Projecting NY Giants' 53-man roster entering Preseason Week 2

[ASFN Admin]

EAST RUTHERFORD - John Harbaugh is not thinking solely about tomorrow. Or the next day.

Just about everything his New York Giants do on the practice fields and in the meeting rooms, initially at The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia and now home for training camp, has had a singular focus: being ready for the Dallas Cowboys in their Week 1 "Sunday Night Football" showdown.

The offseason program was not necessarily about competition, more so technique and assignments.

Training camp is about getting ready for the real thing to the slightest detail in preparation and performance.

"We're chasing execution," Harbaugh said. "We're chasing execution. We're at a stage now, we're getting ready for the games. I mean, that's what practice is for. We're not here to practice. It's not a training camp exercise. We're here to prepare for the games that we're going to play. What plays we call, how we practice, all those things. We're not just running plays out here to run plays."


And now that the Giants have a preseason game under their belt following Saturday's 13-10 loss to the Vikings, the competition is ramped up even more.

Here is our second 53-man projection of the summer and notes on the depth chart:

New York Giants roster projection​

OFFENSE (25)​

Quarterbacks (2)​

• Starter: Jaxson Dart
• Backup: Jameis Winston
• What we have seen: Dart and Winston together form one of the league's most underrated QB tandems, given Dart's ceiling and Winston's fit as his mentor and team leader. Brandon Allen is here as a QB3 with familiarity with QB coach/pass game coordinator Brian Callahan. He was picked off twice Saturday, but his value in this role is not solely about his preseason performance.

Running backs (3)​

• Starter: Cam Skattebo
• Backups: Tyrone Tracy, Devin Singletary
• What we have seen: Skattebo looked good against the Vikings, moving another week past the gruesome ankle and lower leg injury he suffered last October. He's going to be the lead back and is an underrated receiver. Tracy has had a very good summer, but his failure to pick up the blitz got Dart decked against the Vikings. Unfortunately for him, he's going to have to overcome talk of his pass pro. Singletary has been solid, and while Turbo Miller may have been applying the pressure with an underappreciated camp, the latter left MetLife Stadium hobbling. We'll see if the Giants opt to bring in another veteran with Miller likely staring at an absence to deal with an injury that is believed to be an abdomen strain, a source told NorthJersey.com and The Record. Undrafted rookie Damon Bankston seems like a practice squad add to develop.

Wide receiver (7)​

• Starters: Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Malachi Fields
• Backups: Calvin Austin, Darnell Mooney, Odell Beckham Jr., Braxton Berrios
• What we have seen: Nabers is the straw that stirs this drink and the Giants need him at his best. He could take his next step on the road back in live team drills for the first time this week. Slayton started making plays last week in practice as he gets back his football legs following a double sports hernia surgery. Austin has been clutch. Fields can be an X-factor, especially in the run game, and his touchdown catch from Dart off-script versus the Vikings was a thing of beauty. They might have just one spot for Mooney, Beckham, Berrios and JuJu Smith-Schuster, who has fallen behind due to a balky knee. Mooney flashed early with Dart, but has been quiet as of late. If Beckham stays healthy, he should be on the team. Does he need to produce with catches and in preseason games to earn a spot, or will team brass go by the tape? If it's the latter, he could avoid the practice squad and make the active roster. Berrios, also in the mix at returner, might have the edge because of that. Dalen Cambre is an outstanding special teams player. I have not added him yet, but he could replace either Beckham or Berrios because of that.

Tight ends (4)​

• Starters: Isaiah Likely, Theo Johnson, Patrick Ricard (FB)
• Backup: Chris Manhertz
• What we have seen: Likely and Johnson should be significant contributors. Ricard works out of this position group and his presence will help set the tone in the run game. Manhertz is a pro's pro with his strength as an in-line run blocker. Second-year pro Thomas Fidone was quiet on Saturday night, but he has picked up his game in practice in recent days.

Offensive line (9)​

• Starters: Andrew Thomas, Jon Runyan, John Michael Schmitz, Sisi Mauigoa, Jermaine Eluemunor
• Backups: Marcus Mbow, Daniel Faalele, Bryan Hudson, J.C. Davis
• What we have seen: The alignment of the starting OL has not changed since Mauigoa was drafted 10th overall and penciled into the right guard spot. Cutting Runyan would result in the addition of $9 million in salary cap space, but he has had a very solid summer so far at LG. Mbow is the swing tackle and he'll seek to build on a solid rookie year in relatively limited duty. With JMS out due to a concussion and anticipated backup Lucas Patrick dealing with a nagging knee injury, Hudson has been running with the first team and is positioned to steal a spot, perhaps pushing Patrick to the practice squad. Evan Neal was solid in the second half in the preseason game, but the runway to earn a spot is getting shorter by the day.

More NY Giants: Best sights, sounds and quotes from Giants' 2026 training camp

DEFENSE (28)​

Defensive line (6)​

• Starters: D.J. Reader, Darius Alexander, Shelby Harris
• Backups: Bobby Jamison-Travis, Leki Fotu, Josh Tupou
• What we have seen: The Giants will mix and match in looking to find the right combination to help this run defense. Reader and Harris are solid pros. Alexander is a breakout candidate and had a sack Saturday night. Jamison-Travis has the proper profile to build on.

Outside linebacker (4)​

• Starters: Brian Burns, Abdul Carter
• Backups: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Caleb Murphy
• What we have seen: Burns and Carter have a chance to be one of the most productive rush tandems in the league, provided the latter continues to ascend after a strong finish to his rookie season. Carter has had a great camp. If this defense reaches its potential, Thibodeaux will be one of the biggest reasons. I had veteran Chauncey Golston as the only other edge in my first projection, but he has been pushed by Caleb Murphy, who has flashed this summer. This time, I flipped them. It's an overlooked battle for a spot, although they could keep both on the 53 and use a PS elevation for a sixth defensive lineman if needed.

Inside linebacker (5)​

• Starters: Tremaine Edmunds, Arvell Reese
• Backups: Micah McFadden, Jack Kelly, Zaire Barnes
• What to know: Reese's best fit in the NFL from jump is exactly where the Giants are playing him: next to Edmunds and in the middle of the defense. He has the chance to be a special player from jump. Edmunds will wear the green dot on his helmet as the signal caller. McFadden is an extremely valuable reserve. Kelly is a promising sixth round rookie and continues to impress. I like what I have seen from Barnes, and I think he can beat out Darius Muasau as a core special teamer.

Cornerback (6)​

• Starters: Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome
• Backups: Colton Hood, Dru Phillips, Tae Banks, Art Green
• What to know: The Giants had more confidence in their corners than many outside observers this offseason, but that may be starting to wane a bit, and it probably should. Newsome could be a great value addition if he reverts to his former from early last season in Cleveland in DC Dennard Wilson's aggressive system. But he's working back from a knee sprain. Adebo's rough camp is a blow to that optimism, and now he's working back from an injury, too. Phillips should return from a knee injury this week. This may be Banks' last chance this offseason to earn the trust of his fourth DC. He committed a pair of penalties in coverage Saturday night, one declined, halting his promising rebound for the moment. Green is a good gunner on special teams and makes plays when given the chance in the secondary. The Giants will likely continue to look to add to this group.

Safety (4)​

• Starters: Jevon Holland, Tyler Nubin
• Backups: Ar'Darius Washington, Jason Pinnock
• What to know: Washington should probably be viewed as a starter with Holland and Nubin because of his value at nickel. Pinnock has shown up with recent first-team snaps and is a versatile player who will have no issue with playing a key role on special teams.

Specialists (3)​

• Jordan Stout (punter), Dominic Zvada (kicker), Ben Mann (long snapper)
• What we have seen: Zvada is in a serious competition with Ben Sauls, and both young kickers have had their moments. By my count, Zvada has the edge, as he has missed just four field goals in 56 tries in camp. Mann has been steady. Stout is an All-Pro and one of the most valuable players on the roster.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Projecting NY Giants' 53-man roster entering Preseason Week 2

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