Five New York Giants Who Boosted Their Stocks Against Cleveland

Nick Falato picks out four individuals and one position group whose performance in Sunday's 17-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns was more than acceptable in helping their respective case for a roster spot.

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Aug 23, 2021 8:00 AM EDT

The New York Giants lost their second preseason game 17-13 on Sunday to the Cleveland Browns. This game acted as a traditional fourth preseason game. Little to no starters played in the affair, and it mainly was backend roster players that showcased their talents.

We still learned valuable information from the game that's applicable through the regular season. Let's dive into five players that caught my eye during this loss.

No. 1. DL David Moa

The defensive line is arguably the Giants' deepest position. Leonard Williams acts as the long-levered unique pass rusher who creates interior disruption. Dexter Lawrence is the big-bodied 4i-technique in tite fronts, who has the explosiveness and positional versatility (can play nose), to thrive wearing many hats.

B.J. Hill has impressive upfield burst and uses his hands in a violent yet controlled manner. Danny Shelton is a true A-gap eater who can execute two-gapping assignments. Austin Johnson is a solid rotational player.

The position group is relatively set, but David Moa, a 20-year-old second-year player out of Boise State, earning a ton of respect with his on-field play. He had a couple of pressures and six total tackles, all in a variety of ways.

He made one tackle for a loss moving laterally down the line of scrimmage on a stretch-zone play, and he was the player to force QB Kyle Lauletta to fumble after his 33-yard scramble to end the half--Moa hit him 33-yards downfield!

His play was good against the Jets, and he followed that performance up with an even better contest against the Browns.

I believe Moa could have a shot to win a practice squad spot over Niko Lalos, someone who had an impact during the 2020 campaign. They're similar builds--Moa is 6'3 275 pounds and Lalos is 6'5 280 pounds.

Moa may not even make it to the Giants practice squad if he has to pass waivers. He's having a great camp, preseason, and he's making a name for himself to possibly make the backend of a roster if the Giants can't squeeze him on the 54.

No. 2. WR David Sills V

The drum-beat for the former West Virginia Mountaineer continues to increase steadily. He's consistently winning in practices with clean releases and nuanced route running. He uses his body well, and his ability to adjust in the air is exceptional. He was penalized for a push-off in the fourth quarter, but that doesn't concern me much.

Sills had only three catches for 31 yards, but he had an impressive contested catch touchdown, a situation he continues to prove himself capable of winning.

As great as Sills has been, he may struggle to make the final 53-man-roster. I'm sure the Giants would love to squeeze him on the practice squad, and he certainly looked better than Alex Bachman, who had a poor showing on Sunday.

The Giants tried Sills at gunner in special teams to see how effective he would be in that role. He was doubled and released inside, showing solid overall burst, but Keion Crossen and C.J. Board both look like they're poised to perform better in that role than Sills.

Matt Cole is another player who Sills will have to compete with to make this roster, more on Cole in a bit.

Overall, as a receiver, Sills can make an NFL roster; however, the Giants have a deep wide receiver room that consists of Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Kadarius Toney, John Ross, and Dante Pettis. Sills' path to the roster may materialize if the Giants are concerned about Golladay and Toney's availability, but it isn't sure beyond that.

I wouldn't be shocked if he makes the team, but he would be a lock if his special teams' abilities were more proven than his fellow teammates.

MORE: Musings from the Giants' 17-13 Loss to the Cleveland Browns

No. 3. WR Matt Cole

I have Cole listed as a wide receiver here, but he continues to make plays in all three phases of the game. He made the big play on special teams to disallow the Jets' offense to have advantageous field position in week one, and he made a special teams tackle against the Browns this week.

Furthermore, Cole played in the second half as a cornerback - something he hasn't done since high school. And wouldn't you know it, he wasn't targeted once!

Instead, the Browns picked on Sam Beal, playing opposite of Cole. The 24-year-old was claimed off waivers by the Giants on August 8. He continues to show his variety on the field, and we know how much this Giants team values versatility.

MORE: Giants' Backup O-Line Shows Improvement in 17-13 Loss to Browns

No. 4. The Offensive Line

The Giants' second team offensive line was a disaster against the Jets. The entire first team didn't play against the Browns, so the second team--LT Jackson Barton, LG Kenny Wiggins, OC Jonotthan Harrison, RG Ted Larsen and RT Chad Slade--suited up, and late in the first half, Slade was replaced by UDFA Jake Burton while Larsen was replaced by UDFA Brett Reggie.

Harrison returned from injury to play well. The line was able to generate some holes for running back Devontae Booker on GH counter and inside zone.

Larsen was signed earlier last week, and the veteran stepped in to be a solid asset to the Giants' second team.

The overall depth is still a concern for me, but it was a welcomed sight to see some competence, albeit against the Browns' backups. It won't be desirable to see any of these players starting the regular season, so stay healthy, Giants' starting offensive line.

No. 5. TE Rysen John

John is a 2020 WR UDFA out of Simon Fraser, who made the conversion to tight end. It's unfortunate because he got hurt with 14 seconds left on the clock, but he looked good on the field. John had three catches for 58 yards, two long gains up the seam.

He looks enormous on the football field. These seam passes will be more available against soft-shell two-high defenses that are run in the preseason, but he performed well on those two routes while also showing some contested catch ability.

Cole Hikituni was hurt last week, and Kyle Rudolph hasn't returned to the field yet. The Giants' tight end position isn't as deep as a few weeks ago, especially before Levine Toilolo was injured. Hopefully, John's injury isn't significant.