Giants Country

Things to Watch in Giants-Lions Preseason Opener

The New York Giants seek clarity in several areas.
Patricia Traina|
Things to Watch in Giants-Lions Preseason Opener
Things to Watch in Giants-Lions Preseason Opener

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New York Giants

The final score of the preseason game between the New York Giants and the Detroit Lions doesn't matter.

What does matter is if the players who get the opportunity to deliver significant snap totals make the most of it.

There are jobs to be won, a few in the starting ranks but mostly among the depth that becomes so important when the coaches want to play matchup football or when there is an injury. So let's look at some lead storylines ahead of tonight's 7 p.m. ET kickoff from Detroit.

Sorting Through the Receivers

The Giants aren't so worried about whether they have a No. 1 among the dozen or so receivers on the roster. They are about finding the right combination of receivers to allow them to mix and match offensive personnel.

As of now, the players who are a lock for the roster r(and who will probably not play in the game) are Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, and Parris Campbell. Rookie Jalin Hyatt, who has been the toast of training camp given his speed, is a lock as well, but he might see a few snaps given that game speed is a lot different than practice speed.

Sterling Shepard is being ramped up and is unlikely to play tonight since the coaches know what he brings to the table. But to say for certain he's a lock for a roster spot depends on how his continued ramp-up from an ACL injury suffered last season goes.

Jamison Crowder and Cole Beasley? Head coach Brian Daboll knows about both, but would there be room for both on the roster? Crowder can return punts which would give him an edge, but if rookie running back Eric Gray, who is expected to do the punt returning tonight, shows himself capable of that role, does Croder become expendable?

What about the rest of the crew? Is this it for David Sills V? Can Collin Johnson step up and take his strong summer showing to the next level? Is there a surprise waiting in the wings among guys like Kalil Pimpleton, Jayden Mickens, and Bryce Ford-Wheaton?

That picture will start to gain more clarity tonight.

The Offensive Line

The Giants' offensive line is one of two position units on the team where a starting spot and backup depth are up for grabs.

Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal are locked in as the starters on that unit at tackle. The center job is John Michael Schmitz's to lose, despite the occasional swapping out of Schmitz with Ben Bredeson during the first-team practices.

Mark Glowinski is likely locked in as right guard as well. That leaves the starting left guard as the big question mark, where Joshua Ezeudu, Bredeson, Shane Lemieux, and Jack Anderson are among those competing for the role.

One gets the feeling that the coaches would like for Ezeudu to win the job and for Bredeson to, at least for this year, be the swing guy along the interior, considering he's gotten training camp snaps at all three interior spots. Then if the Giants re-sign Bredeson after this year, they would have their future right guard should they move on from Mark Glowinski.

But thus far in camp, Bredeson has been the most consistent performer and would appear to be in the lead for the role.

Meanwhile, there are also questions about the depth roles, such as the identity of the swing offensive tackle. Tyre Phillips appears to have the edge there, given that he can also move inside to guard, but Matt Peart looks like he'll get the start at right tackle tonight to make his case for the role.

Still, one would think that Phillips' versatility would give him a competitive edge if he performs well in the games.

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Inside Linebacker 2

The second inside linebacker spot is the other position group, where a starting role and depth are up for grabs.

Bobby Okereke is locked in as ILB1, but who will be his partner in crime in the base defense? Second-year man Darrian Beavers appears to be the front-runner for that job, but Micah McFadden is making a push, as is undrafted free agent Dyonte Johnson.

If none of those options look particularly enticing, Anthony Barr is still out there as of this writing, especially after the Saints, a team that heavily courted him last week, went in another direction by signing former Giant linebacker Jaylon Smith.

Punt Returner

The Giants will once again be auditioning punt returners, with the early nod going to running back Eric Gray, their fifth-round draft pick. 

They have others they've looked at in cap, including Adoree' Jackson, Jalin Hyatt, Darnay Holmes, and Darius Slayton to name a few, but the coaching staff is hoping that Gray's vision and burst as a running back translates well in the open field as a punt returner. 

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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