One Takeaway From Every Position Group on the Giants' Initial 53-Man Roster

The New York Giants have set their initial 53-man roster, which will begin to change come Monday, when waiver-wire claims are made and practice squads are set.

Overall, there weren’t any huge surprises to speak of, and it looks to be a solid roster at first glance. But let’s run through each position unit and have a closer look at the positives and the questions that stand out.

Quarterbacks (2)

Jaxson Dart, Jameis Winston

There was never a question of who from the quarterbacks group would make the roster. But there were two other questions to which we’ll find out the answers soon enough.

The first is that the team plans to carry a third quarterback on the practice squad. It would almost seem foolish for the Giants not to do so, considering the tendency of the officials to pull Dart into the blue medical tent every time he takes a hard hit.

Will the New York Giants bring back quarterback Jake Haener to the practice squad? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If the Giants are planning to stash a third guy on the practice squad, will it be Brandon Allen or Jake Haener?

Allen is a free agent, so he doesn’t have to pass through waivers, whereas Haener does. Haener looked intriguing in his limited preseason action with the Giants, so with several teams in need of a backup quarterback, can the Giants get him to the practice squad or will he land elsewhere?

Running Backs (4)

Cam Skattebo, Najee Harris, Devin Singletary, Tyrone Tracy, Jr.

New York Giants running back Najee Harris | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Some thought Tracy’s roster spot might be in jeopardy, but that turned out not to be the case. The only big question, in fact, regarding this position group is whether Harris or Skattebo will be the lead running back.

Fullback (1)

Patrick Ricard

One of the roster “gimmes.”

Tight Ends (4)

Isaiah Likely, Theo Johnson, Chris Manhertz, Thomas Fidone II

New York Giants tight end Thomas Fidone II | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The big surprise here is the number of tight ends the team decided to keep, especially since Ricard has been working with the tight end group since the spring.

There are two possible answers. One is that the shoulder injury that kept Theo Johnson out of the preseason finale is still a concern, and they didn’t want to leave themselves short-staffed.

The other possibility is they really do think enough of Fidone that there was concern about another team snatching him off waivers.

Wide Receiver (5)

Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney, Malachi Fields, Darius Slayton, Odell Beckham Jr.

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

First, big congratulations to Beckham for making the roster. I’ll be the first to admit that I had my doubts about whether he had anything left in the tank, and he not only showed he does, but also humbled himself regarding his contract and his role on the team.

Beckham deserves a world of praise for all of that and the fact that he didn’t miss a single practice all summer.

That said, five seems a little light for this group. However, Braxton Berrios, who will reportedly be back on the team, was probably cut so the team could carry an extra tight end. Berrios, remember, is a vested veteran, so he doesn’t have to pass through waivers.

Assuming the team has a handshake deal with him in which they told him he’d be their return specialist, that bodes well for Berrios’s addition to the roster.

Dalen Cambre, who had a really nice spring and summer, fell victim to the roster numbers.

And regarding Slayton and the report by the New York Post on Saturday claiming that he “could” be on the outs, does anyone else think that might have been a plant to stir up trade interest in the longest-tenured Giant?

Offensive Line (9)

Andrew Thomas, Jon Runyan, John Michael Schmitz, Sisi Mauigoa, Jermaine Eluemunor, Marcus Mbow, J.C. Davis, Bryan Hudson, Aaron Stinnie

New York Giants center John Michael Schmitz Jr. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I went back and forth regarding the backup center, even making the late switch to Lucas Patrick in my last roster projection. But I wonder how much concern about Patrick’s knee, which kept him out of some practices in the spring and early summer, factored into the equation.

Overall, the center spot still concerns me, as I don’t think Schmitz or Hudson are maulers. But perhaps the coaches will scheme around that to minimize any shortcomings they feel exist.

Defensive Line (6)

D.J. Reader, Shelby Harris, C.J. Okoye, Chauncey Golston, Darius Alexander, Bobby Jamison-Travis

New York Giants defensive end Chauncey Golston | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The least surprising development would be the Giants adding another defensive lineman to this group. If that happens, there's a good chance Jamison-Travis would be the odd man out.

That aside, the biggest question concerns Reader and Harris, two of the projected starters who are well on the wrong side of 30. Do they have enough gas left in their tanks to be effective? And when those guys do need a break, do the Giants have guys who can step up to where there is no decline in production?

Inside Linebacker (5)

Arvell Reese, Tremaine Edmunds, Micah McFadden, Jack Kelly, Zaire Barnes

New York Giants linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (49) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

No surprises at this spot. Barnes turned in a strong enough summer to beat out Darius Muasau for the last roster spot. Reese is a young stud in the making, and Edmunds should help calm the run-defense woes the team experienced at times in the summer.

Outside Linebacker (3)

Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux

New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was initially a mild surprise that the Giants didn’t keep a fourth player–Trace Ford was our pick–at this position. But Chauncey Golston offers position flexibility as a stand-up defender, which undoubtedly played into the decision.

On another note, the Giants keeping three pure outside linebackers should finally quell any last questions about whether the team intends to trade Thibodeaux before the deadline.

Cornerback (6)

Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome II, Deonte Banks, Colton Hood, Dru Phillips, Nic Jones

New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The only question regarding this group is who the starters will be. A best guess is that it will be Adebo and Newsome, but Banks had himself a strong showing over the summer, and last we checked, even though the initial roster is set, the competition isn’t over until Week 1 rolls around.

Safety (5)

Jevon Holland, Tyler Nubin, Ar’Darius Washington, Jason Pinnock, Elijah Campbell

New York Giants safety Tyler Nubin | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The competition for starting strong safety went down to the wire, but Nubin prevailed. The big question is whether this group collectively comes up with more game-changing plays.

Special Teams (3)

K Dominic Zvada, P Jordan Stout, LS Ben Mann

New York Giants kicker Dominic Zvada | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The only surprise among the specialists is that Ben Sauls was given an injury settlement. And the only reason why that matters is not that Sauls was going to beat out Zvada, but rather that there was some chatter midway through camp that the Giants might explore trying to trade the young kicker.

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