NY Giants Post-Minicamp 53-man Roster Projection

What about the practice squad? I don’t see that being the case either for the Giants’ longest-tenured quarterback on the roster.  I strongly suspect a quarterback-needy team such as the Saints will look to grab him if he hits the waiver wire. 

Running Backs (4)

The wild card in this mix is Skattebo, not because I don’t think he makes the roster, but because he didn’t practice all that much during the spring, which puts him behind the curve. 

For that reason, I’m projecting that four running backs will be kept, at least until we gain clarity on what Skattebo has been dealing with and if it will keep him out of practice when the team starts up again next month. 

For that reason, I went with four running backs, choosing Gray, who can also serve as a backup return specialist to Ihmir Smith-Marsette. 

Tight Ends (3) 

I strongly suspect the Giants are going to roll with just three tight ends on the 53-man roster, with a fourth–I’m projecting Thomas Fidone–on the practice squad. I think the Giants might load up on receivers, thereby leaving room for one less tight end on the 53-man roster.

I have Fidone going to the practice squad so he can work on polishing up his game and adding some bulk to better hold up in line. But, like running backs, there is a question about Chris Manhertz, who didn’t work much this past spring. 

If Manhertz is ready to roll, then I think you have to consider the future of this position in terms of who the team keeps and who it does not. The Giants will probably have two openings at tight end next year if they move on from Daniel Bellinger and Manhertz, so I think Fidone is more for the 2026 roster than he is for this year.  

If Manhertz isn’t ready to roll, then that should open the door for Fidone to make the initial 53-man roster. 

Wide Receivers (7)

Yes, the Giants’ receivers' room is loaded, where some tough choices will have to be made. However, the reason I have seven receivers is because of Malik Nabers, and that is the issue that kept him out of the spring. 

But let’s break down the projections beyond Nabers, Darius Slayton, and Wan’Dale Robinson, all of whom should be locks, barring injury. I think Jalin Hyatt makes the team as a fourth receiver, though his late-spring soft tissue issue is something to watch. 

If there is a reason, though, to be encouraged that his issue isn’t something truly major, it’s that Hyatt was able to come out to watch the last day of mandatory minicamp practice–if he was that bad off, he wouldn’t have been out there standing on the field.

Hyatt doesn’t give the Giants much on special teams, so in this projection, you’re looking at the first four receivers being primarily for the offense and the last three for the offense and special teams.

Ihmir Smith-Marsette should be the returner once again. Lil’Jordan Humphrey has special teams experience as well, and at 6-foot-4, he’s one of the team’s tallest receivers and a guy who could push Bryce Ford-Wheaton off the roster.

The wild card is the seventh receiver. I have Da’Quan Felton slotted in as the seventh guy, but to be honest, this is way too close to call right now. I picked Felton because I thought he had the most consistent spring out of all the practices the media was allowed to attend. 

Offensive Linemen (9) 

Last year’s starting five is projected to return as the starting five for this year, but I don’t think that’s a given. I think ideally, what the coaches might want is for Evan Neal to successfully transform from NFL tackle to NFL guard, step into the left guard spot, and then have Jon Runyan Jr. move to right guard, which would then push Greg Van Roten into a reserve role at guard and center. 

At tackle, I think Marcus Mbow is a lock–he needs further development, but I think in time, he’s going to be that David Diehl type of utility player on the offensive line who can be plugged in anywhere.

I think James Hudson III beats out Stone Forsythe for the swing tackle role. Hudson has taken most of his career snaps at right tackle, but he did have recent experience on the left side.

I also think the team hangs onto Jake Kubas, who showed some flashes at guard and who has also been cross-training at center. Kubas could eventually fill the Van Roten role as a backup guard/center if he doesn’t land a starting spot in the future.

If Neal struggles at guard, I could see the team keeping one of Aaron Stinnie or Joshua Ezeudu as depth, bringing the total to ten plates on this unit. For now, I’m going with nine offensive linemen.

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Defensive Linemen (6) 

Unlike last year, when the Giants rolled the dice with youth behind Dexter Lawrence II, this year, they’re primarily going with experience. 

My guess is that Roy Robertson-Harris will push Rakeem Nunez-Roches for the starting role next to Lawrence.

Based on his past production, Robertson Harris can give the Giants a little more than “Nacho” in the pass rush department and be a solid add until Darius Alexander, who missed all the OTAs and mandatory camp, is caught up and ready to roll.

Ledbetter is probably going to see most of his work on special teams. Elijah Chatman, despite being the smallest height-wise of the group, still looked to me like the most agile and quickest of the lot, behind Lawrence. I keep wondering if, at some point, the coaches might deploy him in short yardage and goal-line snaps at fullback, a role he occasionally played in college.  

Outside Linebackers (4) 

For the first time in a long time, the Giants have four legitimate edge rushers who have been productive in their respective careers. The challenge will be getting all of them on the field at once, but that’s up to defensive coordinator Shane Bowen to figure out.

I could see Tomon Fox or Trace Ford as a potential practice squad player. Victor Dimukekje, who suffered a torn pectoral muscle during the early part of the offseason workouts, will likely land on the PUP list, where I believe he’ll stay for the start of the season while he recovers.  

Inside Linebackers (5)  

Chris Board, Ty Summers, and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles were all added for their special teams experience, so I can’t see the Giants keeping all three. I think Board gets the nod, given that he’s been the most productive of the three in special teams.  

I kept Johnson as the fifth option for now because I thought he showed promise last year before suffering his ankle injury. Also, I’m more than mildly curious about what’s going on with Bobby Okereke and why they suddenly held him out of practices toward the latter part of the spring.  

If Okereke is good to go–and I think he will be–perhaps Johnson goes to the practice squad, which would open up a spot for the Giants to keep one more at another position. For now, given how things ended in the spring, I’m playing it safe by keeping an extra guy on this unit.    

Cornerbacks (5) 

I think the Giants roll with five cornerbacks and look to stash Korie Black, one of their two seventh-round draft picks this year, on the practice squad. 

As far as the “competition” between Cor’Dale Flott and Deonte Banks, I would be shocked if Banks didn’t win the starting job. 

Flott is not only entering the final year of his rookie deal, but remember last year; he was unable to hang onto the starting job that he was favored to win after the Giants were unable to land an upgrade in free agency.

Banks had his hiccups last year–call it a year to forget. But his coaches and teammates have spoken about how locked in he is, and with this coming season being a big one for him–the Giants will decide after this year whether to exercise Banks’s fight-year option–I think he’ll come out with his hair on fire this summer, looking closer to the prospect the team hoped he’d be when they drafted him.

Safeties (4) 

This one is kind of easy to forecast at the moment. Both Johnson and Layne are coming off injuries, so if the roster had to be set today, they wouldn’t make it. 

Meanwhile, undrafted free agent safety Makari Paige is someone who could have a legitimate chance at making the roster, given his position and scheme flexibility from his college days.

Specialists (3)

No change is expected to the kicking battery from last year. The only hope is that Graham Gano and Jamie Gillan, both of whom had stints on IR last season, stay off of IR.

The Giants are also hoping that Gano, whom special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial said has looked good this spring, regains more consistency on his longer field goal attempts, where over the last two seasons (both filled with injuries), he’s gone 12 of 17 (70.5%) on attempts of 40+ yards. 

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