The New York Giants and head coach John Harbaugh have held an open competition at the kicker position this spring, and the latest camp and OTAs news revealed a “heavy favorite” is emerging for the job.
“Dominic Zvada has to be the heavy favorite to be the kicker,” ESPN NYG beat reporter Jordan Raanan relayed on June 3.
The Giants cut ties with veteran Jason Sanders on June 2, leaving youngsters Zvada and Ben Sauls as the only two kickers on the offseason roster. And, according to Raanan, Sauls has been struggling of late.
“Ben Sauls went 6-of-12 on [field goals] and didn’t look very good doing it,” Raanan stated on June 3. NorthJersey.com beat writer Art Stapleton echoed that, noting that Sauls missed the six attempts in a “variety of ways,” while The Athletic’s Dan Duggan described them as “some really ugly misses in fine conditions.”
Sauls is a former undrafted rookie out of Pittsburgh, who started his NFL career with the hometown Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025. He spent a portion of his rookie year with the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad before joining the Giants.
In 3 starts down the stretch, the 24-year-old Sauls converted all 15 of his kicking attempts with Big Blue last season. 8 of those attempts were field goals, with a long of 45 yards.
Having said that, Harbaugh was not the head coach last year.
It’s well-known that Harbaugh brings a special teams background to the HC position, so he won’t settle for just anyone at the kicker position. The role remains unfilled, and it appears Zvada has the early lead.
More on Giants Rookie Kicker Dominic Zvada Amid OTAs Rise
GettyNew York Giants rookie kicker Dominic Zvada is reportedly leading the starting competition at OTAs.
The casual offseason fan might be wondering: who the heck is Dominic Zvada?
A priority UDFA out of Michigan, Zvada signed with the Giants post-draft. He was one of the top kicking prospects from this 2026 class, converting 95.5% of his field goals and 96.3% of his extra points in 2024.
Unfortunately, Zvada had a horrible senior season, converting just 68.0% of his field goals. He did finish perfect on extra points in 2025, but the field goal regression likely sparked concern among NFL suitors.
That led to Zvada not getting drafted.
If you look back at Zvada’s college career, he’s been frustratingly inconsistent. As a freshman at Arkansas State, Zvada hit 94.4% of his field goals. Then, in year two, he only converted 77.3%. That’s when the youngster transferred to Michigan, resulting in another tremendous campaign followed by a disastrous one.
Harbaugh trusting in Zvada as his Week 1 starter would be the surprise high-risk, high-reward option — not that Sauls has a ton of NFL experience.
Maybe it works out, and the former Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl champion finds his next Justin Tucker. Or perhaps Harbaugh ends up with egg on his face if the rookie isn’t ready for the big moment.
Jason Sanders Snatched up by Jets After Giants Cut News
Even if the Giants wanted to change their mind and cut Sauls rather than Sanders, they wouldn’t be able to now. Just after the veteran’s release, the crosstown rival New York Jets handed him a roster spot.
The Jets are holding an open kicker competition of their own, and they haven’t had a ton of luck with their initial candidates, so in came Sanders.
It would certainly be ironic if the veteran kicker found his footing with the Jets, although Harbaugh didn’t seem to think his kicking style would fit in the windy conditions of MetLife Stadium.
In a full-circle moment, the Jets also cut ex-Giant Younghoe Koo to make room for Sanders. So, if all else fails, Big Blue could always give Koo another go after a gaffe-filled tenure in 2025.
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