Breaking down the NY Giants depth after the 53-man roster was finalized

The NY Giants unveiled their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday afternoon, beginning the two-week push towards the season opener on Sept. 11. On Wednesday, the Giants added four new players off the wavier wire to finalize their 53-man roster. The Giants also signed 16 players to the practice squad Wednesday, and now have firmly established the 69 players who will contribute to the franchise in 2022.

While the Giants roster has been finalized, there are still some clear weak spots due to the salary cap hell former Giants general manager Dave Gettleman put the franchise into. Here is a breakdown of the Giants’ depth, now that the roster has been finalized.

Quarterbacks

Starter – Daniel Jones
Reserve – Tyrod Taylor

The Giants’ quarterback situation is in pretty good shape entering the 2022 season. There’s no doubt this group is significantly better than the group assembled a season ago. Daniel Jones is embarking on a make-or-break season with the Giants, so if he wants to become the Giants’ franchise quarterback, he must ball out this season.

Tyrod Taylor is a great insurance policy for the Giants, as he has 59 touchdowns to just 25 interceptions in his NFL career, indicating he is more than capable of playing quality NFL football if called upon. Jones has been injured during all three of his NFL seasons, missing 11 total games, which makes his backup a very important position. If Jones stays healthy, he’s due for a monster season.

Running Backs

Starter – Saquon Barkley
Reserves – Matt Breida, Antonio Williams, Gary Brightwell

The Giants’ running back position is in such a good spot that they unfortunately had to cut standout rookie running back Jashuan Corbin, due to an overwhelming amount of depth at the position. Saquon Barkley is expected to be a three-down running back, but he has significant durability concerns, which makes his backups integral to the Giants’ success. Breida missed the majority of training camp due to various injuries, but he is a veteran who has proven in short spurts he can be very successful. The Giants decided to keep four running backs because Williams and Brightwell will have significant roles on special teams, with Brightwell being the primary kick returner.

Wide Receivers

Starters – Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Sterling Shepard
Reserves – Wan’Dale Robinson, David Sills, Darius Slayton, Richie James

The Giants’ wide receiver group is undeniably talented, but contains significant question marks. Outside of rookie Wan’Dale Robinson, the six other wide receivers on the Giants’ roster have significant durability concerns. All six of those wide receivers have battled injury issues throughout their careers, which is rather concerning.

Golladay, Toney, and Shepard will form a solid starting wide receiver group for the Giants, and if Golladay starts to round back into his Detroit form, this Giants offense could really take off. Robinson has electric speed, so he will play a significant factor immediately despite being the Giants’ fourth receiver. The pressure will be taken off Darius Slayton’s shoulders, as he is now the sixth receiver, while David Sills and Richie James are tremendous insurance policies. Sills will likely see meaningful time, as he was the best wide receiver in camp and has the best chemistry of any wideout with Daniel Jones.