When the New York Giants signed Dominic Zvada as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 NFL Draft, most people saw him as another camp body entering a crowded competition. After all, the former Michigan standout was sharing the room with veteran Jason Sanders, a former Pro Bowler, and Ben Sauls, who had already spent time kicking for the team during the 2025 season. Over a month later, things have changed a lot. In fact, it might not even be a competition anymore.

According to reports coming out of Giants minicamp, Dominic Zvada is separating himself from the field and emerging as the clear favorite to become New York’s Week 1 starting kicker. In a recent session open to the media, he was seen going for a perfect 8-for-8 on field goal attempts. Meanwhile, Ben Sauls went just 4-for-8. And that’s not a one-time fluke. 

That performance came on the heels of another eye-opening showing during OTAs when Dominic Zvada drilled all 13 of his field goal attempts in a mandatory minicamp this week, while Sauls was able to convert only half of his attempts. Giants insider Jordan Raanan shared how the team may have already found its starter for 2026. 

“The Giants kicking competition hasn’t looked like much a competition this spring,” he reported. “Undrafted rookie Dominic Zvada has been consistently good. Veteran Jason Sanders was cut. Ben Sauls has struggled badly. During minicamp this week, Zvada has made all 13 of his FG attempts. Sauls is 7 of 14. Kicking competition may actually be over before the summer.”

Back in March, the Giants signed veteran Jason Sanders to a one-year contract. Even though he missed the entire 2025 season with a hip injury, many assumed he would eventually win the job. But then, the team released him on June 2 to create a roster spot for WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. That’s how it came down to a two-man battle for the starting kicker role, something Zvada may not have imagined. 

So far, Dominic Zvada has responded by doing everything. After all, it’s in his blood. The Chandler, Arizona native set a state record with a 55-yard field goal in 2020 while at Valley Christian High School. Before arriving at Michigan, he spent two seasons at Arkansas State, earning a 5-star recruit from Kohl’s Kicking, where he completed an outstanding 94.4% of his field goal attempts as a freshman.

After transferring to play for Sherrone Moore in 2024, Dominic Zvada immediately became one of the most reliable kickers in college football. In his first game for the Wolverines, he connected on field goals from 55, 53, and 45 yards, showing both accuracy and range. He went on to have one of the best kicking seasons in school history, making 21 of his 22 field-goal attempts (95.5%). His performance earned him All-American honors and the Big Ten Kicker of the Year award.

His senior season was a bit up and down, though. Dominic Zvada faced some struggles in 2025, even missing a few short kicks he usually made. Yet even during that rocky year, he still delivered under heavy pressure, like opening the scoring with a 45-yard kick against Ohio State and nailing a dramatic 31-yard game-winner against Northwestern with three seconds left. Pressure never seemed to bother him, and now it is time for the real test in the NFL.

Can Dominic Zvada be the kicker the Giants desperately need?

For years, the Giants have been searching for reliability at the kicker position. Graham Gano was excellent when healthy, but injuries always cut seasons short. Over the last three seasons, eight different kickers have attempted at least one field goal. They actually finished 11th in field goal percentage during the 2025 season, but the bigger problem came on extra points, where they ranked last in the NFL.

That’s something new head coach John Harbaugh is hoping to fix in 2026. Right now, the Giants need someone they can trust to make routine kicks every week. That’s why Dominic Zvada has caught so much attention this offseason. If he can keep it up, New York may have finally found their answer at the position. But well, the summer is still young, and there’s still time for Ben Sauls to prove he can become a legit competitor. 

If the former Wolverine keeps stacking perfect practices one after the other, though, there may be no Giants kicking competition. People might just be wondering how long Dominic Zvada will hold the job once he does.