New York Giants training camp is two weeks away. That reality is at the forefront of everything being written about the Giants right now. Let’s get to the headlines.
“One-hundred percent, yes, truly an opportunity,” Harbaugh said In an interview with the Dominique Foxworth Show. “Those are welcome things because those are going to happen. Those types of things — I told the guys, this is not a one-off. This is not the first time we’re going to be thrown into this very thing, the political, social discourse. So we have to have conversations in a reasonable — in a way that respects one another. So, how are we going to go about this? What do you guys think?
“And, really, honestly, Dominique, I didn’t have to do anything. I didn’t have to say anything, really. The players said it. They laid the ground rules down for the guys and decided how it would be approached going forward. So now, when these waves keep coming in from the ocean and crash against our shore, I think we’ll be better prepared for them going forward because we’ll be expecting them. And we’ll be talking about how we’re going to deal with them.”
Perhaps the most critical part to any success for the Giants in Harbaugh’s first season and beyond will be tied to Jaxson Dart’s progression throughout the summer and into the 2026 season. His presence in the spring has garnered headlines on a much wider scale than anticipated, and with that comes the pressure to deliver – both internal, which is always present for Dart, and external from those ready to make a judgment on the Giants’ quarterback after every play.
And it’s already started: the borderline disrespect of Dart’s game with cries of how he has not done enough to celebrate the Knicks’ championship with teammates or appear in Crocs commercials on social media with Cam Skattebo, that he is acting as if he has accomplished more than he has so far and supposedly tearing apart the locker room by veering into the great political divide. That’s all a crock, of course, but perception becomes reality when critics don’t care about taking the time to figure out what’s real and what’s imagined.
The 23-year-old enters his second year with plenty going for him, and Harbaugh is only the beginning. Tight end Isaiah Likely, often impressive when given the opportunity in Baltimore, arrived in free agency to upgrade Dart’s weapons. Wideouts Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin also joined in March to help fill the gap vacated by Wan’Dale Robinson.
And then there’s the addition of Schoen’s 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, guard Francis Mauigoa, the re-signing of Jermaine Eluemunor, and third-round rookie Malachi Fields. Granted, there are a few question marks on the interior of the offensive line, but if Dart’s deep accuracy improves and his supporting cast stays healthy, the Ole Miss product should shine in 2026.
Isaiah Likely, TE. This needs to be Likely for the Giants. The three-year, $40 million contract the Giants gave Likely was the richest handed out by the team in new coach John Harbaugh’s first offseason. No one batted an eye at the Giants making Likely the fourth highest-paid tight end in the league because his receiving talent is evident. But Likely never topped 42 catches or 477 yards in four seasons with the Ravens while operating in three-time Pro Bowler Mark Andrews’ shadow. Now Likely is the Giants’ unquestioned No. 1 tight end after following Harbaugh from Baltimore, and the team needs his production to match his compensation.
Big Blue youth movement taking shape. Over the past two drafts, the Giants have stockpiled four first-round picks: Carter, Dart, LB Arvell Reese and OL Francis Mauigoa. Rookie WR Malachi Fields and first-year CB Colton Hood — a pair of Day 2 picks in April — figure to be big contributors. Though there is sterling veteran talent such as LT Andrew Thomas and OLB Brian Burns, the Giants are a young squad looking to lay a winning foundation in the first year under Harbaugh. High draft spots and hype can provide anticipation, but seeing the youngsters round into form this summer will be crucial for 2026 and beyond.
The goal is for the pre-snap looks, often two-high shell looks, to all look the same, while the final coverage is different. Quarters was his primary base coverage as defensive coordinator in Tennessee, but it is a flexible zone that can often look like man or quickly turn into other two-high or even single-high looks. The goal is to make quarterbacks hold the ball for an extra tick or two to allow the pass rush to get home.
I do expect an increase in the number of pressures and a lot of creative blitzes up front given the variety and volume of potential Giants pass rushers. Players will line up in different spots and there can be a lot of movement up front with a variety of twists and stunts. He coached under Gregg Williams a long time, and there’s no doubt he picked up how a defensive coordinator can dictate to the offense how the game is going to be played.
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