Giants’ Arvell Reese flashes game-changing potential; Jaxson Dart, offense sputter again

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — The New York Giants are into the grind of training camp, with Monday’s practice starting a stretch of six straight days of practice. The team wore full pads for the first time Monday, and coach John Harbaugh indicated that will be the case on Tuesday and Wednesday, as well.

“The second week is the big week of camp. This is your opportunity to really grow as a football team,” Harbaugh said. “You build your foundation in training camp for your team. The second week should be where you cover the most miles, gain the most ground. We want to put the most miles behind us as far as developing the foundation of our team. This is just a go-to-work week.”

There’s plenty of work to be done after a sloppy, penalty-filled practice conducted in torrential rain. Here’s everything you need to know from Monday’s practice:

Attendance

Cornerback Jarrick Bernard-Converse and defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris weren’t spotted at practice. Robertson-Harris remains on the physically unable to perform list with a torn Achilles tendon. There was no word on Bernard-Converse’s absence.

Injury report

Wide receiver Malik Nabers, who was only wearing a helmet and shells, went through position drills and took reps in a jog-through install period. That’s been the consistent workload for Nabers as he rehabs from a torn ACL and torn meniscus.

Rookie cornerback Colton Hood was checked by trainers after a physical shoulder-to-shoulder collision with running back Dante Miller. Trainers appeared to be checking Hood’s shoulder, but he returned to finish practice.

Second-team center Lucas Patrick, who missed part of the spring, didn’t participate in team periods. He was replaced by Bryan Hudson.

Observations

Impact player?

Outside linebacker Abdul Carter burst onto The Greenbrier practice fields and announced his excitement for the first padded practice of camp. That enthusiasm was evident in another strong performance by the defense.

The most physical practice of camp allowed inside linebacker Arvell Reese to show his potential impact. Reese was closing in to blow up running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. on a swing pass early in practice that fell incomplete. Reese was in the backfield twice to stop Cam Skattebo behind the line of scrimmage. Those plays showed how quickly Reese was processing and reacting. His physical skills made him the No. 5 pick in the draft, so it’s encouraging to see him playing fast so early in camp.

The most intriguing play of practice came in the first-team offense’s two-minute drive at the end of practice. Trailing by five points with 56 seconds remaining, the offense started on the defense’s 48-yard line. On third-and-5, Reese beat left tackle Andrew Thomas around the edge for a sack. Reese hadn’t moved around much early in camp, but his versatility is what gives him the potential to be a game-changer.

Rain, but no shine

It was a slog for Dart while dealing with driving rain for the middle stretch of practice. His first pass was a smooth completion to wide receiver Calvin Austin III on a curl route on third-and-5. Dart’s best throw was a deep ball to rookie Malachi Fields during a 7-on-7 period. Fields has made strides toward establishing himself as a deep threat. The concerning aspect of the play is that Fields beat cornerback Paulson Adebo, who has surrendered a high volume of completions during camp.

Dart threw an ugly interception during a 7-on-7 period, but the rain was a valid excuse since the ball clearly slipped out of his hand and fluttered into the arms of safety Jevon Holland. Dart double-clutched and then tried to throw deep, which wasn’t advisable in the wet conditions.

After focusing mostly on first and second downs in the first week of camp, there was an emphasis on short yardage on third and fourth downs on Monday. Dart lowered his shoulder on a fourth-and-5 designed run, which served as a reminder that he’s not going to change the way he plays.

Rainy day plays ☔️ pic.twitter.com/8zy8Uovs4o

— New York Giants (@Giants) August 3, 2026

With no indoor practice fields at The Greenbrier, the Giants practiced in the rain. That should be beneficial, since they’re sure to play in bad weather during the season. It was a strange day, with warm sunshine book-ending the pouring rain. The rain had subsided by the time the first-team offense took the field for its final drive.

The starting offense sputtered, with Austin failing to get his feet in bounds while making a catch along the sideline on first down. Dart hit Tracy in the flat for a 5-yard gain on second down before Reese’s sack off the left edge. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson only sent four rushers on fourth-and-9, and Dart couldn’t find an open receiver. He scrambled around before lofting a pass downfield to tight end Isaiah Likely, who couldn’t make a sliding catch.

Off day

Carter had an inconsistent day setting the edge. He had a good run stuff early, but he seemed to go too wide to open a hole for a big gain by Skattebo. Devin Singletary broke a run after taking a pitch to the right and reversing field back to the left when Carter lost contain. Dart was in front of Singletary lead-blocking downfield on the run.

Second thoughts

Inside linebacker Micah McFadden was impressive with the second-team defense. McFadden intercepted a pass over the middle by second-team quarterback Jameis Winston that was tipped by cornerback Deonte Banks. McFadden also made a stop in the backfield and was a consistent physical presence against the run.

Banks had a bad drop of a potential interception on an errant pass from Winston that hit him right in the hands on the second-team offense’s final drive. The defense still managed to keep the offense off the board as Winston fired incompletions on the next two plays.

The second-team offense had a rough day that was summed up a four-play stretch. There was a false start by Miller, an offside penalty on the defense (wide receiver Jalin Hyatt dropped a high pass on the play), a false start on wide receiver Xavier Gipson and a delay of game.

Best of the rest

• Hood committed a pair of penalties in coverage. He got flagged for a pass interference on a deep ball from Dart to Fields. Hood held wide receiver Darnell Mooney on a corner route on fourth-and-14 on the second-team offense’s final drive.

• Tight end Thomas Fidone II participated in team periods for the first time during camp. Fidone’s rookie season was cut short by a foot injury that required a clean-up surgery in June. Fidone caught a pair of passes from Winston in team periods.

• Wilson is the most vocal coach on the field, and he dialed up the intensity during Monday’s practice. Despite the dominant performance by his unit, Wilson still held players accountable. He requires 10 pushups for every penalty during practice, so the defensive players had to do 40 pushups on Monday.

• Harbaugh’s special teams roots came out during a kickoff coverage drill, as he demonstrated the technique he wanted players to use on special teams coordinator Chris Horton.

Play of the day

Wide receiver Dalen Cambre showed impressive concentration on a deep pass from Winston in a 7-on-7 period. Cornerback Korie Black was in position and got his hands on the ball, but Cambre was able to yank it away as they fell to the ground.

Quote of the day

“I think Arvell is see ball, get ball. I think that’s the best way to describe him: See ball, get ball. He’s going to run fast, he’s going to hit hard, and he’s going to be around the ball at all times.” — Running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. on Reese

Next up

The Giants will conduct their sixth training camp practice at 1:30 p.m. ET Tuesday. The session is closed to fans.