An undrafted rookie made the 53-man roster in 17 of John Harbaugh’s 18 seasons in Baltimore, so the New York Giants should be an attractive destination for undrafted free agents.

Those Harbaugh UDFAs include three players who are on the Giants’ roster: six-time Pro Bowl fullback Pat Ricard, safety Ar’Darius Washington and safety Beau Brade. Two undrafted free agents signed by the Giants last offseason saw action as rookies — wide receiver Beaux Collins and wide receiver Dalen Cambre, who appeared in seven games after getting no guaranteed money to sign.

The Giants announced the addition of six undrafted free agents Thursday, with two more expected before the team’s rookie minicamp kicks off Friday. Here’s a closer look at the players hoping to continue Harbaugh’s run of undrafted success stories.

Dominic Zvada, K, Michigan

Dominic Zvada posted a photo of himself on X wearing a Giants hat minutes after the NFL Draft ended to announce his signing with the team. Zvada didn’t have a supply of 32 hats at his home. His mother had bought the hats of a few teams Zvada and his agent had identified before the draft as his top potential destinations, so he was ready to capture the moment when the Giants called.

“The Giants were actually really high on my list because beforehand we had taken a look at rosters and different spots and kind of figured out what were the best opportunities if I were to go undrafted,” Zvada said. “When we got the call from the Giants, we got the deal done as soon as possible. We didn’t even consider other teams because we knew that’s where we wanted to be.”

The Giants have undergone a complete special teams transformation under Harbaugh, which isn’t a surprise considering his background in the kicking game. With veteran Graham Gano cut after six seasons, the Giants are holding a wide-open kicking competition.

Zvada will compete with Jason Sanders, who made 84.6 percent of his field goals in seven years with the Miami Dolphins but missed all of last season with a hip injury, and Ben Sauls, who made all eight of his field-goal attempts in the Giants’ final three games last season. That the Giants made signing Zvada a priority while already having two kickers on the roster illustrates their interest in the 2024 first-team All-American.

“I don’t have to be Superman,” Zvada said. “I just have to go in and do my best. Regardless of what they do, it doesn’t affect what I do, and I can’t let what they’re doing affect my approach and my process. All I have to do is go out there and make kicks. If you make enough kicks, then you get trusted with the job.”

The 6-foot-3, 178-pound Zvada likely would have been drafted if he left Michigan after making 21 of 22 field goals in 2024. But he said he didn’t seriously consider leaving early one year after transferring from Arkansas State.

“I wanted to go into the league as experienced and as seasoned as I could so that I could make an immediate impact,” Zvada said.

Zvada gained experience dealing with adversity, as he made only 17 of 25 field goals last season.

“You look at the numbers, and it wasn’t as good as my junior year, of course,” Zvada said. “But looking back on it, I would have made the same exact decision, and I’m really glad that I did. You learn a lot through each of those games. You learn a lot about yourself.”

Zvada believes experiencing last season’s struggles will be beneficial when he navigates the inevitable adversity of kicking in the NFL. Zvada didn’t make wholesale mechanical changes during last season. “You don’t want to change too much during the season just because you could really screw yourself up,” he said.

But he believes he addressed the issues that led to his inaccuracy while working with his longtime trainer, Steve Rausch, this offseason.

“One of those things was swinging more inside,” Zvada said. “I felt when I was pulling the ball in-game, it was because I was getting outside and leaning too far, which was causing me to wrap around the ball. And then when I’d try to correct for that, I’d be pushing the ball a lot, so I’d miss right. For me, it was really tuning in and finding that sweet spot, which I think I really have.”

Leg strength has never been a concern for Zvada, who makes 70-yard field goals look effortless in social media posts. He made four 56-yard field goals during his college career and remains annoyed he missed a 61-yard attempt.

“It’s great to see how the position has really exploded into what it is now versus what it might have been 10-15 years ago because now 55 yards and in, you’re expected to make that,” Zvada said. “It’s a non-negotiable. It’s a pressure, but that’s what we want, and that’s what we need.”

An Arizona native, Zvada believes his two years kicking at the Big House at Michigan have prepared him to kick in the elements at MetLife Stadium. And he’s eager to begin working with Harbaugh.

“(The Baltimore Ravens have) always had great specialists,” Zvada said. “You look down the list of the guys that they’ve had in the past, and they’ve all been great. The fact that I have the opportunity to come in here and be a part of that is truly an honor. Guys have succeeded with him before, so why not me?”

Damon Bankston, RB, New Mexico

Damon Bankston has a simple mindset when he’s on the field.

“When I see open field, it’s like I just struck gold,” Bankston said. “I’ve been digging, and I just found that diamond. I just know my big-play ability is there, and I know I can score from anywhere on the field.”

Bankston’s performance backs up his confidence. In his third game at New Mexico last season, he took a screen pass 43 yards for a touchdown against UCLA. He also had a 54-yard run in that game; he added catches of 55 yards and 84 yards later in the year.

But it’s as a kickoff returner that Bankston’s big-play ability made the biggest impression on NFL teams. The 5-foot-10, 196-pounder had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Boise State and Minnesota last season.

“They want a guy to come in and do kick return,” said Bankston, whose signing wasn’t official as of Thursday night. “They all expressed how elite I was at it. I definitely feel like that’s an avenue for me to make the team.”

Bankston’s returns came in college’s traditional kickoff format. He thinks the NFL’s dynamic kickoff rules will make him more dangerous because he sees it as more similar to a running play.

“That’s how it looks to me as a running back,” Bankston said. “So just being able to always have that running back feel and then also being a good kick returner, meshing those two with my speed, I just feel like it will be more effective for me to get a lot of big returns with this new NFL system than college.”

Bankston didn’t return punts in college, but he has been practicing that skill and told NFL teams during the predraft process he’s willing to add it to his expansive set of tools. Bankston had 635 yards rushing (5.6 yards per carry) and 397 yards receiving (12.8 yards per catch) in addition to his return production.

“The fact that I can pretty much do anything on the football field — I can play any special teams, out of the backfield, I can run in between the tackles, catch the ball, line up out wide — I just feel like that creates value for myself,” Bankston said. “I can just go in and be that spark the team needs, go in anytime and make a play.”

Bankston transferred to New Mexico after four years at FCS-level Weber State. He planned to transfer earlier, but he suffered a broken foot five games into his junior season. He returned to Weber State for a fourth year, rushing for 1,104 yards (6.2 yards per carry).

Bankston expected to have interest from Power 4 schools, but he landed in the Mountain West Conference at New Mexico. He was one of four running backs to join the Lobos as a transfer from a smaller school, which created a backfield committee. That limited Bankston’s opportunities, but he still managed to make his mark thanks to his big-play ability.

Bankston had predraft visits with the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Chargers. The Giants didn’t show much predraft interest, but special teams coordinator Chris Horton and running backs coach Willie Taggart made their pitch after the draft. With the Giants’ not adding any running backs this offseason, there’s an opportunity.

“They just sounded like the best landing spot for me,” Bankston said. “I’m embracing all roles. I’m going in there not just looking to be a kick returner. I’m embracing anything I can to help the team any way I can.”

Ryan Schernecke, OL, Kutztown

When a Giants scout first contacted Ryan Schernecke, he didn’t think much of the interaction. Senior scout Chris Snee wasn’t going to be able to attend Temple’s pro day, so he asked whether Schernecke would also participate in Lehigh’s pro day. Aiming to boost his exposure after spending five years at Division II Kutztown, Schernecke obliged.

“I went there, and I talked to him, did my drills and all that,” Schernecke said. “We talked after. He said he liked what I was doing there.”

After going through the workout, with Snee on the field helping to conduct offensive line drills, Schernecke did some research on one of the first scouts to show interest in him.

“I looked him up, and I was like, ‘Whoa! He was a really good player. He was a three-time All-Pro, and he was on the Super Bowl teams,’” Schernecke said. “It gave me a little bit of confidence, like this guy is an offensive lineman, and if he thinks that I can do it, then that’s a great feeling.”

Snee, who starred for the Giants from 2004 to 2013, and others on the Giants’ staff maintained contact with Schernecke, intrigued by the 6-foot-7, 318-pounder’s size and movement skills. More NFL teams gained interest as the predraft process progressed, with Schernecke getting a handful of offers similar to the $282,500 guarantee he got from the Giants. The Giants guaranteed $247,500 of Schernecke’s base salary, which is the equivalent of a full-season salary on the practice squad; that’s a clear sign the team sees value in developing him.

“They’ve said they think I have the size and the movement aspect of it, but my technique could always be better,” Schernecke said. “Especially coming from Division II, NFL technique is a lot different. They said I can play guard and tackle, so I think we’re going to mix that up a little bit.”

The NFL didn’t seem like a realistic goal for Schernecke when he was barely recruited out of Upper Moreland (Pa.) High. He was 6 feet 6, 280 pounds as a junior, “but I wasn’t looking like the guys that are going Division I, I guess.” His senior season was during fall 2020, so COVID-19 limited recruiting exposure.

The introverted Schernecke found a home within the “small town” feel of Kutztown. Despite college transfers becoming rampant, he never considered leaving for a bigger school. His play at Kutztown managed to get him on the NFL radar, earning an invitation to the Hula Bowl, where he played on former Raiders coach Jon Gruden’s team.

“I saw coach Gruden sitting down in the hotel lobby,” Schernecke said. “I was literally starting to shake because I couldn’t believe he was there.”

Schernecke was on the receiving end of hard coaching from Pat Hill, who was Fresno State’s coach from 1997 to 2011. By the end of the week, he had impressed Hill by responding to his feedback.

“I was pretty grateful because of the level I played at; obviously, it’s not as competitive,” Schernecke said. “When I got (to the Hula Bowl), to play against those guys, to get a little feel for what is about to come, it was a good experience.”

Schernecke knows the Hula Bowl was only a taste of what’s ahead. When he starts lining up in Giants practices this spring, he’ll be facing off against Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Schernecke knows it will be an adjustment, but his confidence has grown throughout the draft process. And he’ll have one of his earliest supporters on hand to help with his transition.

“Chris said he’s going to be out there, he’s going to be helping a little bit,” Schernecke said. “With these next couple months coming up, I’m just ready to adapt to the speed and the strength of these guys. I’m going to give it everything I have.”

Ben Barten, DL, Wisconsin

Ben Barten is prepared for the long days of an NFL player. Last spring, he balanced playing football for Wisconsin and student teaching to finish his elementary education degree.

“I would wake up every day at 4:45 so I could go and work out at the weight room at Wisconsin,” Barten said. “I would work out, and after I was done working out, I would drive right to the school I student taught at. I would student teach until about 4:45, and then I would drive back to meet with my coaches because I was missing meetings to do it. So then I would meet with (defensive line coach EJ Whitlow) for an hour and a half at night and do walk-throughs. So I would leave every day at 4:45 and get back at like 7:30.”

A four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Barten had delayed the student teaching aspect of his major to avoid missing any football. Barten enrolled at Wisconsin in 2020 but didn’t appear in any games in his first two years. He needed to get his degree within five years to maintain his eligibility for a sixth season, so he had to log the student teaching hours last spring.

“I’m telling my coaches about it, and they’re like, ‘Well, no, you can’t be missing practices. We’ve got so many majors at this school,’” Barten said. “I’m like, ‘You guys came when I was three years into this major.’ Their attitudes changed real quick when I said, ‘Just so you know, I’m ineligible this fall if I don’t student teach this spring.’”

Barten missed only two spring practices, which were designed mostly for young players. In the fall, he was enrolled in a less rigorous master’s program in sports leadership. He has a 4.0 GPA in that program and was a starter on the defensive line.

The 6-foot-5, 316-pound Barten had a steady final season, with 24 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He prompted a closer look from NFL teams with a strong showing at Wisconsin’s pro day, highlighted by 33 bench-press reps. That would have tied for second most at the NFL Scouting Combine, and Barten said he was aiming for four or five more reps.

“I would say pro day went well, and I think position work went well,” Barten said. “Scouts liked the way I moved in football-based drills.”

Barten’s athleticism was evident long before the pro day. In winter 2022, after his redshirt freshman season, he was talking to a friend who was the student manager for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team. An all-state basketball player for Stratford (Wis.) High, Barten expressed envy of his friend’s ability to practice with the team. That led to an opportunity when Wisconsin’s backup center went down with an injury.

Barten went to a few practices with the basketball team, but the logistics made it unrealistic to play both sports full time.

“When you started to correlate our schedules, I would have been at football until 2 p.m. and then basketball until 8 p.m.,” Barten said. “It ended up not being able to work out well scheduling-wise. But it was cool for the moment.”

Barten quipped that his size didn’t translate ideally to Division 1 basketball.

“You can’t go very far being 6-foot-5 at basketball,” Barten said. “Obviously, my skill set wasn’t conducive to playing point guard. There aren’t a lot of 300-pound point guards.”

But 6-foot-5, 300-pound bodies are valued on NFL defensive lines. When the Giants showed interest, Barten saw the right fit.

“I knew that they were looking for players who fit my play style, so I was happy with the way it worked out,” Barten said. “Harbaugh’s always had a large D-line room.”

As for the academic pursuit that created such an arduous schedule last spring, Barten hopes he doesn’t need to put that to use anytime soon.

“I want to be an athletic director someday down the line,” Barten said. “But it’s not even on the forefront of my mind at the moment. They allow 50-year-old athletic directors. Not a lot of 50-year-old football players running around.”

The Giants announced the signings of Colorado DL Anquin Barnes, North Carolina CB Thaddeus Dixon and Boston College long snapper Ben Mann, but they were not available for interviews. Eastern Michigan OL Dodji Dahoue, who is expected to sign, was also unavailable.