Undrafted rookie Dominic Zvada opens Giants…
Better call Sauls (and Sanders).
Undrafted rookie Dominic Zvada fired the opening salvo Saturday at Giants rookie minicamp in what is anticipated to be a kicking competitors pitting him against incumbent Ben Sauls and former All-Pro Jason Sanders.
Zvada went 5-for-5 on area targets, including a 55-yarder.
Dominic Zvada takes half in drills at Giants rookie minicamp at the crew’s apply facility on May 9, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. AP
“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 area targets, 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 area targets (7-for-7 from 50-plus yards) in 2024 before a step backward in 2025.
Ben Sauls talking to the media as the Giants gamers had been cleansing out their lockers at the crew’s training
facility last season. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Harbaugh is a particular groups coordinator by commerce who plans to have each kicker strive area targets at least every other apply 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 choose Colton Hood, who ripped the ball away from receiver Miles Davis and returned it for a choose six. He was a beginning cornerback reverse 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 bodily for a noncontact apply?
“No,” Hood quipped. “I’ve got to get paid, too.”
Giants assistant defensive backs coach Addison Lynch started hollering for Hood to do his trademark big-play celebration where he places 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 seemed like he’s sleeping better than he was two weeks in the past when he regarded at the DT depth chart.
Since then, the Giants, who drafted sixth-rounder Bobby Jamison-Travis, have signed free brokers D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris — two probably 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 (4 years) and TE Josiah Deguara (six) had been the veterans attending on a tryout foundation.
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