New York Giants Players to Watch For in the Preseason Opener

The New York Giants open their 2023 preseason slate today against the Detroit Lions. Although Giants head coach Brian Daboll hasn't announced who he plans to play in the game, the expectation is that many of the starters will sit this one out, giving some of the new faces embroiled in roster competitions a chance to shine.

Here's a look at some of the players we'll be watching if they suit up for the game.

WR Jaylin Hyatt

Few players on the Giants roster are garnering as much anticipation as rookie wide receiver Jaylin Hyatt.

The 21-year-old third-round selection is coming off an impressive and flashy junior season with the Tennessee Volunteers in which he caught 67 passes for 1,267 yards, 15 touchdowns, and averaged 18.9 yards per reception. While he has yet to show off his skills against NFL competition, he has been the talk of training camp for his deep speed ability and ability to separate from defenders.

The 6-foot, 185-pound Hyatt can take off at a visceral 4.4 speed and shift on a dime to extend his route all over the field, confusing the defender guarding him. His drop rate is very low, and his contested catch rate is very dependable, with him having posted a 60 percent success rate last season in that category.

While the Giants have a few other speedier receivers in their arsenal, they will surely utilize Hyatt’s talents to take pressure off the shoulders of the running backs and force the opposition’s focus more on preventing damage in the open field.

Watching Hyatt work against different competition is sure to be a treat, especially if he carries over his solid training camp into these next three games.

IOL Shane Lemieux

Once upon a time, Shane Lemieux, the Giants' fifth-round draft pick in 2020, looked to be well on his way to locking up the starting left guard position. Unfortunately, after appearing in over 500 snaps his rookie season, most of which came at left guard, the Oregon product saw just 56 total snaps between 2021 and 2022 due to knee and toe injuries.

At a time when the line was already bottoming out amongst the rest of the league, his absence only intensified the team’s game of linemen roulette that prevented any ounce of consistency or success from developing for the offense.

Even when he was on the gridiron, Lemieux struggled. In 2020, his pass blocking included five sacks, six quarterback hits, and 25 pressures. He was also a target for penalty flags, and neither issue solved itself in his limited snaps in the past two campaigns.

These days, Lemieux is fighting for a roster spot as a backup interior offensive lineman. He could see snaps at guard and center against the Lions as he looks to cash in on what could be his last chance to make a career with the Giants. If that doesn’t pan out against less inexperienced attackers, Lemieux may have to look elsewhere to build his underdog career.

ILB Darrian Beavers

Last summer, linebacker Darrian Beavers showed flashes of becoming a starting-caliber talent in the Giants’ first two preseason games. Then all that potential came to a standstill when he tore his ACL.

Now healthy, Beavers is looking to pick up where he left off and partner alongside Bobby Okereke in the Giants defense.

Thus far, Beavers appears to be in the lead for that role in his competition with Micah McFadden. Beavers is a physical downhill thumper who is slightly more athletic than McFadden.

CB Cor’Dale Flott

For cornerback Cor’Dale Flott, the preseason will be about showing he can improve on his physical intangibles.

The Giants snagged the LSU product in the third round of the 2022 draft after noting his speed and length. Flott was initially projected to play on the perimeter, a position he will probably still play some snaps, but of late, he's been working more in the slot, the position he played in college.

In 11 games during his rookie season, Flott produced 26 tackles (15 solo), one forced fumble, and two passes deflected. He played in several spots throughout the year, including the slot corner hole, free safety, and inside the box, and finished as one of the higher-rated defensive backs on the team in overall coverage. He struggled to pack a punch into stopping the run, but that all stems from an issue he needs to resolve as the season progresses.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Flott doesn’t carry an ideal physical frame that the average cornerback needs to have to compete with some of the bigger targets in the NFL. As a result, he often got bounced on oncoming rushers or beaten over the top by stronger receivers who would then bull past him for damaging gains. But Flott did work to add bulk in the off-season to better withstand the game's physical nature.

RB Eric Gray

Among the rookie class set to make their playing debuts, running back Eric Gray is one that has people excited to watch.

Selected in the fifth round of this year's draft, Gray comes to New York fresh off an impressive senior season with the Oklahoma Sooners in which he garnered a career-high 213 carries for 1,366 yards (6.4 average) and 11 touchdowns to go along with 33 catches for 229 yards.

Undoubtedly, the Giants will give him reps in the backfield to see how he might juice it behind Saquon Barkley. The Giants will also be looking at him as a return specialist to see if he can turbocharger what has been a primarily lackluster return game.

Last fall, the Giants were one of the worst franchises in the league in punt returns; injuries certainly played a part in that. The Giants went through five returners, the most efficient being Richie James, who returned 174 of the Giants’ 179 punt return yards.

The interesting thing about Gray is that he wasn't much of a return specialist in college. He had four returns in 2022 for a total of 72 yards. However, he averaged about 24 yards per return, a number no player on the Giants touched last season.

Gray is also very quick and shifty with his 210-pound frame, which could help him make an impact on breaking tackles.

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