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Editor's note: This is Part 21 of 26 in Art Stapleton's New York Giants summer series Q&A
Former Green Bay Packers executive Andrew Brandt likes retelling the story of his favorite undrafted free agent negotiation every year on social media.
The Packers had negotiated with the player directly, and he was without an agent. The two sides came to a deal, and the team told the prospect the signing bonus would be $1,000.
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"He said, no joke, 'Mr. Brandt, I only have $200 now,'" Brandt recalled, "'but I promise I will bring the rest when I get there.' I said, 'No, no. We pay you.'"
The New York Giants have had their success during the Super Bowl era with undrafted free agents.
None more than with Victor Cruz, who went on to become a Pro Bowler and star for their Super Bowl XLVI championship team while setting records. Tommy DeVito stayed home and cemented his place as a local legend as a rookie before leaving to become the backup to Drake Maye in New England.
Two undrafted free agents signed by the Giants last offseason saw action as rookies — wide receiver Beaux Collins and wide receiver Dalen Cambre. As for their new head coach, his former team in Baltimore had quite a run with UDFAs with at least one UDFA rookie making the 53-man roster in all but one of his 18 seasons.
During Harbaugh's tenure, the Ravens never backed away from spending money if they wanted a player. As a coach, he would sell something else in the post-draft recruiting period: opportunity.
For now, there are far more questions than answers as Harbaugh prepares to kick off his first training camp here in West Virginia at the Greenbrier on July 28.
But we hope to set the table for the summer and beyond with 26 questions that will define the 2026 Giants season.
Question #21: How many undrafted rookies will make the 2026 Giants?
Two former Harbaugh UDFAs followed the coach to the Giants: fullback Patrick Ricard and safety Ar’Darius Washington, and both are targeted for significant roles, while safety Beau Brade arrived here via waivers from the Ravens last year.
As for guessing which of this year's UDFAs will make the Giants' roster for 2026, there are two obvious choices.
Kicker Dominic Zvada and long snapper Ben Mann will enter training camp as the favorites to not only earn their spots, but take on key responsibilities for this team.
Zvada is competing with second-year pro Ben Sauls - also undrafted - and seemingly has the advantage following a strong spring after veteran Graham Gano was released following six seasons. Veteran Jason Sanders signed with the Giants this offseason, but Zvada - and to a lesser extent, Sauls - beat him out, leading to his exit.
The 6-foot-3, 178-pound Zvada could have been drafted had he left Michigan after making 21 of 22 field goals in 2024. He did not miss a field goal in six practices attended by the media this spring, showing a strong leg and a competitive streak.
At long snapper, the Giants said good-bye to Casey Kreiter after six seasons. They signed veteran Zach Triner, who was viewed as a favorite for the job right out of the gates, but post-draft movement represented a significant change.
The Giants signed undrafted free agent Ben Mann, who spent his final season of college ball at Boston College after transferring from Yale. He played in 40 games, logging a ton of experience, and has an imposing presence at the position (6-foot-4, 235 pounds). His athleticism based on analytical performance is off the charts, too.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: How many undrafted rookies will make the 2026 NY Giants roster?
