An Early Look at Giants' Post-draft Depth Chart and Brewing Positional Battles

Let's take a very early look at the New York Giants depth chart and where potential roster battles are developing.

The NFL draft is typically considered the final piece of the roster-building puzzle as far as infusing a boatload of talent that can potentially help a team's fortunes in the coming season.

Of course, the coaching staff is still trying to figure out how to assemble all the pieces to create the best possible picture. This process will officially start this weekend when the rookie class--draft picks, undrafted free agents, and some veteran tryouts--hit the field for the team's rookie minicamp.

No one knows what the 53-man roster looks like until the pads go on in training camp, so rather than attempt to come up with what I think is the current depth chart, I instead look at each position--who's on it and how I see the competitions taking shape.

(Notes: Bold denotes a rookie. Italics denote someone coming off injured reserve.)

Quarterbacks

Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor, Tommy DeVito

Daniel Jones is locked in as the starter for the next two years at least, but it will be interesting to see what happens with Tyrod Taylor, whose contract runs through the current season. 

The Giants didn’t draft a developmental prospect, though they are reportedly bringing in Tommy DeVito from Illinois to audition for that role. New York could still extend Taylor, which would help their salary cap space if the additional room was needed after the anticipated extension for defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II clears out a big chunk of space.

Running Backs

Saquon Barkley, Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, Jashaun Corbin, Eric Gray

One way or another, Barkley will be on the roster for 2023; beyond that is quite another story, as if he doesn’t have a long-term deal by the July 17 deadline, the Giants might have to go through this song and dance with him again next off-season.

Breida is back for another season as the primary backup. Still, it wouldn’t be a shocking development if the Giants are planning to gravitate away from a bell cow approach and more to a committee type of setup, where fifth-round draft pick Gray could give them some quality snaps if he proves to be better than Corbin and Brightwell. And speaking of Corbin and Brightwell, if the Giants keep a fourth back, whether it's on the 53 or the practice squad, it's going to be one of those two.

Wide Receivers

Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, Jalin Hyatt, Parris Campbell, Wan’Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, Jamison Crowder, Collin Johnson, Jeff Smith, David Sills V, Kalil Pimpleton, Makai Polk, Jaydon Mickens, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, Dre Miller

The Giants wide receiver room, crowded as is before the draft, just got a little more crowded with the additions of Hyatt, their third-round value pick, and the undrafted Ford-Wheaton, who was given an unusually large contract ($236K guaranteed, per a report plus a $20K signing bonus).

Figure that if they're healthy, Slayton, Hodgins, Hyatt, and Campbell are roster locks. Smith was brought on board mainly for his special teams play, but he isn't necessarily a lock. That means there could be two more open spots for receivers, as I suspect Robinson and Shepard will start the 2023 season on the PUP list to allow them optimal time to recover from their respective injuries.

Who, then, would get the other two roster spots? If Smith proves to be a stud on special teams, I think Crowder has the advantage for the final spot since, again, I anticipate Shepard and Robinson spending the start of the season on the PUP list.

As for Ford-Wheaton, I think the plan there is to develop him on the practice squad. Ford-Wheaton has had something of an issue with concentration drops (18 total, including six last season) and has only caught more than 60 percent of his pass targets once during his college career (2021).

I also wouldn't be surprised if general manager Joe Schoen looks to trade one of these receivers who ends up being predominantly featured in the preseason games to a receiver-needy team in exchange for future draft capital.

Tight Ends

Darren Waller, Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager, Chris Myarick, Tommy Sweeney

Thanks to his big-play-making ability, Waller will likely be the team’s de facto No. 1 receiver. But don’t discount Bellinger from contributing to the passing game as well, especially since he led all of the Giants receiving targets that had at least 20 passes thrown their way last season with an 86.6 reception percentage.

I firmly believe the Giants will keep three tight ends on the roster, but the question is, who of Cager, Muyarick, and Sweeney makes that cut? (I think one of those guys will land on the practice squad, by the way.)

Logic would dictate that the Giants might go with a pure blocking tight when, which would give the nod to Myarick or Sweeney (though it's worth noting that Bellinger can also block if asked), but Cager has some intriguing intangibles about him that might be worth further developing.

The competition for the third spot among this group is shaping up to be one of the more underrated competitions of the looming training camp.

Offensive Line

Andrew Thomas (LT), Ben Bredeson (LG), John Michael Schmitz (C), Mark Glowinski (RG), Evan Neal (RT), Josh Ezeudu (G), Shane Lemieux (G), Jack Anderson (G/T), Marcus McKethan (G/T). J.C. Hassenauer (G/C), Wyatt Davis (G), Devery Hamilton (G/T), Korey Cunningham (T), Matt Peart (T), Tyre Phillips (G/T), Solomon Kindley (G/T)

The only spot on the starting offensive line where it's still a toss-up is at left guard, where Bredeson, Ezeudu, and Lemieux figure to headline the competition. One got the feeling last year, that the team wanted Ezeudu to win that job, but a neck injury that led to off-season surgery ended his rookie season early.

The Giants appear to have plenty of depth at the other spots, but if there is one position that is still a bit cloudy, that would be backup tackle. Peart has shown flashes of being that guy, but last year Phillips really stepped in and played well while Peart was working his way back from the PUP list. So again, in terms of underrated position battles to watch, backup tackle is another.

Defensive Line

Dexter Lawrence II, Leonard Williams, A’Shawn Robinson, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Ryder Anderson, D.J. Davidson, Vernon Butler, Jordon Riley, Habakkuk Baldonado

Barring injury, there isn't much mystery about who the starters will be (Lawrence and Williams, in case you have any doubts). Nunez-Roches and Robinson provide much-improved depth, especially in run defense, which was a huge problem last season.

Last year, the coaches seemed to be very pleased with Anderson's development, though whether there will be a place for him on the 53-man roster isn't a slam dunk. I could see the Giants potentially keeping five guys at this position group, with the fifth spot up for grabs.

I think Riley is a practice squad player as he comes to the team as one of their seventh-round draft picks but with a somewhat limited resume as far as production. Davidson could be another candidate to start the year on PUP, depending on where he's at in his rehab from a torn ACL.

The intriguing name among the candidates for the last spot on the depth chart is Baldonado (6-foot-4, 251 pounds), who, for a young guy, has had more than decent enough success as a run-stopper has some pass-rushing ability in his game as well. 

At first glance, the Italian-born Baldonado's game reminds one of Jihad Ward's, and as such, it wouldn't be surprising to see Baldonado get some snaps standing up in the preseason.

Whether he makes the roster remains to be seen, but there is more than enough intrigue there to make him an early "must-watch" prospect this summer.

Edge 

Kayvon Thibodeaux, Azeez Ojulari, Jihad Ward, Tomon Fox, Elerson Smith, Oshane Ximines

The Giants have their "Batman and Robin" pass-rushing duo in Thibodeaux and Ojulari, but they need both to stay on the field to boost the unit's pressure win rate. Ward, a Wink Martindale favorite, can give the team snaps with the hand in the ground and be a stand-up linebacker.

General manager Joe Schoen said they still hope Smith develops into a viable pass rusher. Smith has yet to make it through a full season and has, in fact, not played in a full season at any level since 2019 (his 2020 college season was canceled due to the COVID pandemic). 

After not addressing the position in the draft, the team brought back Ximines, who had a relatively quiet season for them last year. Ximines continued to struggle anchoring against the run and saw his snaps dwindle in the second half of the season.

A general manager can't address everything in one off-season, so perhaps the thinking here is that the improvements made on the back end will help the edge group finish off more than the 14.5 sacks they recorded last year as a group. Until further notice, this position's depth ranks atop my list as the most concerning.

Inside Linebacker

Bobby Okereke, Darrian Beavers, Jarrad Davis, Micah McFadden, Carter Coughlin, Cam Brown, Dyontae Johnson, Troy Brown

Coming into the draft, many thought inside linebackers would receive a further boost of talent. I was not among those because I anticipate Beavers, who looked so promising last summer before tearing his ACL in the preseason, will be back healthy.

For those worried about Beavers' speed coming off the injury, his potential role on the defense figures to be more of that downhill thumper type, with Okereke potentially being more of the coverage guy of the unit.

I also anticipate that Davis, who was thrown into the deep end of the pool late and didn't have a chance to fully grasp the intricacies of the playbook, will be more improved and could slide into that nickel role.

That would then leave at most two spots left at this position group, one of which we think goes to Brown, a core special teams player, and the other going to either McFadden, who struggled to hold onto a starting job last year when he was tossed into the mix before he was probably ready, or Coughlin, who has been mostly a special teams guy.

Cornerback

Adoree’ Jackson, Deonte Banks, Cor’Dale Flott, Darnay Holmes, Nick McCloud, Tre Hawkins III, Leonard Johnson, Aaron Robinson, Zyon Gilbert, Rodarius Williams, Amani Oruwariye, Gemon Green

The Giants will quietly begin making over their cornerback corps this summer, starting with the addition of Banks, the first-round pick, as one of the outside guys. Banks will pair up with Jackson, who is entering the final year of his contract and who, when healthy, is a solid cover cornerback. The hope is that this new duo will be able to keep up with the speedy receivers in the division they have to play twice a year and who gave them so many fits.

The big battle to watch is at the slot cornerback spot. Holmes is coming off one of his worst seasons since entering the league as a fourth-round draft pick in 2020, and he has a nearly $3 million cap figure on top of that. 

The Giants might want to get more size at that slot position, which means that a future rotation of Robinson (if he can stay healthy) and Flott (last year's third-round draft pick), both standing 6-foot-1, as their primary options.

Williams faded from the scene down the stretch last year, so he could also be another bubble guy. Meanwhile, the Giants added Oruwariye, a former Lions starter they hope might benefit from a fresh start, to provide depth behind projected starters Banks and Jackson.

Safety

Xavier McKinney, Jason Pinnock, Dane Belton, Bobby McCain, Gervarrius Owens, Terrell Burgess, Trenton Thompson

Another position group that is relatively solid, a healthy McKinney (hand), will be a huge boost to the defense. Although the team lost Julian Love in free agency, the early plan is to potentially distribute his responsibilities among several other guys. The question of who will line up next to McKinney will be an interesting battle.

The team likes Pinnock, whom they picked up off waivers from the Jets last year, and they, of course, drafted Belton, who, once he kicked his early year injuries, was solid. But just in case, the team added McCain, who intends to compete for the starting role, and Owens, one of their seventh-round draft picks who may have some special teams value while he works on his game.

Specialists

K: Graham Gano, P: Jamie Gillan, LS: Casey Kreiter

The Giants managed to keep their kicking battery together, but the big question for them moving forward is who will be the punt and kickoff returners. Special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey will probably answer that question with, "We have some options," but we might not fully know who those true options are until we get to summer training camp.

---

• Get the latest breaking news and analysis on the New York Giants
• Follow and like us on Facebook
• Submit your questions for our mailbag
• Check out the Giants Country YouTube Channel.
• Subscribe and like the LockedOn Giants YouTube Channel
• Sign up for our FREE message board forums
• Get your Giants tickets from SI Tickets!