ is the oldest receiver on the roster. He must show that he can still run crisp routes and make plays downfield if he’s going to be out the younger wideouts. If he does, he’ll make the team and move up the all-time Giants receiving ranks. If he doesn’t, it may be the end of his career.
Evan Neal
Since being taken with the seventh overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Evan Neal has been a massive disappointment. He’s been constantly beaten off the edge by pass rushers, been plagued by injuries, and even lashed out at fans who were critical of his play.
After three failed years at right tackle, the expectation going into the 2025 season was that he would get playing time at guard. But Neal did not play a single snap last season.
In a surprise move, the team re-signed Neal to a one-year minimum contract. With a new coaching staff in place, the six-foot, 340-pound offensive lineman has a chance to impress his coaches and earn a spot as a reserve lineman. If it fails to impress the coaches, it’ll be a huge cloud hovering over his football career.
Colton Hood
The Giants believe that they got one of the steals of the 2026 NFL Draft when they were able to select Colton Hood with the 37th overall pick. The question is not if the former Tennessee Volunteer corner will become a starter, but when.
The battle to be the starting corner on the opposite side of Paulson Adebo will be between Hood, Denote Banks, and Greg Newsome II. This battle will be one of the biggest position battles to watch this summer, especially since the Giants’ first two games of the season are against the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams.
The Cowboys and Rams were the number one and two passing offenses last season. Hood needs to have a spectacular summer in training camp and in the preseason if he’s going to be a Week 1 starter. If he shines bright and doesn’t give up big plays, he’ll earn the trust of the coaching staff to go up against elite receivers at the start of his career.
Related: 3 Things That Bode Well For Odell Beckham Jr Making The New York Giants Roster
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