New York Giants 53-man roster prediction
Aug 22, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants fullback Henry Hynoski (45) scores a touchdown as he is tackled by New York Jets free safety Jaiquawn Jarrett (37) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Giants defeated the Jets 35-24. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
New York Giants: Roster Prediction
Now that the New York Giants have trimmed their roster to 75, there is a little more clarity as to who will be making the final 53-man roster come Saturday at 4 PM EST.
About two weeks ago I made my initial 53-man projection. Due to injuries, and poor performance since then, a couple of guys I projected to make the cut have already been either waived or placed on injured reserve (Charles James, Cooper Taylor & Xavier Grimble).
While the Giants last pre-season game against the New England Patriot’s might shed some light on a few tight position battles, such as the offensive line or tight end, here is my latest stab at predicting the 2014 New York Giants final 53-man roster:
Quarterback (2) – Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib
Ryan Nassib had a slight scare after Curtis Painter’s impressive performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he has been absolute lights out since that game, regaining his stranglehold on the Giants back-up quarterback position. While preseason stats don’t mean too much, Nassib is second in the NFL with 481 passing yards so far. Nassib also boasts a 64.5% completion rate and a 4/0 TD to INT ratio. The Giants coaching staff and front office must be thrilled with Nassib’s development and with how comfortable he looks in Ben McAdoo’s new offense.
Running back (3) – Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams, Peyton Hillis
Despite missing most of the preseason with an ankle injury, it seems like Peyton Hillis will still manage to make the Giants roster. Kendall Gaskins and Michael Cox have both failed to impress, so look for the Giants coaching staff to go with the veteran.
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Honestly, I thought this would be a tougher battle between Hynoski and John Connor, but Hynoski has looked very good so far in preseason. Hynoski also showed he can be a threat in the receiving game with a nice 3 yard touchdown catch against the New York Jets.
Wide Receiver (6) –The wide receiver competition in camp has been one of the best and most hotly contested. Unfortunately, Marcus Harris, who was having a very strong camp suffered a season ending injury against the New York Jets and has been placed on injured reserve. This opened up a roster spot for Preston Parker. While Parker hasn’t been flashy, he certainly provides the Giants with depth at not only the receiver position, but as a punt returner. Veteran Mario Manningham simply has not looked like his old self and Trindon Holliday has been unable to get on the field due to hamstring issues. Julian Talley, out of UMASS, has been solid and should be a target for the Giants practice squad if he clears waivers. While I don’t believe Jerrell Jernigan deserves a spot due to his on field performance, I have a feeling Reese will not cut ties with one of his relatively high draft choices. Lastly, if
Mr. Touchdown himself, Corey Washington,
somehow doesn’t make this team, I might have to turn in my Giants’ fan card.
Tight End (3) – Larry Donnell, Adrien Robinson, Kellen Davis
No Giants tight end has really distinguished himself over the rest so far this pre-season. All have had their moments, at times, but nobody has consistently shown they deserve to be the starting tight end. I think veteran Daniel Fells will miss the cut, largely due to missing so much time with injuries. Kellen Davis has flashed at times and the Giants are still waiting on Adrien Robinson to prove he was worth the fourth round flyer Jerry Reese took on him in 2012.
Offensive Line (10) – William Beatty, Geoff Schwartz, J.D. Walton, Brandon Mosley, Justin Pugh, Weston Richburg, Charles Brown, Dallas Reynolds, John Jerry, Rogers Gaines
I am about as confident about this projection as I am in the players that will make up the Giants offensive line this season. With Brandon Mosley, Geoff Schwartz, James Brewer, and Charles Brown all suffering with injuries, anything can happen with this group. More than likely, the Giants will be active on the waiver wire to pick up another lineman or two, especially one who is versatile, given all of the Giants injury issues.
Defensive End (5) – Jason Pierre-Paul, Mathias Kiwanuka, Robert Ayers, Damontre Moore, Kerry Wynn
Undrafted free agent rookie, Kerry Wynn, from Richmond has had a very good preseason. At 6’5, 264lbs, he has prototypical NFL size at his position. He has also notched 2 sacks and 9 total tackles so far this pre-season. Veteran Israel Idonije has also been decent since being picked up by the Giants, although I would rather go with the raw upside of somebody like Wynn with one of the final Giants roster spots.
Defensive Tackle (4) – Cullen Jenkins, Johnathan Hankins, Jay Bromley, Mike Patterson
Markus Kuhn’s latest injury, combined with a rough preseason, should leave him on the outside looking in when it comes to the Giants final 53-man roster. Rookie Kelcy Quarles shows promise and would be a very good practice squad addition for the Giants.
Linebacker (6) – Devon Kennard, Jameel McClain, Jacquian Williams, Jon Beason, Spencer Paysinger, Mark Herzlich
While Mark Herzlich could be on the bubble here, I think his solid special teams play will allow him to survive. Undrafted free agent rookie, Dan Fox, from Notre Dame should be placed on the practice squad if he clears waivers.
Cornerback (6) –Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Prince Amukamara, Walter Thurmond III, Trumaine McBride, Zack Bowman, Bennett Jackson
I believe the Giants will be forced to put sixth round pick, Bennett Jackson, on their 53-man roster if they want to keep him away from other teams. Overall, this should be one of the Giants strongest positions this season.
Safety (4) – Antrel Rolle, Stevie Brown, Quintin Demps, Nat Berhe
Rookie Nat Berhe’s roster spot is fairly certain now that Cooper Taylor has been placed on injured reserve due to a foot injury.
Special Teams (3) – Steve Weatherford (P), Josh Brown (PK), Zak DeOssie (LS)
No drama here, especially after the Giants traded impressive kicker, Brandon McManus, to the Denver Broncos for a conditional 7th round pick.
New York Giants: Conclusion
Well, there you have it Giants fan, what I believe the Giants 53-man roster could potentially look like after 4 PM on Saturday. To be honest, there are a lot of major question marks when it comes to this team’s roster, especially along the offensive line and at tight end. I would not be surprised to see the Giants very active on the waiver wire on Saturday, and there could be a number of names added to this list who are not currently on the Giants 75-man roster.
What are your thoughts on this 53-man roster? Where do the Giants need to improve? Which group do you have the most faith in? Which group are you the most nervous about? Let us hear it below!