Analysis: Giants Unofficial Depth Chart Released
By Jeff Ellis
The Giants have released their unofficial depth chart and there are no big surprises. There are, however, a few items that we should look at.
At WR2, Louis Murphy is listed second behind Victor Cruz and ahead of Jerrel Jernigan and Ramses Barden. This is not a surprise as Murphy has more experience and a lot of speed. There has been a lot of talk about Rueben Randle having a breakout season and I think it may be Louis Murphy that breaks out big this year. This is the first season that he will played with an elite quarterback and it may be perfect timing for his speed and experience to shine.
At right offensive tackle, David Diehl is listed first over first-round draft pick Justin Pugh. This is a battle that will continue through training camp and unless Diehl’s performance drops way off I suspect that Pugh will not start. Coughlin prefers to ease his rookies into a permanent role and allow them to learn before making large mistakes.
At QB, Ryan Nassib is listed third over Curtis Painter. I suspect Painter will be dropped by opening day. The Giants never keep four QBs and usually keep just two during the regular season. It will be interesting to see if Coughlin replaces both Carr and Painter with Ryan Nassib or if he chooses the keep three QBs for opening day.
At FB, Henry Hynoski is still listed as the starter even though he may not be ready to play for opening day. I suppose this means his recovery is coming along well.
At SS, Will Hill is listed fourth because of his four-game suspension. If the Giants keep him on the team then he could be listed as second behind Antrel Rolle when he becomes eligible for game five.
At RCB, Prince Amukamara is listed ahead of Aaron Ross. It looks as if youth is beating out experience here. This could mean a breakout season for Amukamara.
At Kick Returner, David Wilson is listed as the only kick returner. This surprised me a bit because I would think that Coughlin would want to rest Wilson and use him primarily on offensive plays. On the other hand, he’s an excellent kick returner.
Here’s the unofficial depth chart:
OFFENSE
WR1: Hakeem Nicks, Rueben Randle, Ramses Barden/Keith Carlos, Kris Adams/Julian Talley
LT: Will Beatty, Chris DeGeare, Bryant Browning
LG: Kevin Boothe, Selvish Capers, Michael Jasper
C: David Baas, Jim Cordle, Stephen Goodin, Matt McCants
RG: Chris Snee, James Brewer, Brandon Mosley, Eric Herman
RT: David Diehl, Justin Pugh, Chris DeGeare, Matt McCants
TE: Brandon Myers, Bear Pascoe, Adrien Robinson/Jamie Childers, Larry Donnell/Chase Clement.
WR2: Victor Cruz, Louis Murphy, Jerrel Jernigan, Kevin Hardy/Brandon Collins
QB: Eli Manning, David Carr, Ryan Nassib, Curtis Painter
FB: Henry Hynoski, Bear Pascoe, Ryan D’Imperio
RB: David Wilson/Andre Brown, Da’Rel Scott, Ryan Torain, Michael Cox.
DEFENSE
LDE: Justin Tuck, Damontre Moore, Adrian Tracy, Justin Trattou.
LDT: Linval Joseph, Johnathan Hankins, Marvin Austin, Markus Kuhn.
RDT: Cullen Jenkins, Shaun Rogers, Mike Patterson, Frank Okam.
RDE: Jason Pierre-Paul, Mathias Kiwanuka, Batt Broha, Adewale Ojomo
SLB: Keith Rivers, Aaron Curry, Kyle Bosworth
MLB: Mark Herzlich, Dan Connor, Jake Massau
WLB: Spencer Paysinger, Jacquian Williams, Etienne Sabino
LCB: Corey Webster, Jayron Hosley, Terrence Frederick
SS: Antrel Rolle, Tyler Sash, Cooper Taylor, Will Hill
FS: Stevie Brown, Ryan Mundy, David Caldwell, Alonzo Tweedy
RCB: Prince Amukamara, Aaron Ross, Trumaine McBride, Laron Scott/Junior Mertile
SPECIALISTS:
Kick returner: David Wilson
Punt returner: Rueben Randle