Two New York Giants veterans that are on the roster bubble ahead of training camp

The New York Giants will report to training camp on July 26 under the new regime of head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen.

There will be position battles up for grabs. But for the most part, everyone has a good indication of the bulk of the players that will make the final roster. However, there are always some surprising cuts following the preseason finale.

In particular, there are two Giants from the 2019 draft class that were once expected to have a huge role with the team for years to come. Both are in need of having solid training camps in order to make the final roster.

Darius Slayton, wide receiver

Slayton had a very promising rookie season in 2019 when he caught 48 passes for 740 yards, and led the Giants in touchdown receptions with eight. In his second season, he had 50 receptions for 751 yards and three touchdowns.

But last season his production dropped significantly. The Auburn product managed to catch just 26 passes for 339 yards and two touchdowns in the 13 games he appeared in. He also dropped a wide-open touchdown in the New York Giants 30-29 loss to Washington in Week 2.

Two of the reasons Slayton struggled last season was due to Daniel Jones missing six games, and the backup quarterbacks being abysmal. But there were reports that New York was looking to trade Slayton this offseason as he’s entering the final year of his contract. During OTAs, he was often with the second and third team offense. So you have to believe as it stands right now Slayton is on shaky footing with Big Blue.

With Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney and rookie second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson expected to play huge roles in the offense, Slayton may have to contribute on special teams to secure his spot on the team.

Oshane Ximines, EDGE

There was excitement when New York took Ximines in the third round (95^th overall) in the 2019 draft. He recorded 32.5 sacks at Old Dominion and the thought was he could bolster New York’s pass rush.

But after appearing in all 16 games as a rookie and recording 4.5 sacks, Ximines has appeared in just 14 games and has been held sack-less.

A torn rotator cuff caused him to miss 12 games in 2020. Last season, he was used as a rotational player and appeared in just 10 games and finished the season with 13 tackles.

Barring an injury, Azeez Ojulari and rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux will be the New York Giants starting outside linebackers. Second-year linebacker Quincy Roche will be utilized often.

You can never have too many pass rushers on a team, but if Ximines is going to be a Giant in Week 1, he’ll need to start showing the promise he displayed as a rookie.