Giants Roster Projections 1.0: The Toughest Cuts Ahead of Training Camp

Things are about to get real for certain members of the New York Giants, as the team gets ready to begin training camp next week in West Virginia.

John Harbaugh’s first camp as Giants head coach promises to be filled with competition across the board, with some potential surprises sure to develop as camp goes on.

While we won’t know what the 53-man roster looks like for a few more weeks, here’s a pre-camp projection that includes the tough cuts the coaches will have to make.

Quarterbacks (2)

Jaxson Dart, Jameis Winston

This year’s quarterback spot is a lot more crystallized than last year’s when the plan to have Russell Wilson start for the bulk of the season was suddenly thrown into disarray when, all of a sudden, Jaxson Dart, then a rookie, started getting second-team reps with a few first-team reps thrown in there as well.

What’s interesting is that the Giants opted not to bring in a fourth quarterback to camp, which suggests Dart is going to get a lot of work this preseason, which would not be a bad thing given that he’s being asked to step outside of his comfort zone.

Toughest Cut: There is no toughest cut at this position. Brandon Allen, the third quarterback, was by far the shakiest of the three signal callers in the spring, and it’s hard to envision him having a spot on the 53-man roster.

Could he land on the practice squad? Sure, but we’d rather see the Giants pick up a young prospect to develop as a potential successor to Winston as the primary backup.

Running Backs (4)

Tyrone Tracy, Jr., Cam Skattebo, Devin Singletary, Damon Bankston

Cam Skattebo is trending toward being ready for training camp; at least that’s what he wants everyone to believe. The big question mark at this position will boil down to the pecking order.

Many believe that Skattebo should be the starter, with Tyrone Tracy next up in the rotation. We, however, don’t agree with the idea that Skattebo is going to be the main ball carrier with Tracy relieving him every two series or so.

Skattebo and Tracy don’t possess the same skill sets—Tracy, for example, isn’t a downhill runner and Skattebo isn’t really a breakaway threat.

As such, the Giants are likely to combine the best of what each man has to offer in the weekly game plan, with each player being interchangeable depending on the situation.

While that battle will be decided this summer, a better view of the situation is that Skattebo and Tracy are 1A and 1B in the committee, sort of how Brandon Jacobs did the heavy pounding against defenses, and Ahmad Bradshaw finished them off with his elusiveness.

May 21, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants running back Dante Miller (25) participates in a drill during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Toughest cut: Last year, it looked like Dante Miller had finally broken through and was on his way to earning a roster spot after finishing with a team-leading 80 rushing yards on 32 carries and three forced missed tackles in the preseason.

Unfortunately for Miller, between a numbers crunch at running back and his inconsistency on special teams, he was put right back on the practice squad for another year of seasoning.

It also spoke volumes that no other team came knocking at Miller’s door when injuries started piling up.

Miller has been a nice summertime story, and perhaps as he continues to get the necessary seasoning at the NFL level, he’ll catch on somewhere. But if the Giants are going to roll with a fourth running back, Bankston offers a little better skill set in pass pro and on special teams.

Tight Ends (4)

Isaiah Likely, Theo Johnson, Patrick Ricard (FB), Chris Manhertz

Fullback Patrick Ricard has been working with the tight ends room this spring, so he’s being included among this group even though he’s not a pure tight end.

Last year Ricard played 87 snaps as an inline blocker. After having signed a two-year deal with the Giants, which has made him the highest-paid fullback in the league, it’s hard to fathom the notion of him not getting a nice chunk of snaps as the Giants move to more of a heavy personnel package on the offense.

Toughest cut: With Thomas Fidone II landing on PUP to start training camp, that pretty much eliminates a tough cut choice; previously, we would have argued Chris Manhertz as the most likely candidate, given Ricard likely taking on some of the inline blocking.

Receivers (6)

Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Malachi Fields, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin III, Dalen Cambre

The good news is that Malik Nabers did not land on the PUP list for the start of camp. But just because he’s not on PUP doesn’t mean that he’ll be full-go for Week 1, as the next several weeks will be spent ramping him up after over nine months away from the game.

While this would ordinarily mean that the Giants might want to keep an extra receiver, they might not have to, not with tight ends Theo Johnson and Malachi Fields expected to be a big part of the passing game.

Jun 3, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) talks with media after organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Toughest Cut: Odell Beckham Jr.’s NFL career is without question on its last legs. While it hasn’t gone the way he probably dreamed it would, a more mature Beckham is getting a chance to see his career come full circle at what is likely to be his last stop.

If he can convince Harbaugh that he still has plenty left to give on offense, Beckham can have the happy ending with the team that first drafted him. If not, at the very least Beckham will be able to retire as a Giant.

Offensive Line (10)

LT Andrew Thomas, LG Jon Runyan, C John Michael Schmitz, RG Francis Mauigoa, RT Jermaine Eluemunor, T Marcus Mbow, G/C Lucas Patrick, G Daniel Faalele, G/T JC Davis, Ryan Schernecke

The Giants have four-fifths of last year’s starting offensive line returning, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be some competition for a job or two.

They have a serviceable starting left guard in Jon Runyan. Still, it’s also fair to wonder if Runyan, who is more of a technician, might be in danger of losing his job to a more physical and bigger offensive lineman such as former Ravens guard Daniel Faalele.

Faalele isn’t the sexiest option, as Ravens fans will probably attest to, but the Giants' interior offensive line last year was a weak spot. If the addition of Francis Mauigoa, a big-bodied people mover, is any indication, Harbaugh is looking for the interior offensive line to get bigger and more athletic.

We have undrafted free agent Ryan Schernecke making the team more so for his upside. Schernecke played both tackle spots at Kutztown, but he offers intriguing potential as a guard.

If he makes the 53, he’ll probably be among the regulars on the inactive list, but if he has a strong camp, he might be among the surprise UDFAs to find a place on the roster.

New York Giants guard Aaron Stinnie | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Toughest Cut: Aaron Stinnie has been a solid backup interior offensive lineman who wasn’t called upon to play much last year—just 61 offensive snaps, which was a big-time drop-off from the 193 he played in his first season with the Giants.

That, however, was more of a reflection on the starters ahead of him making it through the majority of the season.

Still, the versatile Stinnie is an underrated depth piece who has long been a solid run blocker and a more than decent enough pass blocker who, in two seasons with the Giants, allowed just eight pressures.

Defensive Line (6)

DJ Reader, Shelby Harris, Darius Alexander, Bobby Jamison-Travis, Chauncey Golston, Leki Fotu

The Giants are about to find out if moving away from Dexter Lawrence and to more of a committee approach is going to pay off in fixing their struggling run defense.

It should, as a look at the depth on the unit suggests that, right now, there is no one guy who, if he’s not on the field, will cause a massive drop-off in production. But it also needs to be noted that the scheme is going to make a significant difference for the guys up front.

That said, when looking at the unit, one can’t help but think it’s one major injury away from being cast into a state of disarray. That opinion can obviously change with a strong summer, but despite having thrown extra resources at the unit, it’s still very much a “show me” group.

Toughest Cut: There really isn’t a tough call to make here. One could point to the youth that undrafted free-agent Anquin Barnes, Jr. brings to the table, but if he lands on the practice squad, which is a possibility if he has a strong summer, then even better.

If anything, we are hoping the Giants add another candidate to this group, especially with two guys—Roy Robertson-Harris and Sam Roberts—set to start camp on the PUP list.

The problem is that players placed on PUP before camp count toward the training camp roster, so if they wanted to add someone, they’d have to cut a guy to open up a roster spot, something they might opt to wait on once they get to camp and see what they have as far as injuries and performances.

Outside Linebackers (3)

Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux

Barring injury, this position group is about as cut-and-dried as they come, the three projections being Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. The question becomes who between Carter and Thibodeaux is the starter, or do they base it on the situation in each game, which is how we think it will play out.

Toughest Cut: This is yet another position where there really isn’t a strong “toughest cut” candidate. The closest might be Caleb Murphy, who can give the Giants special teams snaps.

However, in looking at his career special-teams stats, he’s had just eight tackles and five missed tackles, which doesn’t exactly scream “keep him!”

Inside Linebackers (4)

Tremaine Edmunds, Arvell Reese, Micah McFadden, Jack Kelly

The Giants completely overhauled the starting inside linebacker group, bringing in two guys (Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese) who should be instantly better against the run and in coverage.

Micah McFadden, a starter last year until a Week 1 foot injury sabotaged his contract season, is back, projected to be a backup and special teams contributor.

And Jack Kelly, the last of the Giants’ three sixth-round draft picks, is an intriguing addition to the team in that, like McFadden, he can provide depth and quality special teams snaps.

Toughest Cut: Darius Muasau has not only been a solid depth piece on defense, but he’s also been a strong special teams contributor. Unfortunately, he was a guy that the previous coaching staff banged the table for, which could put him at a disadvantage given the arrival of Kelly.

Muasau is good enough to play in this league, and in fact, if he does end up being cut, don’t be surprised if the Arizona Cardinals, whose special teams coordinator, Michael Ghobrial, not only has a history with coaching Muasau but who was also the coach who lobbied for the team to draft him, snap Muasau up.

Safeties (5)

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

Last year, the Giants' safeties didn’t play well, but a lot of that can be attributed to the scheme, which saw guys like Tyler Nubin play out of position at times and to injuries to Jevon Holland.

Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson’s scheme should fix a lot of the problems this group had, in which they were often out of position. For one, there will be reduced isolation, which left some of the safeties exposed in coverage.

They will also be playing closer to the line of scrimmage, which should help them fare better against tight ends and slot receivers, and there will be a lot of disguising aimed at confusing the opposing quarterback. The beauty of this year’s safety group also lies in its versatility, which will allow Wilson to mix and match guys in coverage and in subpackages.

Thus it’s easy to see the Giants loading up on safeties given their versatility in filling different roles within the scheme. And that also includes special teams, where Jason Pinnock, Elijah Campbell, and Ar’Darius Washington can all contribute snaps.

Toughest Cut: Assuming the five safeties mentioned above make the roster, there really is no other choice for a “toughest cut” candidate at this position group.

Cornerbacks (6)

Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome II, Dru Phillips, Deonte Banks, Colton Hood, Art Green

Speaking of scheme, the cornerbacks will be asked to do more press-heavy man coverage this year by Wilson, a style of play that better fits the talent as opposed to the zone-heavy scheme that was run the last two years.

The other thing worth noting is that this is the only unit on the team with wide-open competition for a starting job.

With Cor’Dale Flott having gone to Tennessee, his former role will be up for grabs from a trio that includes Greg Newsome II, Deonte Banks, and rookie Colton Hood.

Banks had himself a strong spring, but as history has taught us, just because a player has a strong spring doesn’t always mean he’ll continue on that path into the summer.

Still, it’s hard not to think that this might be the best chance Banks is ever going to have when it comes to redeeming himself. He is in a contract year and has a lot on the line. A solid season in a scheme that better suits his talents could translate into a big payday.

Newsome is also a strong fit for the role given his high football IQ, but a concern has been the eye discipline, which has led to him giving up nine touchdowns over the past two seasons and posting a coverage rating above 100, according to PFF.

Hood is without question the future at the position. Still, as is the case with a lot of rookies, he’s going to need to better acclimate to the pro game and eliminate some of the grabbiness in his game, particularly when receivers start to make their breaks.

Jun 3, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants cornerback Nic Jones (31) participates in drills during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Toughest Cut: Nic Jones was one of the Giants' main punt gunners last season and did a solid job of it. Although the Giants put a huge emphasis on special teams this offseason, it remains to be seen who takes on the two punt gunner roles, and if they can deliver the solid play Jones gave the unit.

Specialists (3)

Dominic Zvada, Long Snapper Ben Mann, Punter Jordan Stout

The Giants completely renovated their specialist group, with a focus on youth. This is an interesting strategy, particularly at kicker, as some coaches favor more seasoned veterans because they have settled into a routine. In contrast, others seem willing to roll with youth.

In the Giants' case, they are likely rolling with youth for two reasons. The first is that they have a really good special teams coordinator in Chris Horton. But more importantly, the Giants have to be hoping that in 2026 and beyond, they’re not having to settle for many field goals when they get inside the red zone.

The Giants attempted 49 field goals inside the red zone between 2023 and 2025, converting 45. The 49 attempts tied for 19th most in the league, but their 91.8% conversion rate on those shorter-distance field goals ranked 26th.

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants place kicker Ben Sauls (30) gestures after a field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Toughest Cut: Ben Sauls was perfect last year for the Giants, a player who came in and put an end to the kicking follies that were turned into memes.

But unless Sauls can figure out why he pulled a number of his field goal attempts wide left in the spring and correct that, the only chance he has of making the team is if he outkicks Dominic Zvada on kickoffs.

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