New York Giants players and coaches have been hard at work throughout OTAs over the past few weeks, and a few key things have stuck out to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, who has been in attendance at practice.
— WR position is jumbled mess. Lots of bodies, mass competition. Odell Beckham Jr. was on the field for the second play of live drills after signing Monday.
— TE Isaiah Likely caught a lot of balls. Partly b/c of no Theo Johnson.
Isaiah Likely seems to be a featured piece in the passing game and may be primed for a breakout with Big Blue in 2026.
He noted that the wide receiver position is a “jumbled mess,” which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, given the wide array of signings the Giants made this past week.
For special teams, UDFA Dominic Zvada seems to be taking control of the kicking competition, while several Giants continue to compete for the punt returner role.
But most tantalizing of the bunch has to be the reports of New York’s defense dominating the offense in practice, with 2025 No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter sticking out in the best way possible.
Abdul Carter Set for Featured Role in 2026
Entering the 2026 season, Carter is set up to be a key piece in the New York Giants pass rush, opposite reigning All-Pro Brian Burns.
The best aspect about being a part of such a deep group of pass rushers is the fact that opposing offenses can’t focus their protection on just one guy, and have to leave most of their blockers in one-on-one scenarios.
Carter should and will capitalize on those opportunities.
Despite having an up-and-down rookie season that raised questions about his maturity, Carter turned in a solid season that saw him place fifth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
According to Pro Football Focus, Carter was the NFL’s 10th-best pass rusher as a rookie, earning an 84.5 pass-rush grade.
He totaled four sacks, seven tackles for loss, and even forced two fumbles in 17 appearances and six starts.
With another year of experience under his belt, the former Penn State standout should only continue to ascend as a pass rusher.
Francis Mauigoa Can Benefit From Facing ‘Dominating’ Defense
The New York Giants’ defense dominating the offense isn’t a total negative, as some fans may make it out to be.
In fact, the experience should only make the offense better, and one rookie may benefit more than most in OTAs.
The Giants’ No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Francis Mauigoa, is getting his first taste of pro football action, going up against the likes of Burns and Carter.
And veteran right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor believes it’s only making the rookie better, pointing out that the Miami product is giving it right back to the experienced veterans.
“He’s (Mauigoa) also a really confident guy, also a really hard worker, and doesn’t take BS from anyone. You know, a lot of the times when me and Burns are going at it, and he’s sliding out to him, he’s not afraid to get in Burns’ face or get in Abdul’s face and let him know that…if it was a game situation, he’d be right there waiting for me,” Eluemunor told reporters.
“Like, spin back inside so I can smack him. So, you know, it’s like that young guy energy that you kind of feed off. So Sisi is a really hard-working guy. He’s a physical guy. And I think, you know…It’s been a lot of fun.”
As the old saying goes, iron sharpens iron, and it sounds like both the Giants’ offensive and defensive lines are pushing each other to get better at each practice.
Giants’ Abdul Carter Turning Heads as Defense ‘Dominated’ at OTAs