The NY Giants look much different today than they looked just a few weeks ago.
New York has gone out and restructured existing contracts, released players to free up cap space, lost internal free agents, and signed their own external fee agents. It has been quite a busy month of phone calls, negotiations, and personnel moves for Dave Gettleman and Coach Joe Judge.
The team’s depth chart will be sure to change in the coming months, but some things are coming into place. There are still many positions that need to be addressed and they will be filled through the current existing free-agent period, the draft in April, and with the signings of other teams’ released players throughout the summer. Building the depth chart is a huge jigsaw puzzle every NFL team must figure out each season and the NY Giants are no different.
Here, we take our first crack at the NY Giants current depth chart.
NY Giants Quarterbacks Depth Chart:
1. Daniel Jones
2. Mike Glennon
3. Clayton Thorson/Joe Webb
Analysis:
Not much to see here different from 2020.
Daniel Jones returns as the team’s unquestioned starter at quarterback. Mike Glennon will come in and replace Colt McCoy as the veteran backup. Webb and Thorson will likely compete for a third QB spot or the practice squad QB in 2021.
NY Giants Running Backs Depth Chart:
1. Saquon Barkley
2. Devontae Booker
3. Taquan Mizzell/Jordan Chunn
Analysis:
This group looks different from 2020 so far.
Saquon returns and will be counted on to stay healthy and produce like he did in his 2,000-all purpose-yard rookie season.
Behind #26 will be Devontae Booker coming in from Las Vegas Raiders. Booker will presumably take Gallman’s spot as the #2 running back. Dion Lewis, Gallman, and Morris are all free agents and none of the three seem likely to return at this point. Both Mizzell and Chunn are inexperienced backs who will likely be camp bodies and replaced in the coming months.
NY Giants Fullback Depth Chart:
1. Eli Penny
2. Cullen Gillaspia
Analysis:
Eli Penny returns for year three in New York and will be a lead blocker and sparingly used pass-catcher out of the backfield. The team added Gillaspai this past week in free agency, so he will push Penny for a roster spot in training camp.
NY Giants Wide Receiver Depth Chart:
1. Kenny Golladay
2. Sterling Shepard
3. Darius Slayton
4/5. John Ross/Dante Pettis
6/7. Austin Mack/C.J. Board
8. David Sills
9. Alex Bachman
10. Derrick Dillon
Analysis:
Kenny Golladay’s arrival immediately thrusts him into the #1 receiver spot.
Behind him, Sterling Shepard should see the second most snaps and will go back to his natural slot position. Slayton will fill in as the third receiver and should be a nice deep threat and good WR3 option.
John Ross and Pettis are two speedsters that Judge and his staff both added at receiver. They will likely compete directly for playing time.
Behind them is the returning Mack and Board who will need to fend off competition from the unproven challengers such as Bachman, Dillon, and Sills.
NY Giants Tight End Depth Chart:
1. Kyle Rudolph
2. Evan Engram
3. Kaden Smith
4. Levine Toilolo
Analysis:
There is some intrigue at the NY Giants tight end position.
Kyle Rudolph comes in from Minnesota and should see the most snaps as the most accomplished, well-rounded player. Evan Engram is on the roster but may become a trade candidate entering the last year of his contract and coming off a widely-disappointing 2020 campaign.
Behind them, Kaden Smith should be back for year three while Toilolo may sneak on as the fourth tight end but also took a big pay cut to stay. His spot is in jeopardy especially due to his age and the youth behind him in the group.
NY Giants Offensive Linemen Depth Chart:
Starters:
LT: Andrew Thomas
LG: Shane Lemieux
C: Nick Gates
RG: Will Hernandez
RT. Matt Peart
Reserves:
OT Nate Solder, OG Kyle Murphy, OT Jackson Barton, and C/OG Jonotthan Harrison
Analysis:
The offensive line looks different and feels different despite many returners coming back. Gone is Kevin Zeitler, the team’s best lineman the past two years in a row, along with Cameron Fleming who stepped in and started at right tackle this past season.
Andrew Thomas should only get better in year two protecting Daniel Jones’ blindside. Shane Lemieux struggled mightily in pass protection in his rookie season, but the Giants seem willing to grow with Shane at left guard.
Nick Gates returns to the center position where he will command the line and showcase his feisty play. Will Hernandez is facing a now-or-never offseason where he must lockdown a starting guard spot to save his fading NFL career. Hernandez was benched and never started again after Week 7 last year and contracting COVID-19.
Backing them up will be Nate Solder, Jackson Barton, Jonotthan Harrison, and Kyle Murphy. Solder returns after his COVID-19 opt-out in 2020 while Barton and Murphy look to again make the Giants’ roster. Harrison comes over from the Jets where he started 18 of the last 32 games the past two seasons.
This group will likely look much different than it is right now. Expect draft picks on the line along with more veteran free agents.
Of note, is the fact that Peart, Solder, and Thomas all have the ability and — to a varying degree — experience playing both left and right tackle.
NY Giants Defensive Line Depth Chart:
Starters:
Leonard Williams, Dexter Lawrence, and B.J. Hill
Reserves:
Ifeadi Odenigbo, Austin Johnson, R.J. McIntosh
Analysis:
The Giants field a big-bodied and familiar defensive line in 2021.
Dalvin Tomlinson left and went to Minnesota to join the Vikings.
The Giants quickly replaced him with the cheaper, yet better pass rusher in Odenigbo. Leonard Williams signed a long-term deal with NY and Lawrence should continue his stellar play in year three of his career.
Odenigbo, Johnson, and McIntosh provide solid, if unspectacular reserve depth. It’s a quality group with seasoned NFL players.
NY Giants EDGE Rusher/Outside Linebacker Depth Chart:
Starters:
#1. Lorenzo Carter
#2. Oshane Ximines
Reserves: Carter Coughlin, Cam Brown, Niko Lalos, and Trent Harris
Analysis:
Same group as last year. Carter and Ximines both return from their season-ending injured reserve injuries. They must have big seasons in their respective third and fourth seasons.
Behind them, the Giants trio of rookie outside linebackers from 2020 will play a big role in supplying much-needed depth and youth in the group. Coughlin, Lalos, and Brown all flashed as rookies and will be counted on to grow and get better in 2021. This is currently one of the least proven and least accomplished position groups on the roster. I expect there will be more additions to this group in the coming weeks and months.
NY Giants Inside Linebacker Depth Chart:
Starters:
Blake Martinez and Tae Crowder
Reserves: Reggie Ragland and T.J. Brunson
Analysis:
The Giants return the same two starters from last year in Martinez and Tae Crowder.
David Mayo and Devante Downs are both gone and their combined play will be replaced by Reggie Ragland. He is a sound tackler and a great presence in the run game. Brunson played sparingly as a rookie but has the ideal size and speed to play the inside position.
NY Giants Cornerback Depth Chart:
Starters:
James Bradberry, Adoree’ Jackson, and Darnay Holmes
Reserves:
Isaac Yiadom, Julian Love, Ryan Lewis, Quincy Wilson, and Sam Beal
Analysis:
The Giants cornerbacks looks much different in 2021 than it did in 2020.
They added Adoree’ Jackson to play across from James Bradberry and the two are an ideal pairing for the modern-day pass-happy NFL. Darnay Holmes will join them and start in the slot.
Backing them up will be returners in Julian Love and Isaac Yiadom. Yiadom will backup the outside while Love has the flexibility to play both inside, outside, and even safety. Behind them are unproven players in Lewis, Wilson, and Beal.
NY Giants Safety Depth Chart:
Starters: Logan Ryan and Jabrill Peppers
Reserves: Xavier McKinney, Julian Love, and Montre Hartage
Analysis:
One of the deepest position groups on the team.
The NY Giants are legitimately three deep at safety and have the luxury of having three versatile tight ends that can line up all over the field in Ryan, Peppers, and McKinney.
McKinney wasn’t listed as a technical starter but he will see starting snaps every week as Pat Graham comes up with unique ways to line all three players up together.
NY Giants Special Teams Depth Chart:
Punter: Riley Dixon
Kicker: Graham Gano
Long Snapper: Casey Kreiter
Analysis:
Same crew as last year. No need to tinker with a good group. Dixon’s cap number and shaky season may make him a surprise cut candidate.