Giants Begin Training Camp Under Intense Microscope

It's been a couple of years, but there is a buzz around the New York Giants as training camp begins this week in East Rutherford. An off-season full of activity, General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll pushed all their chips to the center of the proverbial table to get this team back on track, and perhaps save their jobs in the process.

Will it be enough, especially in an NFC East that is home to the world champion Philadelphia Eagles and the ever-improving Washington Commanders? Here are some storylines to follow:

Quarterback battle:

All eyes will be on what happens under center for the Giants this summer and all season long. Why? Because it could be musical chairs this year with plenty of star power. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston both signed with Big Blue with eyes on the starting quarterback job. Just based on resume, it would figure that Wilson will be the starter Week 1 at Washington, but for how long?

Should Wilson stumble, will Daboll go to Winston? Or will he go to rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who was the apple of Daboll's eye this past draft cycle? Logic would dictate that Dart should sit for most, if not all, of the season, but pressure has a funny way of influencing decisions like these.

Is Malik Nabers Ready to Become the Best?

With great talent comes great responsibility. Malik Nabers is the latest young Giants wide receiver who is expected to take the league by storm. He is ranked 67th among the Top 100 players in the NFL heading into 2025. Nabers had a franchise record 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games as a rookie in 2024. He was the first Giants reciever to break 1,000 yards receiving since Odell Beckham did it over a decade ago. Is Nabers ready to back it up with another monster campaign? The ball will be coming his way no matter who is throwing it.

Can Abdul Carter have an Immediate Impact?

The Giants drafted Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter third overall for a reason. They wanted to beef up their pass rush which was much maligned by injuries last season. Carter had 23 sacks and 39.5 tackles for loss at PSU. Lining up with Kayvon Thibodeaux (more on him in a minute), Brian Burns, and Dexter Lawrence should help the rookie out.

Kayvon Thibodeaux Big Year?

Can the Giants' former first-round pick from 2022 have that breakout season in 2025? He certainly has, as was reported by The Heavy, $93 million reasons to strive for it. The Kansas City Chiefs extended their first-round pass rusher from 2022, George Karlaftis, to a $93 million deal with $62 million guaranteed. Karlaftis has 3.5 more sacks in the regular season than Thibodeaux. Thibs had a down year in 2024, recording only 5.5 sacks while playing in 12 games. Can he get back to his form from two years ago, where he recorded 11.5 sacks? And if he does, do the Giants pay him?

Will O-Line improve?

The Giants' offensive line was ranked near the bottom of the league last year. They bring everyone back this year, hoping for better results, including left tackle Andrew Thomas, who has to prove he can stay healthy for a full season. It doesn't matter which of the three quarterbacks is under center for Big Blue; if they are running for their lives, it's not a good thing.