New York Giants: Very Early 53-man Roster Projection

The training camp battles are about to get underway in East Rutherford, but we're going to take a very early guess at the New York Giants 53-man roster.

The New York Giants begin a new era under general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. But unlike in past years when the Giants have had a reset on the coaching end, several key players such as offensive tackle Andrew Thomas, safety Xavier McKinney, edge Azeez Ojulari, and defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II give the Giants a solid core to build around.

As for the rest of the roster, let's just say that general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have ensured that there will be plenty of competition across the board.

That makes guessing at what the initial 53-man roster will look like (assuming everyone stays healthy--a big "if") impossible. 

It's important to remember that just because a player makes the initial 53-man roster, that doesn't mean he's a lock for Week 1. Teams are always churning the bottom of their roster for injury purposes or as better fits become available on the waiver wire. We don't expect the Giants to be any different in that regard.  

And those from the Giants' 90-man training camp roster who don't make the initial 53-man squad could still end up on the team's 16-member practice squad.

That all being said, here is our best guess at what we think the initial Giants' 53-man roster will look like in 2022 once training camp cuts are made. 

Offense (26)

Quarterbacks (3)

In: Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor, Davis Webb

Out: N/A

The Giants must determine if Daniel Jones can be their guy moving forward. If he can’t, Tyrod Taylor will step in and Davis Webb, who is familiar with Brian Daboll’s system, will continue serving as a de facto coach for the position and a backup to Taylor.

Running Backs (4)

In: Saquon Barkley, Matt Breida, Jashaun Corbin, Jeremiah Hall (FB)
Out: Gary Brightwell, Antonio Williams, Sandro Platzgummer

Barkley will be heavily involved in the offense, but don't be surprised if Matt Breida also gets involved more than just every second series. 

Look for the Giants to keep a fullback on the roster, but it won't be your grandfather's traditional lead blocker type. Jeremiah Hall, who can run, catch and do some inline blocking, is as versatile as they come and could, with a good camp, take on a decent-sized role in this Giants offense.  

Tight ends (3)

In: Daniel Bellinger, Ricky Seals-Jones, Jordan Akins

Out: Austin Allen, Chris Myarick, Andre Miller

Daboll’s system hasn't used much 12- and 13-personnel in the past, but of the three projected tight ends favored to make, each can fill the role needed on offense. Rookie Daniel Bellinger, who begins camp on the PUP list with a quad strain, is an early favorite to emerge as the TE1, given his ability to block and catch. 

It also doesn't hurt that of the top three tight ends competing for snaps--Ricky Seals-Jones and Jordan Akins being the others--Bellinger is the only one of that group that did not make a position switch to tight end at some point earlier in his career.  

It will be a surprise if one of Austin Allen, Chris Myarick, and Andre Miller doesn't land on the practice squad. This position group is far from being settled for the long term, but there is some intriguing talent with good size just ripe for development. 

Offensive Line (9)

In: Andrew Thomas, T; Shane Lemieux, G; Jon Feliciano, C; Mark Glowinski, G; Evan Neal, T; Matt Gono, T; Max Garcia, G/C; Joshua Ezeudu, G/T, Jamil Douglas, G/C 

Out: Ben Bredeson, Marcus McKethan, Devery Hamilton, Nick Gates (PUP), Matt Peart (PUP), Roy Mbaeteka, Josh Rivas, Kamaal Seymour 

Depth will be key for this unit, not just this year but for the future, especially due to the number of one-year contracts (four) the Giants handed out to Jon Feliciano, Max Garcia, Matt Gono, and Jamil Douglas. 

That said, I don't see the Giants keeping both of their drafted rookies, Joshua Ezeudu and Marcus McKethan, on the 53-man roster. Of the two, I suspect Ezeudu might be closer to being ready for the bright lights, given that he saw some first-team reps in the spring. 

Nick Gates (leg) and Matt Peart (ACL) are almost sure to start the season on the PUP list, where they would have to sit for at least six weeks before having their physical readiness evaluated. Gates and Peart could likely end up sitting on PUP the entire season. 

Wide Receivers (7)

In: Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, C.J. Board, Sterling Shepard, Richie James

Out: Collin Johnson, Alex Bachman, Keelan Doss, Robert Foster, Austin Proehl, David Sills V, Marcus Kemp

The Giants project as a pass-first offense, so they’ll want to ensure they have plenty of firepower at receiver to accommodate the different kooks that Daboll and Kafka have put together. 

While seven receivers might sound like a lot, figure the Giants will carry an extra one if Sterling Shepard (Achilles) isn't quite 100 percent ready for a full-time load. 

Awful numbers for the Giants’ receivers—not one over 36.8% (Toney, the team leader). Shepard was second (35.8%), Golladay was third (35.5%) and Slayton last (24.1%) #Giants need more this year from all their receivers. https://t.co/EGOm1ILwk9

— Patricia Traina (@Patricia_Traina) July 25, 2022

The added depth will also help if Golladay and Toney, who also fought through injuries last year, have a repeat performance of their respective nightmarish seasons.  

James and Board both get the nod for the 53-man roster given their special teams abilities, James as a return specialist and Board as a gunner. We also have Darius Slayton making the roster, as if Shepard isn't ready to go right out of the gate, we could see Slayton moving up the depth chart if he has a strong camp.

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Defense (24)

Defensive line (5)

In: Leonard Williams, Dexter Lawrence II, Justin Ellis, Jihad Ward, Nick Williams

Out: Ryder Anderson, Jalyn Holmes, Chris Hinton, David Moa, D.J. Davidson

Versatility will be the name of the game for the Giants' defensive linemen, and these five selections offer defensive coordinator Wink Martindale loads of mix-and-match options, including some in which he might move them to a two-point stance. 

Adding veteran Nick Williams to the roster on reporting date gives the Giants even more experience/versatility on this unit. If Williams makes the roster, that could push draft pick D.J. Davidson to the practice squad for additional development. 

Inside Linebacker (4)

In: Blake Martinez, Micah McFadden, Darrian Beavers, Tae Crowder

Out: Carter Coughlin, Justin Hilliard

The Giants invested two draft picks at this position that I could see edging Carter Coughlin out of the picture when the dust settles. While Coughlin does have some ability as an outside linebacker, the team is stacked there as well, and he's very likely looking at a numbers game that, barring injuries to guys in front of him, he's unlikely to win.

Outside Linebacker (5)

In: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Azeez Ojulari, Quincy Roche, Elerson Smith, Cam Brown

Out: Niko Lalos, Oshane Ximines

The Giants are finally stacked at the outside linebacker position. The final spot on this unit should be up for grabs between Cam Brown, Niko Lalos and Oshane Ximmines, but in the end, Brown's special teams ability should give him the competitive edge.

Safety (4)

In: Xavier McKinney, Julian Love, Dane Belton, Andrew Adams

Out: Jarren Williams,  Yusuf Corker, Trenton Thompson

Barring injury, the first three spots should be set at this position. Adams, who signed with the Giants on reporting day, has veteran experience as a free safety and special teams experience that was likely appealing to the Giants' brass.

Cornerback (6)

In: Adoree’ Jackson, Aaron Robinson, Darnay Holmes, Cor’Dale Flott, Rodarius Williams, Michael Jacquet

Out: Darren Evans, Zyon Gilbert, Khalil Dorsey, Gavin Heslop

The Giants have talent, but much of it is inexperienced at the NFL level. And with cornerbacks being just as crucial to Wink Martindale's system, it wouldn't be a stretch to think that he'd prefer to go with experience where ever possible. 

That experience might be on other NFL rosters right now, but for the time being, the Giants corners we're projecting to make the initial roster have had at least some live snaps in the regular season.

Special Teams (3)

Kicker: Graham Gano
Punter: Jamie Gillan
Long snapper: Casey Kreiter

The Giants didn’t bring in any competition for their specialists, but keep an eye on how Gillan, who despite landing with the Bills' practice squad last year, wasn't able to advance last year, wasn't able to unseat his competition. 

Gillan, a left-footed punter nicknamed "the Scottish Hammer" for his Scottish roots and big leg, is also a physical player, which is exactly the kind of player special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey likes. The big question with him, though, is can he be consistent in his directional kicking?

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