This offseason, the Giants rebuilt their special teams unit with new coaches and personnel. Among their most intriguing additions was undrafted free agent kicker Dominic Zvada out of Michigan. Fresh off a decorated career in Ann Arbor, Zvada is making his presence known during the Giants’ rookie minicamp, punctuated by a flawless first practice where he went 5-for-5 on field goals, capped off by an effortless 55-yarder that had John Harbaugh singing his praises.
Dominic Zvada Impressed John Harbaugh During the First Rookie Minicamp Practice
According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, Zvada went “5 for 5 on field goals, including a 55-yarder to conclude the festivities” at the Giants’ first rookie minicamp practice. Harbaugh reacted to the rookie’s performance while speaking with the media after practice, affirming that Zvada will be competing for the starting kicker job this summer.
“Well, it’s going to be a competition, for sure, right out of the gate,” Harbaugh said (h/t Giants.com). “It’s already started. You saw Zvada. That was his first iteration of that competition. We’re coming next week. We’ll be kicking field goals. We’ve go to OTAs, we’ll kick field goals I think every other practice, but we may be kicking them every practice because we have three guys to kick. We’ll just see how it shakes out.”
Zvada arrives in New York with an impressive track record. During his 2024 campaign at Michigan, he delivered one of the most efficient seasons in program history, converting 21 of 22 attempts to set a single-season record of 95.5%. This earned him first-team All-American honors and the title of Big Ten Kicker of the Year.
Dominic Zvada, giants, Syndication: Detroit Free Press
Credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Zvada’s real calling card, however, is his range; he holds both the single-season and career records at Michigan for 50-plus yard field goals made with seven. Prior to joining the Wolverines, Zvada was already a proven commodity at Arkansas State, where he connected on 34 field goals over two seasons, including a school-record 56-yarder.
That big leg has caught Harbaugh’s attention already during minicamp.
“Really talented. He’s big, tall, rangy kind of guy. Big for a kicker, you would say, and really strong leg,” Harbaugh said. “More than anything, it’s the consistency. He has a vertical swing pattern, we call it. He does a nice job of getting downfield through the kick. Because of that, he tends to kick a ball straight consistently. If you do that, you probably have a chance. It’s like your drive, right? When you hit it straight down the middle consistently, you have a good round.”
Metric 2024 (Michigan) Career (MICH/ARST)
Field Goal Accuracy 95.5% (21/22) 82.8% (72/87)
Extra Point Accuracy 96.3% (26/27) 98.6% (140/142)
50+ Yard FGs Made 7 9
Career Points — 356
The Giants’ Kicker Battle
Giants, Ben Sauls, Jason Sanders
Credit: Credits: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images, Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Despite his UDFA status, Zvada is no long shot—he’s a legitimate contender in a three-way battle that John Harbaugh has dubbed a wide-open competition. He will be squaring off against veteran Jason Sanders and holdover Ben Sauls for the starting role.
While Sanders brings the veteran stability that Harbaugh typically craves, his efficiency from distance has fluctuated in recent years. Zvada’s youth, big-leg potential, and consistency under pressure at the collegiate level provide the Giants with a chance to upgrade their scoring ceiling while maintaining cap flexibility.
avatar
Anthony Rivardo is the COO of Empire Sports Media and the host of Fireside Giants, a New York Giants ... More about Anthony Rivardo