Football activities have begun for the New York Giants as rookies reported to training camp this week, while the rest of the team will report on July 22 and have their first practice the next day.
There have been several changes to the team’s roster since the conclusion of the disastrous 2024 season, and most feel they’ve had one of the better offseasons in the league. But head coach Brian Daboll and his staff know they have a challenging task in forming the best 53-man roster.
The majority of the roster is in place, but there will be some intriguing competitions to watch this summer. Here are the top three battles to watch during Giants training camp.
Starting right guard
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The only position on the starting offensive line that’s not solidified is right guard, where Greg Van Roten and Evan Neal will compete for the starting job.
Van Roten started all 17 games last season and is the clear favorite to be the starter in Week 1. But after three disappointing and injury-plagued seasons at right tackle, the team will try Neal at guard to see if they can salvage the final year of his rookie contract.
It’s also possible that fifth-round pick Marcus Mbow may get a chance to compete for the starting role if he performs well early in camp. The competition for the team’s starting right guard will be arguably the most intense battle to watch.
Second starting corner
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New York’s secondary will be improved significantly this season with the addition of new No. 1 cornerback Paulson Adebo. But the question is who will start on the opposite side of him: Deonte Banks or Cor’Dale Flott?
After a solid rookie season, Banks struggled mightily in 2024 and, worst of all, showed a lack of effort on occasion. Some question if he’s a good fit for defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s scheme. But the 24-year-old corner is determined to have a bounce-back year and live up to being a first-round draft pick.
Flott has appeared in 39 games in his three seasons with Big Blue and started 23 of them, playing on the outside and in the slot. He had a career-high seven pass defenses last season, and now he’s trying to become a full-time starter.
Neither Banks nor Flott are ballhawks, as they each have two career interceptions. Whoever wins the job could have the best season of their career, as quarterbacks will challenge them while avoiding throws toward Adebo, who has 10 career interceptions.
We may not know who will start opposite Adebo until late in the summer.
Second on running back depth chart
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After an impressive rookie season where he had over 1,000 all-purpose yards, Tyrone Tracy Jr. will be the team’s starting running back, but who will be his backup remains unclear.
Devin Singletary currently sits at No. 2 on the depth chart. He’s a strong, versatile runner and solid blocker. The team signed him last year to be the starter, but Tracy eventually supplanted him, and after averaging a career-low 3.9 yards per carry, some feel he might be declining.
Tracy faces competition from rookie Cam Skattebo, whom New York took in the fourth round. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound Skattebo is an explosive player who scored 24 total touchdowns in his final year at Arizona State. He’ll be in the mix in New York’s ground game this season, especially in short yardage and at the goal line. But to surpass Singletary on the depth chart, he’ll need to prove he can block efficiently and protect Russell Wilson on passing downs.
One day, Tracy and Skattebo will be the Giants’ one-two punch in the backfield, but that may not happen this year if Singletary outperforms the rookie tailback.