Why UDFA Anquin Barnes is a Long Shot for the 53-Man Roster

It's a difficult time to be an undrafted free agent trying to make the New York Giants' interior defensive line. Anquin Barnes is one of 11 interior defensive linemen on this roster, and that doesn't include the recently injured Roy Robertson-Harris.

Making it more difficult for Barnes is the fact that he is primarily a run-stuffing defensive tackle, and there are several of those already on the team, including the New York Giants' sixth-round pick, Bobby Jamison-Travis, and fellow undrafted free agent Ben Barten.

Add them to free-agent signings like Sam Roberts, Josh Tupou, and Leki Fotu, and it makes the chances of Barnes cracking the 53-man roster more of a long shot.

It should not, however, diminish the opportunity for him to become a young developmental piece for the Giants. At only 23 years old and still gaining a better understanding of how to best utilize his size, he could be part of a young nucleus that continues to develop while on the practice squad.

He was a highly touted interior defensive lineman coming out of high school when he signed with Alabama, and he could be one of those classic late bloomers.

After all, when he signed with Colorado, they bulked him up from 300 to 340 pounds. That’s going to make anybody feel differently as they go about learning the position at a high level.

ANQUIN BARNES, DL

Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 340 lbs.
Exp.: R
School: Colorado
How Acquired: UDFA-26

2025 in Review

The 2025 season was the one where Barnes finally realized all his hard work and dedication since transferring to Colorado. He had better control over his body and became more comfortable moving around with his bulkier frame.

He finished his final season with 22 tackles, which was 10 more tackles than he recorded in 2024. 11 of those tackles were solo stops. This once again showed he had a lot more command over his now massive frame than he did in 2024.

Although he wasn't invited to any postseason showcases, he continued to work. At the Colorado Pro Day, he showcased the size and athleticism that caught the attention of scouts and front-office personnel.

Not only did he complete 27 reps on the bench press, but his 5.01 40-yard dash time was better than that of University of Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks.

When you consider 340 pounds moving that fluidly, it tells you a lot about his athletic abilities, and that's what really put him on the radar.

Contract/Cap Info

According to Spotrac, Barnes signed a three-year, $3.13 million contract with the New York Giants. This included $130,000 in guaranteed compensation, of which $30,000 was a signing bonus.

He will earn an average salary of $1.04 million over the three seasons. This season, his base salary will be $885,000 with a cap hit of $895,000 and a dead cap number of $130,000. If he makes it to the third season of the contract, he will earn $1.16 million.

2026 Preview

As previously discussed, it would be a tall task for Barnes to make the 53-man roster. He has too many bodies to jump over in order to claim a spot.

The main problem is reps. It's impossible to get all of these defensive linemen adequate reps in a 3-0 front defense, where sometimes you're going to put guys who are better at pass rushing (i.e., the edge rushers) on the interior to get that look.

Ultimately, there aren't enough rushing situations to give Barnes the opportunity to showcase his skills and convince coaches he should be on that final roster. He will more than likely be fighting it out with a few of his rookie class of 2026 teammates for spots on the practice squad.

This isn't necessarily a death knell for Barnes' career. He, Barton, and Jamison-Travis are all younger players who could easily be replacements for many of the defensive tackles who have been signed to one-year deals in 2027.

They will need to use this year's training camp to better understand how to conduct themselves as pros, demonstrate the potential to continue developing on the practice squad, and be ready to pounce when their opportunity arrives in 2027. This is definitely the best-case scenario for a player like Barnes as he tries to carve out a professional career.

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