John Harbaugh‘s arrival in New York has reshuffled the trust hierarchy inside the Giants building, and three players are already pulling ahead of where they stood under the previous staff. Tyrone Tracy Jr., Darius Alexander, and Deonte Banks each enter 2026 with expanded opportunity and coaching confidence that simply did not exist a year ago. The 2026 NFL training camp schedule is where these competitions get decided for real.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. Has a Pass-Blocking Edge Skattebo Cannot Match
Tracy has posted back-to-back 1,000-plus scrimmage yard seasons, making him just the fifth Giants player since 2010 to achieve that in consecutive years. The previous name on that list was Saquon Barkley. That is not a footnote – that is a franchise-caliber production baseline that the previous staff quietly undervalued.
The shoulder injury Tracy suffered in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs opened the door for Cam Skattebo, and Skattebo took full advantage. Over three games following Tracy‘s return in Week 6, Skattebo ran 38 times for 170 yards and three touchdowns against Tracy‘s 23 carries, 91 yards, and one score. Skattebo won that stretch decisively.
But the pass protection numbers tell a sharply different story. Tracy earned a 45.5 pass block grade from PFF across 61 pass block snaps last season. Skattebo graded out at 11.6 across just 21 such snaps. In Harbaugh‘s offense, where protecting the quarterback is a non-negotiable standard, that gap is a genuine competitive advantage for Tracy.
| Metric | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | Cam Skattebo |
| PFF Pass Block Grade | 45.5 | 11.6 |
| Pass Block Snaps | 61 | 21 |
| 2025 Scrimmage Yards | 1,028 | Limited by ankle injury |
Skattebo is recovering from a season-ending ankle injury, which kept him limited this spring. That limitation handed Tracy a head start in the RB1 competition, and by all spring accounts he looked healthy and sharp. The edge is 60/40 in Tracy‘s favor entering camp, with protection duties likely to be the deciding factor.
Darius Alexander Is Finally Healthy and Running With the Ones
Darius Alexander missed the entire spring last year due to an undisclosed medical issue. He is believed to have attended every single OTA practice this spring, which is a significant upgrade in availability alone. That consistency earned him regular first-team defensive line reps, and he looked faster with each session according to spring reports.
The path to a starting role just got clearer. Veteran Roy Robertson-Harris, who previously held the starting 3-tech spot, is expected to miss the 2026 season with an Achilles injury. Alexander will still need to hold off Leki Fotu, Sam Roberts, and Shelby Harris in camp. But the former Toledo defender is no longer fighting from behind – he is fighting from the front of the line.
Deonte Banks Fits the New Defensive System Far Better
Deonte Banks could not beat out Cor’Dale Flott for the CB2 role last summer, eventually losing all meaningful snaps entirely. Flott has since been traded to the Tennessee Titans, reopening that competition. Banks, former Browns first-round pick Greg Newsome II, and second-round rookie Colton Hood are all in the mix.
Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson‘s system emphasizes press-man coverage and run defense – precisely the traits Banks excels at. The Giants declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, which is a sharp motivator for a player who needs a contract-year performance to reach free agency with leverage. Banks saw significant first-team reps this spring and reportedly looked as comfortable as he did under Wink Martindale in 2023, when he showed genuine starting-caliber ability.
This is not a reclamation project. This is a scheme-fit correction that could produce one of the better value stories on the Giants roster in 2026. Fantasy managers and bettors tracking New York defensive props should note that Banks is now the 55/45 favorite to open as the CB2 starter opposite Paulson Adebo.
All three players enter 2026 Giants training camp with more coaching trust than they have ever had under this organization. How Harbaugh‘s staff allocates that trust once the pads come on will define the roster’s competitive identity heading into the regular season.
