The New York Giants went down to Miami this week to compete against a Dolphins team widely projected to be one of the worst in the NFL. That the Giants were dominant in Thursday’s joint practice and Saturday’s preseason game is encouraging, but the level of competition needs to be factored into any analysis.

With that in mind, here’s a stock report based on the past week:

Top Plays from Giants @ Dolphins

Stock UpCB Deonte Banks

Banks’ poor play — and effort — the past two seasons make me hesitant to totally buy into his strong performance in practices this offseason. But it’s impossible to ignore how well the 2023 first-round pick continues to play.

Banks didn’t start on Saturday, with Paulson Adebo and Greg Newsome the top two corners. But Banks was excellent after entering late in the first quarter and playing the rest of the first half. He played tight coverage when targeted, credited with two passes defended. Perhaps more important for a player who has been a liability in run support, Banks didn’t hesitate to stick his nose in to make tackles.

There’s still an open competition for the starting corner jobs. Newsome has the inside track on one job, while Banks has taken more first-team reps than Adebo and rookie Colton Hood, who didn’t play due to a minor quad injury. Banks could claim a starting job if he maintains his level of play in the final weeks before the season starts.

WR Braxton Berrios

Braxton Berrios appeared to be one of the 15 (presumed) healthy players not in uniform for Sunday’s game, putting him in the same class as quarterback Jaxson Dart, left tackle Andrew Thomas, outside linebacker Brian Burns and other established starters. However, coach John Harbaugh later told the New York Post that Berrios was held out of Saturday’s game with a minor soft tissue injury.

Still, Berrios’ stock is on the rise. He was the top returner in the first preseason game and performed well; he has also consistently performed well as a receiver in camp. But it makes sense that the injury held him out on Saturday because he still has work to do to cement his spot on the roster.

OLB/DL Chauncey Golston

Golston was signed to a three-year, $18 million contract last offseason with the expectation that he’d be a rotational backup behind Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux at outside linebacker. But then the Giants drafted Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick, and suddenly, there weren’t many snaps available for Golston, who missed seven games due to injury.

Golston’s outlook didn’t appear any different early in training camp, but he bumped up the depth chart at defensive line this week as Darius Alexander struggled. It remains to be seen if the 277-pound Golston can hold up as a defensive end in the base defense, but the coaching staff clearly views that as a viable option. Golston could play some snaps inside on passing downs, but those will likely go to Thibodeaux, who was also held out of Saturday’s game.

OL Aaron Stinnie

It would have been tough for the Giants to pass up the sixth-round pick they got in a trade with the Jaguars for backup guard Daniel Faalele. But they wouldn’t have been able to pull the trigger on the deal unless they were comfortable with their other backup guards.

Stinnie appears to be the top option, drawing the start at right guard in place of rookie Francis Mauigoa, who suffered a stinger during Thursday’s joint practice. Stinnie shifted to left guard when Jon Runyan checked out after one drive and played the rest of the first half. Stinnie is a ninth-year veteran who has stuck around in New York for three years due to his reliability as a backup.

Stinnie is clearly ahead of Evan Neal, who didn’t enter the game until the third quarter. Josh Ezeudu, who took over at right guard after the opening series, is Stinnie’s primary competition. Ezeudu kicked out to right tackle in the third quarter and appeared to be responsible for allowing a sack. Ezeudu left late in the third quarter after Neal tumbled into his left leg.

OL JC Davis

Davis has been steadily making a move up the depth chart after starting camp as the third-team left tackle. The sixth-round rookie started mixing in with the second-team offense in the Giants’ final practice in West Virginia two weeks ago.

Davis started at left tackle on Saturday with Marcus Mbow at right tackle, as the Giants rested top tackles Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor. Davis played every offensive snap in oppressive heat and appeared to play well. Davis is securely on the roster. Now the question is if he can push Mbow for the swing tackle job.

Stock DownRB Tyrone Tracy Jr. 

It’s hard to imagine a worse week for Tracy. His missed block in the preseason opener led to a crushing hit on Dart and left coach John Harbaugh disgusted. With Cam Skattebo getting the day off, Devin Singletary got the start at running back on Saturday. Tracy was on his way to making amends by gaining 23 yards on consecutive carries in the first quarter, but then he suffered a sloppy, drive-killing fumble. That brought back bad memories of Tracy’s five fumbles as a rookie.

.@jackson_wood23 gets the ball back! 💪

📺: @CBSMiami pic.twitter.com/QzAuA9IG49

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) August 22, 2026

The signing of Najee Harris this week put Tracy and the rest of the backfield on notice. Harris was held out of Saturday’s game as he works into shape, but the Giants didn’t sign a player with four 1,000-yard seasons to sit on the bench. The addition of Harris is a direct threat to Tracy’s role, while Singletary’s continued solid play could push Tracy further down the depth chart.

Tracy hasn’t played much special teams in his first two seasons, but he has been on the punt team throughout camp. Tracy was also on the kickoff team on Saturday. Logging increased special teams snaps doesn’t bode well for Tracy’s prospective offensive role.

DL Darius Alexander

Alexander had been one of the starting defensive linemen until this week. A rough showing against the run in the preseason opener led to a demotion, with Golston taking Alexander’s spot alongside veterans DJ Reader and Shelby Harris. Alexander started on Saturday, while Reader and Harris were rested, but the 2025 third-round pick was again playing deep into the third quarter. That’s not when players expected to have big roles are typically on the field.

Clearly, the coaching staff needs to see more from Alexander against the run. He could even lose his role on passing downs to Golston if he doesn’t pick it up.

WR Odell Beckham Jr.

For all of the clips showing Beckham open or running a crisp route in practice, the bottom line is he needs to produce to command a roster spot. A prime opportunity slipped through his fingers Saturday. Beckham ran a nice route and got open in the end zone late in the first half, but he failed to haul in a potential touchdown pass from quarterback Jameis Winston. It wasn’t an easy play — Beckham had to leap and get his feet down — but it’s exactly the type of catch that was expected to be made in Beckham’s first stint in New York.

Beckham finished with two catches for 17 yards. He has just three catches from Dart in 11-on-11 periods during camp. It needs to be remembered that Beckham is a 33-year-old who was out of the league last year and signed a minimum contract with no guarantees in June. He obviously wasn’t part of the team’s offseason plan. The Giants are giving Beckham a shot, but it’s on him to force them to keep him on the roster. That hasn’t happened, and time is running out.

QB Brandon Allen

Allen looked much better on Saturday than he did in the preseason opener when he threw two interceptions on eight attempts. But he only averaged 5.6 yards per attempt while completing 13-of-18 passes for 101 yards. Allen’s quick trigger on checkdowns limited opportunities for wide receivers fighting for a roster spot.

The Giants signed Jake Haener after Allen’s dreadful preseason debut, and Haener played in the fourth quarter on Saturday. It’s unlikely the Giants will carry three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, with Allen’s performance during camp and the preseason making that decision easier.

CB Paulson Adebo

This listing may be a bit tardy because Adebo’s arrow is starting to point up. Still, it bears noting that the player with the highest cap hit on the team this season was suited up when over a dozen teammates got the day off.

Adebo started opposite Newsome and remained in the game until the Dolphins’ final drive of the first half. Not much can be gleaned from a quiet day against a dismal Dolphins’ passing attack, although Adebo did intercept Miami starter Malik Willis in Thursday’s joint practice.

Adebo, who missed a few practices last week with a minor hamstring injury, is battling Banks and Newsome for a starting job. Adebo has been third in that competition, although he has time to make up ground.