Skip to main content

Giants Player Profile | Sean Chandler, Safety

Will there still be room on the roster for Chandler?

2019 Season Rewind

Sean Chandler was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent out of Temple in 2018. Although he has played in 29 games throughout his two-year NFL career, he has yet to make a start.

Chandler was not heavily utilized on defense last season, recording seven total tackles in 13 games played. The Giants have mainly used him as a special teams player.

In November of last year, Chandler was waived by the Giants to make a roster spot for Sam Beal. He was then re-signed to the practice squad two days later. About a month after that, the Giants re-signed Chandler to the active roster.

Jabrill Peppers landed on injured reserve last season after suffering a transverse process fracture during the Giants’ Week 12 loss to the Chicago Bears. This injury seemed like it could allow Chandler to get more playing time, but this did not happen. Instead, rookie Julian Love took over for Peppers at strong safety.

At 5’10” and 203 pounds, Chandler has the right size for his position. After playing cornerback during his first two seasons at Temple, he switched over to safety. Chandler had 79 total tackles, three interceptions four passes defended, and a forced fumble in 13 games played during his senior year at Temple.

Giants’ general manager Dave Gettleman saw something in Chandler when he signed him as an undrafted free agent two years ago. However, he was brought in during the Pat Shurmur regime.

The Giants have underutilized Chandler over the past couple of years, and now he’s going to have to prove to Joe Judge that he deserves a spot on the team. Considering the importance that Judge places on special teams, this could be his best chance to earn a roster spot.

Looking Ahead

Chandler has a tough road ahead of him to earn a spot on the Giants’ 53-man roster this season. Gettleman made a couple of moves this offseason to improve his team’s depth at safety, signing Nate Ebner and drafting Xavier McKinney. 

Although Ebner has never really been an impact player in the secondary, his value on special teams and familiarity with Judge gives him an edge over Chandler.

With Love performing well when he is at strong safety last season and Ebner is now on the team, Chandler’s roster spot is in jeopardy. He’s going to have to perform well in training camp to make the team.

Chandler has solid footwork but lacks top-end speed. His lack of playing time throughout his two-year career to prove that he can be a productive player in the secondary could end up working against him.

One thing that Chandler has going for him is his versatility. He can play anywhere in the secondary. He started at both cornerback and safety throughout his four-year playing career at Temple.

The issue for Chandler is that the Giants have plenty of versatile defensive backs on the roster. With guys like McKinney, Peppers, and Love ahead of him, it’s going to be difficult for this Temple product to stand out.

The best path for Chandler to keep his roster spot is to prove to Judge that he provides value on special teams. It will be interesting to see whether Chandler will be able to prove his worth in training camp and retain his roster spot.

One thing that you can be sure of is that he has the mental toughness necessary to achieve this goal. Chandler grew up in Camden, New Jersey, and spent much of his young life living in different homeless shelters. The grit and perseverance that he’s demonstrated throughout his life and career will undoubtedly be characteristics of which Judge takes note.