Jason Leach
The New York Giants‘ third OTA session will run from Monday, June 1st, through June 4th, and then they’ll return the following week for mandatory minicamp from June 8th to June 10th.
Although there will be little to no contact during these sessions, the activities will ramp up as the team prepares for the upcoming season. The expectation is that all players who are healthy will be in attendance and participate during mandatory minicamp.
Here are four things to keep an eye on for the Giants during OTAs and mandatory minicamp.
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Who Develops the Best Rapport with Jaxson Dart?
With Malik Nabers availability for the start of the season up in the air as he recovers from his second knee surgery, there are questions on who will be Jaxson Dart’s go-to guy if Nabers isn’t ready for Week 1.
New York added several pass catchers in free agency, such as tight end Isaiah Likely and receivers Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III. Then, in the draft, they traded up into the third round to take Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields with the 74th overall pick.
With Darius Slayton unable to participate as he recovers from core-muscle surgery, the new pass catchers will see a ton of targets from Dart. It will be interesting to see which of the new pass catchers develops the best rapport with the second-year quarterback.
The Play of Second-Round Pick Colton Hood
The team is expecting big things for their second-round pick in corner Colton Hood. The question isn’t if he’ll be a starter in 2026, but when he’ll be a starter.
How he fares during the remainder of the spring will play a factor in how soon he’ll crack the starting lineup. Although there won’t be any hitting, the competition between the receivers and corners will be the most compelling matchup to watch.
If Hood can win more battles than he loses against the wideouts, he could start on the opposite side of Paulson Adebo when training camp starts in July.
Which Players Will Return Kicks?
Big Blue suffered a big blow last week as they lost returner Gunner Olszewski for the year with a torn Achilles. Now there will be an open competition to see who the team’s punt and kickoff returner will be.
Several players on the roster could fill those roles, such as Calvin Austin III, Deonte Banks, and Xavier Gipson. With his background as a special teams coordinator, head coach John Harbaugh will be hands-on in finding out who will be the team’s new return specialist.
Can the Team Escape Without More Injuries?
In addition to losing Olszewski for the season, New York already lost defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris and undrafted rookie corner Thaddeus Dixon to Achilles tears earlier this spring. The team is thin at some positions and can ill-afford injuries anymore.
When the spring practice sessions conclude, everyone in the organization is hoping that the team will avoid any more injuries. The last thing the team needs is to lose another player for the season.
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