Giants Notebook: Beckham Set to Play, Dart's Status a Mystery, Zvada Booms a 62-Yarder

John Harbaugh’s New York Giants will get their first taste of live action against an opponent donning another colored jersey on Saturday when the Giants host the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium in a 1 p.m. kickoff.

Harbaugh didn’t go into his plans regarding who is going to play and who won’t–the Giants still have another couple of days before needing to make that decision. But one player who will definitely be part of the action is receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

“I think he's ramped up, honestly,” Harbaugh said after Wednesday’s practice. “You saw him on the sideline over there. I mean, he almost got his feet down on that really tough catch. He's looked good. He's in shape. He's taking every rep he's supposed to take in practice.

“I feel like he's getting stronger every day. He's in a good place. He will play, and I'm looking forward to seeing him play.”

Giants fans have long awaited the chance to see Beckham back in a Big Blue uniform. While Beckham is not the same player he was the first time around with the Giants, Harbaugh apparently feels that the 33-year-old receiver is in good enough shape to give the team quality snaps.

Beckham, who last played in 2024 as a member of the Miami Dolphins, only appeared in nine games and looked far from healthy. But in 2023, when he was with Harbaugh in Baltimore, Beckham, in 14 games with six starts, gave the Ravens 35 receptions for 565 yards and three scores.

Beckham has been diligent in his training to ensure that he finishes his NFL career on his terms. When he was first signed in the spring, he seemed sluggish all around, but since camp has begun, Beckham is showing signs of having something left in the tank as far as getting open and being able to separate.

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I probably want to see him play enough, but you got to play other guys too,” Harbaugh said when asked how much time Beckham would see on Saturday.

“I think he could play the whole game and he'd be fine. He's in shape to do it, but we're not going to play anybody really the whole game just because we've got 90 guys.”

While Beckham will be among those playing on offense on Saturday, Harbaugh was a lot less forthcoming when it came to the question of who will be throwing him the ball.

“That’s a good question,” Harbaugh said when asked if quarterback Jaxson Dart would be playing in the preseason opener. “I’m gonna have to dodge. I'm going to have to bob and weave. I'll let you know later.”

Dart has been having an up-and-down camp so far as he gets acclimated to the new offense, which requires him to work under center. He did have a pair of on-target passes during Wednesday’s padded session, hitting running back Devin Singletary on a wheel route and also connecting with rookie Malachi Fields in a 7-on-7 drill.

More Work Ahead for Malik Nabers

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Receiver Malik Nabers, who has been steady as far as getting some on-field work every day, worked out with a trainer for a short bit before heading inside for the rest of the practice.

But the good news is that Nabers could be ramping up further very soon, according to Harbaugh.

“Yeah, he's kind of exactly where he's been,” Harbaugh said. “And we're looking towards soon ramping him up into some group periods and perhaps some team periods. Maybe next week; we'll see.”

To date, Nabers hasn’t done anything with 7-on-7s or team drills at full speed, though he did partake in team drills during a walkthrough pace when the team was in West Virginia.

But despite that, the receiver also hasn’t had any known setbacks that have forced the team to dial back on his reps, which is a positive sign in his quest to be ready for Week 1 of the regular season.

“He's doing great. He's working hard. Spirits are high. And yeah, we'll see where we're at next week,” Harbaugh said.

Participation Report

The following Giants did not take part in Wednesday’s practice:

WR Jalin Hyatt (leg/ankle)
C John Michael Schmitz (concussion)
CB D.J. James (unknown)
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee)
OL Lucas Patrick (knee)
CB Paulson Adebo (unknown)

Harbaugh said that Hyatt, whose hold on a roster spot is slipping with each passing day, “should be back in a reasonable period.”

He also said that Adebo is day-to-day, but did not specify what the cornerback is dealing with.

Others who were limited included cornerbacks Greg Newsome II (knee) and Dru Phillips (knee), both of whom took part in individual drills only.

Rookie guard Francis Mauigoa (neck) took his full practice workload after being limited in Tuesday’s session.

Zvada Shows Off Strong Leg

Undrafted rookie free agent kicker Dominic Zvada ended practice with a 62-yard field goal that had plenty of distance with 11 seconds to go in a simulated end-of-game situation.

“I thought he was going to make it,” Harbaugh said of Zvada’s attempt. “(Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator) Chris Horton told me the 42 is the line, so I had to give him a hard time after that. So, it was actually a little further back, and it was a great kick, great snap, nice to see.”

Zvada, who hit all six of his attempts (Ben Sauls went 4-of-5 on his), appears to have a slight edge in the kicking competition, but Harbaugh gave an indication that the competition with Sauls is far from being over.

“The bottom line is you got to kick it straight consistently,” he said. “So, having a big leg is a big deal. Kicking it straight consistently is a bigger deal.

“I think both those guys have done that very well, and Ben has a very good leg, too. I don't want to imply that he doesn't. Ben's a very strong leg guy, as well, but they're both having really good camps.”

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