NY Giants news: Defining success, rookie expectations, good news on Malik Nabers
Good morning, New York Giants fans! Here are the stories you need to know about today. The question remains about when Malik Nabers will return from rehab on his right knee, with the Giants hopeful he can play the season opener against the Cowboys. The Giants wide receiver, though, is expected to avoid the active/physically unable to perform list to start camp, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. Which offensive and defensive rookies are you most excited to see in training camp and preseason? Defensively, give me Arvell Reese. He was a bit of a surprise pick to the Giants, though his talent is not in question. Reese was a hybrid defender at Ohio State, splitting his time between edge rusher and off-ball linebacker, and it appears the Giants will deploy him similarly. Even with changes up front, Reese could be a monster on a front that features Brian Burns , Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter , along with free-agent LB addition Tremaine Edmunds . I’ll be curious to see just how much the Giants put on Reese’s plate. They tried a similar approach with Carter as a rookie, and it took until later in his rookie season for the former Penn State star to really shine. Reese has all the tools to be a star eventually, but his instincts will be put to the test in Year 1. The preseason tape should be fascinating to watch. What will this offense look like if Malik Nabers is sidelined? There’s no certainty that receiver Malik Nabers, who is recovering from injuries to his ACL and meniscus, will be cleared to practice without restrictions at the start of training camp, and we should not assume that the Giants’ best offensive player will be ready by the start of the season. If he can’t go, the Giants will be trying to patch together a passing game with receivers like Darius Slayton , Calvin Austin III , Darnell Mooney , and Odell Beckham Jr. I don’t envision much explosive passing from New York until Nabers is back, and I worry about quarterback Jaxson Dart ’s development without him. Biggest storyline: How will the Giants handle increased expectations and a new coach? New York added a Super Bowl-winning coach with John Harbaugh to work with a young quarterback in Jaxson Dart. That combination alone has some thinking the Giants will have an immediate turnaround. (Reminder: They won just seven games in the past two seasons combined.) Throw in that they had two top-10 draft picks who are expected to contribute immediately and it’s supposed to instantly produce more wins. But with new schemes offensively and defensively, it might not look so promising right away. How will the organization handle that? The increased workload will also be something to watch, especially when Harbaugh is known as an old-school coach who runs one of the league’s harder training camps. Cutting Okereke, keeping Thibodeaux, re-signing Eluemunor, letting Robinson walk and taking the best player available with the fifth pick were clear similarities between my plan and the Giants’ actions. There were also some differences, particularly in the lack of investment in the trenches in free agency. The Mauigoa pick mitigates that to an extent, but the Giants couldn’t have known they’d have that pick while making free-agency decisions. The biggest divide was the Lawrence situation. It was impossible at the time of my plan to have a full grasp on the interpersonal dynamics that eroded the relationship. I still wonder whether the Giants, if they had proactively made my extension offer, could have avoided the ugly standoff, but all things considered, they made the best of a tough situation by securing the 10th pick in the trade. Biggest Additions: The New York Giants are beginning a new era with young players like Malik Nabers, Cam Skattebo , and quarterback Jaxson Dart. This offseason, they added a Super Bowl-winning coach in John Harbaugh to the equation. As a group, the NFC East has the potential to be a very improved division in 2026. If Harbaugh can get the most out of [... truncated ...]
