The biggest development of spring practices was the trio of veteran receivers joining the team.
John Schmeelk: Fiction – It's certainly exciting to see the additions of Juju Smith-Schuster, Braxton Berrios and Odell Beckham Jr., but I still don't know how much they are going to play when the team lines up against the Cowboys on Sept. 13 on Sunday Night Football. I do know all the additions at defensive tackle, especially DJ Reader, will play a role on this team, not to mention players like Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu. These additions became even more pressing with the injury to Roy Robertson-Harris. The Giants will need their defensive tackles to play well to stop the run and let loose their aggressive pass rush and creative schemes in the secondary.
Dan Salomone: Fiction – The first and second topics are tied together for me. They're both about kicker, which has been a carousel for the Giants in recent years. One of the best things about having a distinguished coach like John Harbaugh is his clarity. He stated clearly that there was going to be a three-way kicker competition between veteran Jason Sanders, Ben Sauls, and undrafted rookie Dominic Zvada from Michigan. Near the end of OTAs, it became a two-way race after Sanders, a former All-Pro, was released. Zvada took advantage while Sauls has dealt with some misses in practice. Circling back to the point about Harbaugh, he was honest with what he has seen.
"I was talking to Ben out there," Harbaugh said after the final minicamp practice. "I feel like this is preparation for training camp, which is where the competition will really heat up. The good thing about that is with Ben's misses they've all been left, if you've noticed. They've all been pushed left. It's the same exact miss every time. That's a good problem to have. He knows the problem with it from a technique standpoint. He's just got to lock in and fix it. He'll do that. I'm confident in it."
Matt Citak: Fact – The wide receivers created the most headlines over the few weeks of spring practices as the Giants added three new targets for Jaxson Dart. At the very least, they provide the second-year quarterback with some reliable veterans to work with and learn from over the next few months. The injury to Gunner Olszewski is also connected to these additions, which is why this was the biggest development of the spring. Olszewski going down opened a hole on special teams, as the Giants must now figure out who will be returning punts and kickoffs this season.
Kicker will be the most intriguing competition at training camp.
John Schmeelk: Fact – I almost went with kicker for the first statement. Dominic Zvada really settled in nicely at the end of spring practice and began to consistently make his kicks in every practice. He also flashed his big leg from 50+ yards. Ben Sauls will have his work cut out for him given Zvada's leg strength. If Zvada can remain consistent, his big leg could end up becoming a big weapon for the Giants where they can start considering field goals around midfield. The most important thing is to see both kickers make the ones they are supposed to make consistently.
Dan Salomone: Fact – See my answer above. On top of that, you have to remember that Harbaugh made a name for himself in the NFL as a special teams coordinator. He has been hands-on with the details in that phase of the game, whether it's coaching up the gunners or showing the proper way to get a tight seal on protecting punts and field goals.
Matt Citak: Fiction – Zvada vs. Sauls will certainly be an interesting competition to keep an eye on during training camp. But I still have to go with the battle for CB2 as the most intriguing. Paulson Adebo has looked more like his old self throughout the spring, but who will start opposite him is still up in the air. Greg Newsome II, Colton Hood, and Deonte Banks all had their moments during OTAs and minicamp. It remains to be seen if one guy can separate himself from the others once the team heads to West Virginia and the pads come on, which signals the start of contact being permitted at practice.