New York Giants Preseason Game 1: What to Watch

The Giants open their 2021 preseason schedule against the New York Jets. And while we'll have to wait until we see most of the starters, there are still plenty of things of interest in this weekend's game.

Before going any further, it's time for your annual reminder: Preseason games DO NOT count against the standings, ARE NOT necessarily a representation of what a team will or won't look like in the regular season, and SHOULD NOT be a reason to get too high or too low.

Now on to the business at hand, namely that there will be a preseason game Saturday night between the Giants and Jets.

Let's take a look at some of the most significant areas of interest, zeroing in on players to watch at the position groups listed.

The Offensive Line

The Giants are three weeks into training camp, roughly halfway, and the offensive line is probably the top question mark for this team.

Injuries have bitten the unit--projected starting left guard Shane Lemieux is dealing with a knee sprain, and backup center Jonotthan Harrison has missed time with an undisclosed ailment.

More recently, Nate Solder, the projected swing tackle, got dinged during practice, as did undrafted rookie free agent center Brett Heggie, who appeared to injure his non-snapping hand.

Toss in the unexpected retirements by Joe Looney and Zach Fulton, and if the Giants aren't willing to admit that growing more concerned by the day regarding this unit, they're not honest with themselves.

Head coach Joe Judge and general manager Dave Gettleman have always said that the organization remains vigilant when scanning for help.

The Giants, who have planned to give long looks to those players at the bottom of the roster, have an intriguing young player in second-year man Kyle Murphy competing for a roster spot.

Murphy, a priority undrafted free agent signing for the Giants last year, was also a guy the team made sure to protect from being poached, signing him from their practice squad to the 53-man roster in mid-November last year.

The 6'4", 302-pound Murphy's biggest calling card to date has been his versatility, a trait expected to be on full display against the Jets, where he will have a golden opportunity in his attempt to secure a spot on the 53-man roster.

Wide Receiver

Barring anything unexpected, the Giants' top four receivers should be Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, and Kadarius Toney. That leaves at least one roster spot, perhaps two up for grabs.

David Sills V has been one of this year's camp standouts, his off-season work with quarterback Daniel Jones showing up on several occasions. But Sills still needs to show that he can perform at that level and contribute something on special teams.

If the Giants are contemplating keeping six receivers, C.J. Board would appear to have the inside track given his play on special teams as a gunner.

Tight End

This position isn't getting talked about as much as it should, but right now, there's a depth issue following the season-ending Achilles injury suffered by Levine Toilolo last week.

Currently, the Giants have Evan Engram and Kaden Smith as their only two healthy and established tight ends. They are anticipating the return of Kyle Rudolph, who remains on the PUP list for now as he continues his rehab from off-season foot surgery.

Rudolph has said before that he doesn't plan to miss any football, but the longer he sits on PUP, the more it's safe to wonder how much he'll be able to give the Giants if he is ready for the early part of the season.

That leaves Nakia Griffin-Stewart, Cole Hikutini, and Jake Hausmann competing for what is likely the projected final roster spot at tight end, both of whom have minimal NFL experience. Hikutini received first-team reps this week and looked promising as both a blocker and receiver. He also has special teams experience that could potentially give him a leg up in this competition.

Outside Linebacker

The Giants have been hurt by injuries among this group, as Ryan Anderson and Oshane Ximines both started camp on the NFI and PUP lists, respectively, and Lorenzo Carter and Azeez Ojulari developed issues that kept them out of a few practices.

One guy to watch at this position for depth is Trent Harris, who has also seen some first-team reps. Harris came to the Giants last year after spending 2019 with Miami, and he's showing a little pass-rushing ability that has warranted a closer look.

According to Pro Football Focus, in 135 career pass-rush snaps, Harris has 12 pressures. He also has 16 stops in 323 total snaps, making him one of those quiet risers who can give you some quality snaps against the run and in the pass rush.

Inside Linebacker

The depth behind starter Blake Martinez still seems to be in flux, but one guy at this position who has been making some noise is second-year man Carter Coughlin.

Coughlin saw first-team reps while Martinez was on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and Coughlin looked very active in flying to the ball. Judge mentioned how Coughlin had to see snaps on the edge when the injuries struck that unit last year.

Coughlin's versatility and experience playing both inside and outside linebacker could very well help boost his stock if he performs in the preseason games.

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