Justin Tuck is pretty firmly entrenched in his starting spot. He has spent his 5 seasons racking up accolades and injuries. A first team All Pro and Pro Bowler, as well as a Pro Bowl alternate last season, Tuck is a force to be reckoned with. It figures to reason that his job is relatively safe. Also, in certain pass rushing situations Tuck can be moved inside to accommodate an extra DE coming in on the end.

Opposite Tuck is the real race here, and it boils down to two players: Kiwanuka vs. Umenyiora. Umenyiora is a 2 time Pro Bowler, an All-Pro selection once, and holds the record for most sacks in a game for the team. Kiwanuka can’t match that level of pedigree. But there’s something else Kiwanuka can’t match: controversy. It’s been well-documented- the battles with Spagnola, the threatening to retire if he didn’t start this season. On the flip side, Kiwanuka has been an admirable teammate, switching between linebacker and defensive end based on injuries and team needs. Early in camp it seems that Kiwanuka has the lead, and it’s very possible this could lead to clubhouse problems. Remember, when the Giants drafted Jason Pierre-Paul many viewed it as a sign they were tired with the tremendously talented but troubled Umenyiora.

That being said, with Tuck moving inside on select pass rushing downs, that could present all three being on the field at the same time, and you would be hard pressed to find three better pass rushers on the field at the same time. There’s also the possibility Tuck could move inside to make room not for Osi but for JPP to unleash his athleticism. Pierre-Paul might be the most interesting player in this group- old school scouts love his combine stats and physical gifts, new school scouts and number gurus project him as an immediate bust. The benefit for the Giants is that, more than any other position, there is tremendous depth at defensive end, so he can expect to only play in pass rushing situations at first, maximizing his strengths and allowing him to slowly grow into the NFL. In a few extreme circumstances during training camp, the Giants actually employed all four defensive ends to rush the passer. The thought of those four getting upfield with a full head of steam has to excite any Giants fan.

The favorites for the ends are Tuck and Kiwanuka, with Umenyiora rotating in consistently. Whether Umenyiora accepts this role remains to be seen, and his reluctance could force Pierre-Paul into immediate duty, something of a worst case scenario.

There’s no question that the Giants’ running game wasn’t the same last season. The Giants linemen took a lot of pride in setting the record for most consecutive games played as a cohesive offensive line. For more than four seasons’ worth of games, the same five lineman lined up next to each other through bruised bones, barking backs, and corroding knees. Did the injury sacrifices to chase that streak hurt them in the long run? It definitely seemed to catch up to them exponentially last season, where they more than made up for the previous years’ with a rash of long overdue injuries.

David Diehl is 29 and a lynch pin of that consecutive streak offensive line. But have all those injuries caught up with him? The Giants hope that William Beatty is the future left tackle. Drafted last season with the 60th overall pick in the second round out of UConn, Beatty had to be hurried into duty in 15 games, starting 3, because of the aforementioned rash of injuries. With a full year under his belt, will he be ready to take over from the accoladed vet? Beatty is both shorter and less stocky than Diehl and comes with a higher pedigree. But pedigree has never mattered to Diehl.

He’s a fighter. A 5th round draft pick who started every game in his rookie year… at right guard. The next season, Diehl started every game again… at right tackle. His third season, Diehl started 1 game at right tackle and the other 15 at left tackle. Perhaps the Giants are eying this versatility as a chance to move Diehl to another position on the line, allowing the future left tackle to take his role this season? Beatty definetly outperformed expectations last season when called upon, and few would question he is much more athletic than Diehl, which would come in handy against teams with ferocious pass rushers on that side like the Cowboys and DeMarcus Ware.

It seems the Giants want Beatty to take over for Diehl, which opens up more interesting position battles along the line.