This Giant Named as a Likely Post-draft Trade/Cut Candidate in New Analysis

With the 2025 NFL draft in the books, teams may soon begin trimming their roster of players where the draft addressed depth and hence created an overflow.

According to a new analysis by Pro Football Network, the Giants player who is most likely in jeopardy of being a potential post-draft trade/cut candidate is running back Devin Singletary.

“Signed to be the stopgap starter after Saquon Barkley’s departure, Devin Singletary never got off the ground in his first season with the New York Giants,” the outlet noted.

“Rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. surpassed Singletary on the depth chart, leaving the veteran in a tenuous spot after a career-low 437 rushing yards. Singletary’s place on the team looks even shakier after the Giants picked Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo in the fourth round.

“While there are questions about his long speed and if his bull-in-a-china-shop play style will hold up against NFL defenders, Skattebo comes as a polished prospect who can contribute right away on all three downs.”

Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) runs against Texas defensive back Jelani McDonald (25) during the third quarter of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Jan. 1, 2025. | Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Singletary is in Year 2 of his contract and has $3.5 million of his $4.75 million base salary guaranteed for the coming year.

Except for quarterback Daniel Jones, who was dropped from the roster last year despite having guaranteed money owed to him–and Jones, remember, played more than half a season before he was cut–Giants general manager Joe Schoen has never cut a player who was owed guaranteed money.

While a player could be traded, in which case his new team would be responsible for any guaranteed money (unless the guaranteed money was tied into a specific calendar date that has since passed), it would be hard to see anyone wanting to take on Singletry’s contract and that $4.75 million base salary in a trade.

That base salary is high for a veteran rotation guy who has seldom been deployed on special teams.

The other issue with PFN’s suggestion is the assumption that Skattebo could be a three-down back. While the rookie is a very intriguing and exciting prospect, the number one thing all rookie running backs need to show they can do is pass block, particularly if they’re going to be on the field on obvious passing downs when the ball is likely to go to a receiver or tight end anyway.

In his last two seasons, both at Arizona State, Skattebo has allowed five pressures. He also has a career pass-blocking efficiency rating of 96.5, having been deployed in a true pass set on 25.4% of his snaps. He allowed seven pressures for a 94.9 pass-blocking efficiency rating in those true pass sets.

That’s not to say that Skattebo won’t eventually pass Singletary on the depth chart, but until he shows he can handle pass blocking at the NFL level, dismissing Singletary shouldn’t be a foregone conclusion.

If one were to argue which roster spot Skattebo might take, fellow running back Eric Gray, who figures to see whatever snaps he got on offense disappear and who may have lost his returner role to Ihmir Smith-Marsette, would make far more sense.

That said, the most obvious Giants veteran whose roster spot is likely in jeopardy post-draft is defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches. The Giants drafted Darius Alexander in the third round to presumably take up a perch alongside Dexter Lawrence II on the defensive line, a role Nunez-Roches tried to fill.

Nunez-Roches is in the final year of his contract and is not owed any guaranteed money. If the Giants were to move on from him, they’d recoup $3.6 million in cap space (less a $35,000 workout bonus depending on whether he fulfilled at least 80% attendance at the team’s voluntary offseason program). The Giants would be hit with only a $1.433 million dead-money hit for 2025.

The Giants added veteran free-agent talent to the defensive line based on finances and the position's depth. Nunez-Roches makes far more sense as a guy who is potentially “on the bubble” than Singletary.

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