In what felt like a blink of an eye, the preseason is officially over for the New York Giants, who concluded their three-week stretch with another convincing win, 23-6, over their cross-town rivals, the New York Jets.Now, the hard part has come for head coach John Harbaugh and company, who must make the ultimate decisions on the final 53 players whom they'll take into the 2026 campaign, which promises to bring rejuvenation and more victories to a long-beleaguered franchise.While most of the starters have already been set in stone, there were still a bunch of backup spots up for grabs across the roster and a ton of reserve players who rose to the occasion and made sure their coaches' lasting choices would not be easy ones.With the preseason finale behind them and league-wide roster cuts due by 4 P.M. on Sunday, here were the biggest winners and losers from the Giants' win over the Jets.WinnersWR Odell Beckham Jr.The fate of Beckham is still to be determined in a couple of days, but he left it all out on the MetLife turf, which he hopes to call home for the rest of the 2026 season. He finished his preseason by snagging balls on six targets for 53 yards, including a long ball of 23 yards late in the first quarter.Once again, the veteran receiver flashed many of the redeeming qualities that impressed the Giants and their fans during his first stint in blue. He continued to display savviness in running his routes, creating separation and hauling in some tough catches in traffic.Beckham and quarterback Jameis Winston did not connect on a couple of targets, including one in the first half that had the potential to go the distance if Beckham stayed on his feet, but it was hard to throw dirt on the effort he has brought to the table in camp and these three preseason games.Ultimately, it's up to his head coach to decide whether the former first-round pick can still provide impactful production to the Giants' loaded receiver room. Early indications, though, look positive enough.EDGE Trace FordAug 28, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets running back Dominic Richardson (35) is tackled by New York Giants linebacker Trace Ford (48) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectWhile the Giants' front seven gave the Jets' offense fits all night, no player was more dominant than Ford, who has been fighting to earn a depth spot in Big Blue's loaded pass-rushing unit.The undrafted rookie finished sixth in total defensive snaps. Still, he was the most active player in the backfield, generating three total pressures, including two hurries and a sack of Jets quarterback Cade Klubnik with 48 seconds left in the first half.Along with his impact along the edge, Ford was just as disruptive against the run. He added four tackles on the ground with no whiffs and five stops along the line of scrimmage, all coming together for a solid day that could cement his place on the roster.ILB Zaire BarnesAfter having less of a presence in the Giants' first two preseason contests, Barnes was another name in the second level who found a way to put his stamp on the outcome.He finished second in defensive grade behind Trace Ford (90.7) by generating two tackles and forcing an interception from Cade Klubnik during the Jets' first possession of the second quarter. It was a play that looked as if Barnes knew exactly where Klubnik was going with the ball, cutting off the short route to preserve what could have been at least a field goal opportunity for Gang Green.K Dominic ZvadaAug 28, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants place kicker Dominic Zvada (34) kicks a field goal during the second half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe Giants should really tip their caps to Ben Sauls for the job he did at the end of the 2025 season and how he carried it into a kicking competition this summer. Still, Zvada is the team's newest answer to hopefully end the carousel at the kicker position over the past couple of seasons.Much like his last performance in Miami, the undrafted Michigan product was nothing but stellar in his workload against the Jets on Friday night. He went 5-for-5 on all of his kicks, including a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals with conversions of 23, 53, and 46 yards.Even at 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds, there seems to be little fear in Zvada's leg once he steps onto the field and finds his groove. The Giants have had to sweat the kicker spot for far too long and needed a fresh face that they can rely on to hit clutch kicks in big spots.Their last great undrafted kicker's name needs no mention amongst the fanbase, and if Zvada stays on the same strong course he's been on this summer, he has the potential to join that lineage if he becomes the long-term answer.WR Xavier GipsonJust when Gipson appeared to be counted out of the discussion through the first two weeks of the preseason, he jumped out and provided a dual-threat performance for both the Giants' offense and special teams departments.In the former realm, the fourth-year pro led the Giants with two catches for 54 yards, including a long haul of 37 yards coming off a gorgeous throw from quarterback Jake Haener that he took to the house for a touchdown to extend the lead to 23-6 in the fourth quarter.Gipson also made a big statement as a kick returner, taking his lone attempt on the game's opening kickoff back 39 yards, which marked the longest return for the Giants during the preseason. He also fielded two punts and advanced them for 9 yards, trying to make the coaching staff think a little longer before choosing between him and Braxton Berrios as the main guy.RB Najee HarrisAug 28, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Najee Harris (22) carries the ball against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectDespite signing with the organization just days earlier, Harris was given a modest workload and put forth a respectable showing. He took 11 handoffs and collected 39 yards, including a long rush of nine yards, to finish second on the Giants' ground attack.The timing of Harris's arrival was an interesting move by the Giants' brass to test the resolve of Tyrone Tracy, who had been struggling to provide an extra pass protector on the edge in the first two preseason games.With Tracy having to leave the game with an apparent neck injury, his status for Week 1, assuming he makes the 53-man roster, could be in question. That would leave the door open for Harris to become the team’s RB2 behind Cam Skattebo.OL Evan NealIt hasn’t been an easy Giants tenure for Neal, but perhaps he is finally adjusting to his new role at right guard after another strong outing and expanded workload against the Jets.The former No. 7 overall pick played in 60 snaps on Friday night for his largest total of the entire preseason slate, including 25 in pass protection. He was clean in the pressure realm for the second time in three weeks, allowing zero pressures and committing zero penalties.Neal was also a good presence in the run-blocking operation, where he found a niche role back in 2024. He ended the day as the second-most efficient guard behind starter Francis Mauigoa, who he could wind up backing up this season.The odds are leaning in Neal’s favor after the Giants traded away two guards, Daniel Faalele and Joshua Ezeudu, over the past week. That could be Harbaugh’s sign of confidence in Neal’s growth as he hopes to keep his career alive in New York.LosersDL Darius AlexanderAlexander has arguably had one of the most disappointing preseasons of any projected starter on the Giants roster. Following two weeks of dismal efforts in the trenches, the former third-round pick was again among the worst run defenders with a 46.3 grade against the Jets and very little if any pass rush.Overall, Alexander has produced just one tackle, four pressures and a sack in his three dress rehearsals. To be fair, he hasn't been afforded more than 24 snaps in any of those contests, but the Giants need to see more from a guy that took a Day 2 gamble on and whose role with the team has grown bigger over the past several months.WR Braxton BerriosAug 28, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Braxton Berrios (87) returns a punt as New York Jets cornerback Jordan Clark (33) pursues during the first half at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectBerrios looked like he was taking a lead in his battle with Xavier Gipson for the Giants' lead return man within special teams, but he might have let go off the rope in the final week of judgment. The wideout took just one punt return for 10 yards and was a non-factor on kickoffs given the Jets struggled to find the end zone all night.Even on the receiving end, Berrios missed out on his chances to stake a claim for a depth spot against guys like Odell Beckham. He was targeted four times, including a pair of throws in the end zone, but only managed to bring down one for 15 yards in the first quarter.To make matters worse, he ended up fumbling that catch when the Jets defender punched the ball loose as Berrios was reaching for the goal line to try to put the Giants on the scoreboard.ILB Darius MausauMausau was another former draft pick whose defensive presence hasn't been strong this preseason and was nearly nonexistent on Friday. He played in nine snaps, recorded a trio of assist tackles, and had an average 65.2 defensive grade that finished third among the middle linebackers.With Micah McFadden improving and rookie sixth-round pick Jack Kelly looking like an early draft success, Mausau's chance to make the roster might come through taking a special teams job. Even there, he was unsuccessful at pinning the Jets against their own end zone on a gorgeous 81-yard punt from Jordan Stout, which he tried to tap out and was called for a touchback.Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news, and send your mailbag questions to us. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow