The Giants 2026 Kicking Competition is Already Off the Charts
Graham Gano is out, and the next generation of kickers is getting ready to make their debut for Big Blue. The New York Football Giants are working on cleaning up how their kicking team takes care of business. This New York Franchise has had two seasons with multiple kickers who could not get the job done or who were out with injuries. They have missed multiple game-winning field goals in the last several seasons. During minicamps this year, the Giants are working out who they want to have as their next kicker for the upcoming season. They have had several opportunities for kickers to come in and show the team that they deserve the starting spot.
As of right now, during New York’s minicamps, the Giants are holding a kicking competition among two of the three kickers they brought on board during the offseason. The franchise currently has both undrafted rookie Dominic Zvada and second-year kicker Ben Sauls working on getting a starting spot on the roster. The Giants have a lot to work with for a 90-man roster at the moment, but before the season starts, they will have to cut it down to 53. This competition has been tough and has already brought hard decisions to the Giants as to who they want. With the franchise bringing in these two, it continues to prove the identity that the Giants are trying to rebuild, which is a well-rounded young team.
Previously, the team also had Miami Dolphins former kicker, Jason Sanders, during the offseason until the decision was made to cut him. Sanders spent eight years playing for the Dolphins in Miami. This past season, Miami made the decision to cut him, while the Giants decided to pick him up to put him on the roster. It wasn’t until several weeks later that New York decided to let him go. This former Miami kicker was cut from Big Blue because he failed to pass his physical, and he was just coming off a hip injury. This injury prevented him from playing at his finest, and New York did not wish to have this worry for the regular season this year.
However, the competition between both Zvada and Sauls is already off the charts. Currently, Zavada is leading between the two due to how decent and consistent his kicks have been. The undrafted rookie has been able to kick the ball from nearly over 50 feet and make it into the goal. A play that the franchise hasn’t been able to pull off in several years due to untrustworthy kickers or simply kickers who have made the attempts to kick it in, but the ball has missed. This kicker has been very consistent within every practice during mini-camps.
Sauls was in blue by the end of the Giants' regular season last year. They had gone through multiple kickers and just couldn’t find the right kicker. They had Gano go out with an injury, Younghoe Koo, who did not last very long, among others who couldn’t get the points onto the board as quickly as New York needed them to. With this kicker, he had kicked eight career goals at the end of last season, allowing this team to get some points on the board despite it being too late in the season to do so. Not having a good kicker in the last two seasons resulted in the Giants' losses and tanking record. During the mini-camps, this second-year kicker could not be consistent and could not get the ball into the goal from the 50-yard line. It has been pretty clear who the team needs to put in to start this season.
Head Coach John Harbaugh wants someone young to fill this position. He is perfectly happy not having one of the larger names who have played for several years in this position. The Giants' head coach just wants the plays made. Last season, the former Baltimore coach had the same thought to have a young guy put in such a Tyler Loop to finish out the season, despite them losing and not being able to go into the playoffs. With New York and Zvada making the changes, it may be a better outcome for the award-winning coach this season with his new team.
