The Giants could be down their top two left tackles entering Saturday’s preseason opener in Buffalo.

James Hudson III, who has practiced all offseason as the first-team left tackle with Andrew Thomas (Lisfranc) sidelined, left Wednesday’s long padded practice halfway through and did not return.

Hudson, 26, walked into the Giants‘ building under his own power with a trainer. There was no immediate update available on his status.

This is concerning because Thomas, the franchise’s top offensive lineman, hasn’t practiced yet this summer.

He remains on the physically unable to perform list. He wasn’t even working on a side field Wednesday.

And when Thomas has done outdoor workouts, he has moved gingerly with a careful, steady ramp-up to any kind of meaningful jogging or movement on his surgically repaired foot.

Head coach Brian Daboll assured recently that Thomas is “making progress, has “had some good days” and “feels a lot better.”

“As soon as he can be out there, he’ll be out there,” Daboll said. “You guys will see him out there. I’d say from week-to-week, he’s made continuous strides.”

Still, Thomas’ progress doesn’t yet pass the eye test, which may explain why GM Joe Schoen slightly hedged on Thomas’ Week 1 availability at the start of camp.

“Yeah, he should be ready for the opener,” Schoen said in late July. “Again, things change. You can never be 100 percent, but we’re going to take it day by day with him. When he is ready, he’ll be out there, but we anticipate him to be ready for the opener.”

The talent drop-off from Thomas in recent years has been dramatic in his absence. Thomas has played in only 16 of a possible 34 games the past two seasons, and the Giants have a 6-10 (.375) record with him and a 3-15 (.166) mark without him.

So Schoen signed Hudson, a former Cleveland Brown, to a two-year, $12 million free agent deal with $4.6 million guaranteed this spring.

Hudson spent most of last season on injured reserve after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder last October, but he played in 49 games and started 17 the past four years and plays with an edge that has already added some juice to the Giants’ front five.

Behind Hudson on the depth chart, however, the tackle depth chart is disconcerting. It includes developing fifth-round rookie Marcus Mbow, holdover Josh Ezeudu and veteran signing Stone Forsythe — plus starting right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor in the break glass option of switching sides.

The regular season thankfully doesn’t start for another month. The Giants’ quarterbacks need to operate the offense in the team’s three preseason games before that, though.

And if both Thomas and Hudson are unable to play in games like Saturday’s, that could compromise the club’s ability to properly prepare an offense that ranked 31st in the NFL in scoring last season with most of the same players on the field.

THE BANK’S CLOSED

Deonte Banks picked off Russell Wilson downfield on Wednesday for Banks’ first interception of camp. Banks technically is competing with Cor’Dale Flott for the second starting corner spot. It’s even listed as Banks “or” Flott on the first unofficial Giants depth chart that the team released Tuesday. But Banks will pull away early if he keeps making plays and Flott remains sidelined while rehabbing an undisclosed injury on a side field. Banks picked off a pass intended for slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. It is Wilson’s sixth interception in 11 practices and his fourth in the past four … Rookie QB Jaxson Dart, who is listed as the team’s third quarterback on the first depth chart, was picked off by corner Nic Jones on a pass intended for Montrell Washington … Jameis Winston showed urgency by getting on a receiver after one red zone play and finished a second straight practice with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Gunner Olszewski.

NABERS LIMITED, MANAGING TOE

Malik Nabers did not participate in three of the Giants’ four 11-on-11 team periods. For the second straight practice, he spent the early part of practice speaking with a trainer and seemingly giving feedback. Then that resulted in a significant reduction of his workload.

Nabers, 22, who is playing through a toe injury that may eventually require surgery, said this is just part of the Giants’ plan to get him to the games that count healthy.

“I’m doing fine,” Nabers said. “The coaches and the training staff have a process of what they want me to do to be healthy for when we get ready to play, so I just got to do my job and follow the plan that they got put ahead of me.”

Nabers has played exceptionally well in camp when he’s been on the field, and he admitted he has felt pretty good despite the nagging ailment.

“I don’t think it’s been affecting me,” he said. “I still continue to make plays, still continue to feel good when I’m out there. Some days are better than normal, but for right now, I think I’ve been feeling pretty great while I’m out there… Like I said, the process is just making sure I’m as healthy as I need to be when it’s time to play ball.”

Meanwhile, running back Cam Skattebo, wideout Darius Slayton, corner Art Green and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles did not practice and were not seen on any of the fields. Defensive end Chauncey Golston, wide receiver Beaux Collins and corners Flott and Korie Black all worked on the side … Rookie tight end Thomas Fidone II returned to practice. Defensive tackle Jordon Riley also did some work in his first day back on the field in several days.

ANOTHER SLOPPY DAY

Daboll grew restless a couple of times with his team’s lack of discipline. The Giants committed seven more penalties on Wednesday during four full 11-on-11 periods: three by the third-team offense, two by the second-team offense, one by the first-team offense and one by the third-team defense. The offense committed six of the seven penalties. That included three false starts, including one by Evan Neal on the first play of a drive that got him kicked out to the sideline for the rest of the possession. There were also delay of games on both sides of the ball, an illegal man downfield on offense and an illegal formation … The Giants have one more practice Thursday before Friday’s travel day to Buffalo.

Originally Published: August 6, 2025 at 1:21 PM EDT