Better call Sauls (and Sanders).
Undrafted rookie Dominic Zvada fired the opening salvo Saturday at Giants rookie minicamp in what is expected to be a kicking competition pitting him against incumbent Ben Sauls and former All-Pro Jason Sanders.
Zvada went 5-for-5 on field goals, including a 55-yarder.
“It’s going to be a competition, for sure, right out of the gates,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “It already started. You saw Zvada’s first iteration of the competition. We’ll see how it shakes out.”
Sanders missed all last season for the Dolphins due to a hip injury — and the Giants have whiplash after the injury-plagued three-year end to Graham Gano’s once-automatic tenure. Sanders signed a one-year free-agent contract.
Sauls made all 15 of his kicks (eight field goals, seven PATs) at the end of last season as an undrafted rookie.
Zvada was a first-team All-American at Michigan who was 21-for-22 on field goals (7-for-7 from 50-plus yards) in 2024 before a step backward in 2025.
Harbaugh is a special teams coordinator by trade who plans to have each kicker try field goals at least every other practice during OTAs.
“Really strong leg,” Harbaugh said of Zvada, “but more than anything it’s just the consistency. He has a vertical swing pattern. Because of that, he tends to kick a straight ball.”
The play of the day was made by second-round pick Colton Hood, who ripped the ball away from receiver Miles Davis and returned it for a pick six. He was a starting cornerback opposite undrafted Thaddeus Dixon.
“We were just in Cover 2,” Hood said. “My guy went in and went short. I had the running back to my flat. I just broke on the ball and made a play.”
Was it a little too physical for a noncontact practice?
“No,” Hood quipped. “I’ve got to get paid, too.”
Giants assistant defensive backs coach Addison Lynch began hollering for Hood to do his trademark big-play celebration where he puts a hood on his head. Hood sheepishly complied.
“It’s practice,” Hood said. “I’m not really going to celebrate on my teammates. It’s definitely going to come out when the season starts.”
Harbaugh sounded like he is sleeping better than he was two weeks ago when he looked at the DT depth chart.
Since then, the Giants, who drafted sixth-rounder Bobby Jamison-Travis, have signed free agents D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris — two likely veteran starters — and claimed Zacch Pickens off waivers.
“It’s not that we wouldn’t have drafted a defensive tackle sooner or signed one if they had become available or kept Dexter [Lawrence] if that was something we could do — those were all things that were on the table,” Harbaugh said. “But, as it went, I thought we did a good job of responding as the situation unfolded. NowWe feel really good about our group in there,” Harbaugh said. “Looks good to me.”
The Giants hosted three undrafted QBs — Sawyer Robertson (Baylor), Matt Sluka (James Madison) and Jeff Sims (Arizona State) — for tryouts. Sims also is listed as a receiver.
OLB Quinton Bell (four years) and TE Josiah Deguara (six) were the veterans attending on a tryout basis.
