Grading Every Major Roster Decision Made by Giants

Just like all of the other 31 teams across the NFL who completed their roster cuts down to the required 53-man limit in advance of the 2026 regular season, the New York Giants made decisions that came off as both inevitable and surprising as they put together the crew that will run out with head coach John Harbaugh for Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Such is the nature of the preseason, however, where franchises often use the slate of three exhibition games to evaluate not only individual players and their talents, but also which position groups look very strong and which others might need reinforcements or upgrades.

Harbaugh and the Giants clearly scrutinized both of those priorities over the past few weeks in advance of their lasting judgments made on Sunday. Overall, the hope is that each move will help push the organization toward becoming one of the most improved in the league this season, and, more importantly, beyond.

Until we come to find out the real answers in two Sundays when the campaign kicks off, these are some of our initial thoughts on the most notable roster decisions.

WR Odell Beckham Jr. Returns

Aug 15, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At the start of training camp, the Giants bringing in Odell Beckham Jr. for a chance to compete for a spot on Harbaugh’s first Giants roster was hardly viewed as more than a feel-good story.

Beckham, the 12th overall pick in the 2014 draft, has made it known publicly that he never wanted to leave the franchise.

He was sent packing, however, after the 2018 season, and has since played for four additional teams between 2019 and 2024, including the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, a team then coached by John Harbaugh.

The 33-year-old Beckham wasn't going to be handed a roster spot just because of his ties to Harbaugh or his maturity gained from personal experiences at the highest level.

Age and a loaded receiver room were two obstacles that clearly stood in his way, meaning he'd have to show an ability to make plays happen.

It's safe to say that Beckham definitely took the opportunity seriously and made the most of his chances, flashing moments of effective route running and impressive catches that led to him finishing first on the team in targets (12) and second in total receiving yards (76) during the preseason.

Sure, many outsiders could say that the Giants aren't likely to see the old version of Beckham, whom they drafted over a decade ago and who was one of the most explosive and entertaining receivers in the sport.

He also isn't going to see the same number of consistent targets from Jaxson Dart, who has other top options in his arsenal such as Malik Nabers and tight end Isaiah Likely.

Harbaugh told reporters that Beckham did enough to make an NFL roster and that was evident in his individual performance on the field this summer.

Even Beckham himself believes his ability to drive success within the organization is far from over, and he now has a chance to prove it as an elder voice in the locker room.

Grade: B

WR Darius Slayton Remains

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

There had been growing buzz throughout camp and the preseason surrounding Darius Slayton's future within the Giants' receiving corps, which is undergoing a significant makeover after a mostly disappointing collective 2025 campaign.

Slayton, the longest-tenured member of the team, was among the players who fell short of expectations last fall, hauling in his second-lowest receptions (37) on 63 targets for 538 yards and one touchdown while also holding the team's second-most drops (6) behind Theo Johnson.

Perhaps Slayton's core muscle injury, which necessitated offseason surgery, had something to do with his poor numbers. Regardless, it added to a steady downturn that has seen him surpass 40 catches just twice and two touchdowns once in the past four years.

That decline, paired with Malik Nabers anticipated to return for Week 1 as the team's primary target and the additions of Darnell Mooney and Malachi Fields, further raised questions about the decision to keep him on the roster.

However, the 29-year-old has received Harbaugh's support, making the initial 53-man roster, where he is slated as the second perimeter option on the depth chart. The move should be viewed as a sound one by the Giants given the position group is still relatively young and could use Slayton's experience.

For most of his career, Slayton has shown an ability to produce important yardage with the ball in his hands. He became a favorite target for former Giants quarterback Daniel Jones during their shared 2019 rookie season, and Slayton went on to post 700+ receiving yards four times while averaging 15.0 yards per catch before his decline began.

The Giants could still use that level of experience in their aerial attack, especially when it's uncertain how Nabers will fare in his first action back from a torn ACL, how Fields will adjust to playing at the next level, and the recent loss of Calvin Austin III to a season-ending knee injury.

Grade: A

Keeping Four Tight Ends

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

This move was one of the bigger head-scratchers by the Giants, as they elected to sacrifice a potential seventh wide receiver spot to carry four tight ends on the roster.

The obvious choices for the position group were Isaiah Likely, who figures to be a top target in the Giants' offense, Theo Johnson, and Chris Manhertz, who was retained as a blocking specialist. Still, the team went a little further by adding in second-year Thomas Fidone II as the fourth man on the initial 53.

The Giants drafted Fidone in 2025 and were drawn to his 6-foot-6, 255-pound frame, which could bode well as a big passing threat in their rotation. The Nebraska product barely saw the field for New York in his NFL introduction, however, appearing in only two games (Weeks 7 & 9) and failing to haul in a single catch.

In the preseason, Fidone's metrics weren't that much more impressive. He caught five of seven targets for 34 yards and was penalized once to record the third-worst receiving grade of 51.4 in 49 total reps.

Where Fidone did show promise was in pass blocking, though, finishing with the third-best grade on the team. That effort might have been enough to sway the coaching staff to bring him onto the roster, especially given the Giants are looking to have a physical run game and could add to their power with two blocking run tight ends on the front line.

Still, the choice could have been viewed as the reason the Giants didn't initially retain receiver Braxton Berrios, whom they released ahead of the cutdown deadline but expect to re-sign for special-teams help once waiver activity and some additional roster gymnastics take shape.

Grade: C

Youth in the Kicking Battery

The Giants' special teams department was poised for a remodel after being an absolute disaster in the past few seasons, and with Harbaugh being an enthusiast for the third phase of the game, they wiped the slate clean with a new trio in the kicking battery.

What's worth noticing is that two of those replacements, long snapper Ben Mann and kicker Dominic Zvada, are both undrafted rookies stepping into important roles for the franchise.

The Giants finished 14th in special teams grade last season, and getting consistent play from their previous trio was a recurring issue that marred a few of their brutal losses.

Mann is stepping into the void left by Casey Kreiter, who departed in free agency after holding the same role for six seasons. Kreiter was an ironman during that span, holding down the fort for all of his 803 possible snaps and allowing the Giants to not sweat about having a trusted veteran handling the job.

Zvada, on the other hand, hopes to be the answer to the carousel at the kicker spot that saw four different names suit up for the Giants in 2025.

He had one of the more impressive preseasons for a novice player, cashing in all nine of his attempts, including 5-for-5 on field goals and 3-for-3 from distances of 40 yards or longer to steal the job from Ben Sauls.

The duo will now be tasked with bringing that coveted consistency to every game and giving the Giants the edge they had been missing, which, in some cases, cost them victories.

Grade: B

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