5 Giants I'm watching in preseason opener

Heading into Saturday's preseason opener against the Vikings, here are five Giants players I'll be keeping my eyes on at MetLife Stadium.

Arvell Reese

Reese gets to introduce himself to Giants fans eager to see their latest first-round pick. Reese has impressed in practice with his athleticism, smarts and play-making. Now it needs to show on the field.

There’s also intrigue with how the Giants will deploy Reese besides at inside linebacker because they could use him at pass rusher besides playing in coverage and against the run.

Odell Beckham Jr.

Beckham will give fans MetLife Stadium a nostalgia high on Saturday when he takes the field. Once that fades, it’s time to see if he can make a difference on this roster.

At 33, he needs to show production, not just a team-first attitude. He may not get many reps so he has to make the most of them. No matter how good he makes people feel, how he plays is what people will remember so he must prove he’s still got gas in that tank.

Deonte Banks

If the Giants’ cornerback competition is really up for grabs, let’s see how Banks has really improved. All the positive talk in camp can’t overshadow Banks’ frustrating play the last three years.

The only way that changes is if Banks shows something different in preseason. Dennard Wilson’s new scheme is more press-heavy, which allows corners to be physical. It plays to Banks’ strengths and with Paulson Adebo day-to-day, he must prove the training camp praise translates to better production.

Dominic Zvada

Zvada’s 61-yard field goal to end practice Wednesday highlighted why he’s the favorite to win the kicking job. But the rookie needs to prove it in-game. Ben Sauls has game experience, even if it’s just the Giants’ final three games last season.

This is where the kicking competition ramps up. Will the Giants alternate PATs to give each kicker a chance. Who goes out first on field goal duty? Who makes the best impression when kicks actually count.

Zvada has a great opportunity to show why Harbaugh and the staff should put their faith in him.

Malachi Fields

This could easily go to another rookie like Francis Mauigoa starting at right guard or Colton Hood getting reps at cornerback. But we’re going with Fields because he’s looking to stand out in a crowded receiving room.

If Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III don’t play much, Fields will get a chance to show why the Giants traded up to draft him. He’s shown great hands as a big target in practice and his catch radius is wide to grab anything in his direction. A strong performance could validate his push for more playing time.

By Evan Barnes

evan.barnes@newsday.comevan_b

Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.