Giants Projected Starting Lineup After Free Agency Week 1

There is still much more work to be done on the New York Giants roster, but now that we’re one week into free agency, let’s take a look at what the projected starting lineup looks like at each position, and where there remains some uncertainty.

Quarterback: Jaxson Dart

This is Dart’s show unless he is, for whatever reason, unable to play due to injury.

Running Backs: Tyrone Tracy, Jr, Cam Skattebo

Put Tracy ahead of Skattebo for now, only because the latter is still recovering from a season-ending ankle injury.

In reality, don’t be shocked if the two get near equal time in the rushing attack as RB1 and RB1A, with Skattebo, who has proven in his short span on the field to be a little bit more reliable as a pass catcher out of the backfield.

Fullback: Patrick Ricard

For the first time since 2014, the Giants are carrying a full-fledged fullback rather than having a tight end serve in the part-time role, as the team did with Daniel Bellinger, who filled the role on occasion.

“Pancake Pat,” over his nine-year NFL career, has never played more than 64% of the snaps on offense, that coming in 2022. Since then, he’s seen his snap percentages drop to 39% in 2023 and 2024, and 41% last year.

For what it’s worth, last year the Ravens ran a rushing play 52% of the time, which means Ricard was more often than not on the field for a running play. The expectation is that this will continue with the Giants if they do indeed go to a more run-heavy game.

Receivers: Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton

Wide receiver Calvin Austin III | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Wan’Dale Robinson, who began last year as WR3 only to ascend to the top spot after Nabers suffered a season-ending ACL injury, is off to Tennessee to be on offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s offense.

Nabers will eventually be back once his ACL recovery is complete and Slayton is locked in. The only question here is who will be the slot receiver, if the Giants actually carry one, which we’ll discuss in the next section.

Look for the Giants to add another receiver in the draft after this year ends. Slayton’s guaranteed money will have been paid out, leaving the door open for them to move on from him after this year if they choose to.

Adding another young receiver to the mix gets yet another player on a rookie deal while head coach John Harbaugh works with the front office to fill in the roster’s glaring holes and build toward the future.

Tight Ends: Isaiah Likely, Theo Johnson

Tight end Isaiah Likely | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Surprisingly, Daniel Bellinger moved to Tennessee to be with former head coach Brian Daboll, the very same coach (now the Titans' offensive coordinator) who rarely signed off on using Bellinger in the passing game.

Bellinger brought value as a chess piece, but so too does Likely, who figures to be the primary slot receiver, playing the kind of role that the Giants probably envisioned when they traded for Darren Waller.

Likely won’t be the exclusive slot receiver–that position from among the wideouts is still to be determined between candidates such as Calvin Austin III and Gunner Olszewski, among others.

Likely’s arrival doesn’t necessarily mean fewer opportunities for Johnson in the passing game, as Johnson is also a big-bodied target. But where Johnson needs to show significant growth in his game is in cutting back on dropped passes, as his 14% career drop rate is a detriment.

Defensive Line: Dexter Lawrence II, Roy Robertson-Harris

As of right now, Robertson-Harris, who finished as the starter last year, is the incumbent. But keep an eye on Darius Alexander, who started to play toward the end of last season and who flashed.

Alexander is a player who could see a bigger role on defense this year if he can avoid having to miss another critical offseason with injury, as he did last year as a rookie.

Outside Linebackers: Brian Burns, Abdul Carter

There are still questions about whether Kayvon Thibodeaux will be on this team’s roster by opening day. At this point, the answer is probably yes unless the Giants get a sweetheart deal that includes a Day 2 pick.

For a trade to happen, not only do the Giants need to get a solid offer, but the acquiring team will likely want to ensure Thibodeaux is signed beyond this coming season so that they don’t end up with a one-year rental that expires after one season.

The Giants, believe it or not, are a better team with Thibodeaux on it, but that said, he’s not completely untouchable.

Inside Linebackers: Tremaine Edmunds, Micah McFadden

Middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds | David Banks-Imagn Images

Edmunds will be the new every-down off-ball linebacker for the Giants. McFadden gets the nod as the second starter in the base defense, but if the team picks up a linebacker on Day 1 or Day 2 of the draft, that’s obviously subject to change.

Safeties

Tyler Nubin, Jevon Holland

The Giants added some depth at safety with the signings of one-time starter Jason Pinnock and defensive back Ar’Darius Washington. There is still talk that Caleb Downs could land with the Giants, but we are not as sure of that happening as we were earlier in the year.

Nubin, a second-round draft pick from 2024, is the starter to watch when things get rolling. Nubin’s coverage rate shot up from 95.7 as a rookie to 119.5 in his second season.

He also gave up two touchdowns in coverage and did not scale back on his missed tackles, having recorded 15 in his second season to give him 25 over two years.

He’ll be the incumbent going into cap, but again, watch out for Pinnock, who is a far better blitzer. Pinnock has 18 career pressures on 82 blitzes (21.9% pressure rate). Nubin, meanwhile, generated only two pressures on 27 career blitzes (7% pressure rate).

Cornerbacks

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Greg Newsome II — Cornerback Greg Newsome II | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome II

Newsome received what could be considered “starter’s money” as part of his one-year deal, in which he can earn up to $8 million. Still, he’s not a slam-dunk lock to be the starter opposite of Adebo, who enters his second season with the team.

Newsome, a Browns first-round draft pick, will compete against Deonte Banks, a Giants first-round draft pick, as the coaches look to successfully salvage one, if not both, players.

Specialists

Punter Jordan Stout | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Jordan Stout (punter); Ben Sauls or Jason Sanders (kicker)

For the first time in a while, the Giants are set to start the season with all-new specialists as part of their kicking battery. Pro Bowler Jordan Stout replaces Jamie Gillan at punter, and one of Ben Sauls or Jason Sanders will be the new kicker.

Sauls did a nice job of settling down the revolving door at kicker last year by hitting all of his XPTs and field goal attempts. But he’s still relatively untested on attempts of 50+ yards and in high-pressure situations.

Sanders, once a Pro Bowl kicker, is coming off a season-ending hip injury, so his deal includes an injury waiver just in case that ailment flares up again. If Sanders can reclaim his Pro Bowl form, it makes too much sense for the Giants not to pick him to handle their kicking duties.

The Giants are also going to have a new long snapper for the first time since 2020, thanks to Casey Kreier, king of the one-year contracts, moving on to Arizona, where he’ll reunite with Michael Ghobrial, the Giants’ special teams coordinator the last two seasons.

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