Now that the preseason is over following their 10-6 loss to the New York Jets on Saturday night, the next order of business for New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll and his staff is to form the 53-man roster for this season.
Determining the final is always an arduous task, as the coaching staff will have to make difficult decisions about players who have given their all over the summer. Even when the team announces its initial roster, changes will be made as general manager Joe Schoen will look to acquire players who have been cut from other teams.
But for night now, here’s our prediction for what the New York Giants 53-man roster will look like.
Quarterback (3)
- Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito
With Jones’ extensive injury history and with Lock injuring his hip in the preseason opener, the team definitely will keep three quarterbacks on the roster this season.
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Running back (4)
- Devin Singletary, Eric Gray, Tyrone Tracy Jr, Dante Miller
Tracy Jr will be second string behind Singletary while Gray and Miller have shown enough this summer to earn a spot on the roster.
Wide receiver (7)
- Malik Nabers, Jalin Hyatt, Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, Isaiah McKenzie, Isaiah Hodgins, Miles Boykin
This is the most talent the team has had at the receiver position in many years. Nabers is the team’s best playmaker and will end the drought of not having a 1,000-yard receiver since 2018.
Tight end (3)
- Theo Johnson, Daniel Bellinger, Chris Manhertz
Due to Lawrence Cager’s hamstring injury, Manhertz makes the roster over him. The team will utilize all three tight ends but expect Johnson to be the starter.
Offensive line (9)
- Andrew Thomas, Jon Runyan Jr, John Michael Schmitz, Greg Van Roten, Jermaine Eluemunor, Evan Neal, Aaron Stinnie, Josh Ezeudu, Austin Schlottman.
There will be three new starters to the line this season Runyan Jr, Eluemunor, and Greg Van Roten. The performance of the revamped offensive line will go a long way in determining the team’s success.
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Predicting the New York Giants’ roster on defense
Defensive line (5)
- Dexter Lawrence, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Jordan Riley, Elijah Chatman, Casey Rogers
Lawrence gets all of the attention in this unit because he’s one of the best in the league at his position. But the other players on the line are formidable and can hold their own.
Edge rushers (4)
- Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Boogie Basham, Azeez Ojulari
With the addition of Burns, New York will have its most formidable pass rush since the NASCAR days. Both Burns and Thibodeaux could have double-digit sacks.
Interior linebackers (4)
- Bobby Okereke, Micah McFadden, Darius Muasau, Carter Coughlin
Okereke is the leader of this group and is poised to once again lead the team in tackles. Dyontae Johnson would have made the roster if not for the ankle injury he suffered against the Lions. However, the team could put him on IR and be designated to return.
Cornerback (7)
- Deonte Banks, Nick McCloud, Cor’Dale Flott, Andru Phillips, Isaiah Simmons, Tre Hawkins, Darnay Holmes
Corner is the biggest concern for the defense due to their youth and inexperience. Simmons is listed as a nickel, but he’ll likely also be used as a linebacker as well.
Safety (4)
- Jason Pinnock, Tyler Nubin, Dane Belton, Gervarrius Owens
The addition of second-round pick Tyler Nubin will be a welcomed addition to the back end of a defense that needs to force more turnovers.
Special Teams (3)
- Placekicker: Graham Gano, Punter Jamie Gillan, Long snapper Casey Kreiter
After missing the final nine games last season due to a knee injury, the team is hopeful that Gano will be back to his 2022 form when he converted 29 out of 32 field goals.
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