New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh surprised us with his decision not to play quarterback Jaxson Dart, even if it was just for a series or two, in the preseason finale.“It was really just not worth the risk of it,” Harbaugh said after the game, explaining his thinking behind the decision.Yes, but is it worth the risk of Dart, who is just a second-year quarterback in the throes of learning a new system that includes extensive work under center for the first time in his career at any level?So how, then, does Harbaugh plan to ensure that, when the snaps count for real in a couple of weeks, there is no rust and no hiccups in what is already a “must-win” divisional game?“We'll just have to do it in practice. We have to make sure the practices are the kind that put as much pressure on him as possible. So, as game-like as we possibly can make them, so he's ready to go,” he said.Harbaugh, to date, has shown he knows what he’s doing, so we’ll trust him. But that doesn’t mean we agree with the decision not to give Dart, who last played in a live game over two weeks ago, any snaps in the finale.Meanwhile, here’s how the rest of the offensive skill position players graded out. QuarterbacksJameis WinstonNew York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe Giants’ backup quarterback got the start and played into the second quarter. The interception he threw was a deflection off of Odell Beckham Jr.’s hands; Beckham slipped coming out of his route, which affected the timing of the play.The quarterback’s worst play was a slight over-throw of Beckham, who was running free deep in the second quarter. Winston needed to put a bit more air under this one.The veteran quarterback finished with a subpar 4-of-9 passes completed for 54 yards while also taking a sack. His arm looked strong as he hit on several intermediate throws. Other than his one scoring drive, Winston led his offense down to the 3-yard line and prepared to score again, but a fumble into the end zone by Braxton Berrios ended that possession. Brandon AllenTaking over in the second quarter, Allen finished the half and played the first possession of the third quarter, but once again he did not impress, looking antsy in the pocket and too willing to settle for the checkdown. His numbers were decent: 8-of-12 for 78 yards. His team scored field goals on two of his four possessions; he did not allow any sacks, and he got the ball out of his hands quickly and consistently.Jake HaenerLooking more like an NFL quarterback than the 10-year vet in front of him, Haener sure looked like he locked up a possible spot on the practice squad with his efficient and opportunistic 6-of-7 for 101 yards night that included a pretty 37-yard broken play teardrop throw on the run into Xavier Gipson’s arms for a touchdown. Haener ran the offense crisply, including the final 7:37 on the clock to close out the game with kneel-downs at the Jets’1-yard line. Haener had another nice throw to Gipson for 17, and a 3rd down completion to Dalen Cambre. All of his throws were accurate, and he showed good life in his arm. What Haener lacks in size he makes up for with smarts and a good feel for the position.Running BacksNajee 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 ConnectThis recent veteran signing showed that he’s got lots of life left in those 28-year-old legs even with him coming off an Achilles’ injury that ended his 2025 season. Harris did most of his heavy lifting between the tackles, finishing with 39 yards on 11 carries plus a neat 20-yard execution of a screen pass that had bigger yardage written all over it. Harris also reached the edge on several of his runs but quickly cut them back into the middle and went north-south. We loved watching the physical Harris being so patient and squaring up on his pass blocks, each of which was stress-free. You must trust your running back to step up and protect your quarterback in any and every situation. You can’t run an NFL offense without having that level of trust.Tyrone Tracy, Jr.Tracy ran well, smart and tough every time he touched the ball. On his fourth attempt, however, he was knocked out of the game for a concussion check, the running back fortunately passing the protocols. However, he didn’t return after that and finished with a superlative 37 yards on four carries (9.3 average) on the ground, running like his feet were on fire. Tracy was also back deep on the opening kickoff and led his returner up the gut to the 39-yard line. There’s little doubt in our eyes that Tracy has made this team, especially with the way he responded so well to his recent failures.Eric GrayGetting most of the third-team snaps, Gray had 37 yards on 12 carries, and once again, as he’s done all pre-season, he played fast and looked like he belonged out there. Gray’s pass-blocking has improved every year so that he’s now become reliable at it, potentially opening the door for a spot on the practice squad.Damon BankstonGetting all the fourth-team snaps, Bankston had lots of room to run and exploited every single touch to the tune of 62 yards on 11 carries (5.6 per carry average). He looked sharp, quick, and at times explosive as he shot through creases with flair. The practice squad is a real possibility for this young runner, unless the Giants look for a more physical backup to have in reserve.ReceiversDarius SlaytonNew York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectGetting a start and several first-half snaps, Slayton curiously did not get a single target. He did contribute a handful of very efficient blocks that contributed to several positive outside runs. We’re just not sure about Slayton’s status moving forward. The contract issue—he has $9.749 million guaranteed this year—would mean a $12.749 million dead-money hit and only $3.161 million in savings unless the Giants can swing a trade to offload some of that guaranteed salary to another team. We wouldn’t be shocked at all if they tried to.Odell Beckham Jr.On a night when he was as visible and productive as he’s been this preseason, the mercurial Beckham slipped coming out of his break on his first target of the night; the ball deflected off his hands and was intercepted. To Beckham’s credit, he responded with a solid night that included three receptions for 53 yards—his first game since 2023 in which he posted over 50 receiving yards. He also had a wide-open deep pattern that saw the ball slightly overthrown. Beckham’s hands and ability to get open were reliable throughout, as he really excels against zone coverage. Does he make this team’s 53? Head coach John Harbaugh said, “I don't want to say exactly who's making it right now and not…and things can happen. But I think I would answer the question ‘Yes.’ I think he has done enough to make an NFL roster for sure.”Notice how Harbaugh said “an NFL roster” and not “our roster” and how he left the door open for the team to go in a different direction. Harbaugh is either being cagey on purpose, which is what we suspect, or this really is a tough call.Braxton BerriosWhen we saw Berrios get stripped of the ball from behind, we couldn’t help but wonder if we were seeing a careless player who had become too comfortable in his place on this team, especially once Calvin Austin III was lost for the season this week. Berrios also failed to shake free on an end zone route where he was the primary target, and failed to come down with a hard middle throw in the end zone that hit him right in the hands. Berrios may be a reliable punt returner, but we’re not sure he’s going to get a whole lot of snaps out of the slot.Dalen CambreThe slot receiver who really intrigues us is this youngster. We can’t say this enough, but every quarterback that Cambre has played with this preseason has thrown the most accurate passes of their short time with this kid. Why? Because he runs extremely sharp routes. He never wanders upfield on his cuts; they’re always squared off. He also reads the short zones well. And he catches the ball and almost invariably gets past the down marker. One other thing he did quite well this week was blocking—he was easily the team’s best-blocking wideout this week, getting into a defender’s face every single time, and winning. And then there’s his consistent play on special teams. How can this organization expose him to waivers? He’s got a world of possibilities ahead of him.Isaiah HodginsThis reliable veteran possession receiver caught two of his four targets and blocked decently. But we don’t see the numbers working in his favor for a roster spot.Xavier GipsonThis small receiver has done nothing to lose his place on this team throughout a very reliable preseason that finished tonight with his best performance. Both of his catches were big plays: a 17-yard option route and a 37-yard touchdown catch off a broken play. Gipson also caught all of his punt returns cleanly, got a 9-yard punt return, and a kickoff return all the way out to the 39-yard line.But again, the numbers don’t favor him for a roster spot unless there is an upset in the making.Tight EndsThomas Fidone IINew York Giants tight end Thomas Fidone II | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectWe still don’t see it with this long-armed target who doesn’t move well enough to these eyes to make the 53-man roster. Fidone did not get open quickly enough on his first target that went whistling past his head, and he stumbled several times when getting off the line of scrimmage. The poor movements are just not going to cut it for a receiving tight end. And though Fidone’s blocking has improved in spots, it’s still not a positive to his game.Tanner ConnorConnor caught all four of his targets, but they were all of the short variety, for a total of 34 yards. His blocking was average.Grant FinleyFinley made a checkdown catch early on for 3 yards, but he also dropped another one in the flat. Though he’s not making this team—the practice squad might be in his future—there wasn’t a back in this preseason who did not follow him when he was their lead blocker, as he was that good between the tackles. He did miss a couple of blocks in edge space, including a poor decision on an end-around, but the physicality is certainly there.Josiah DeGuaraGetting some fourth-quarter snaps when Connor had to come out, this curious late-summer veteran signing (this 6-year vet is a 29-year-old journeyman who was with the team back during the rookie minicamp as a tryout) is smallish. Perhaps he lands on the practice squad, though if it were our call, he’d go with Fidone instead.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