Not every draft pick is going to pan out. For all the recent praise New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has received for modernizing the franchise, his track record in the draft is still a mixed bag. The big swings haven’t always connected, and some of his earliest picks are trending dangerously close to bust territory.
Several Schoen draft picks are now fighting for their futures with Big Blue. Some were once expected to grow into starters, while others were late-round flyers just hoping to stick. With the 2025 season around the corner, the reality is setting in: not every pick is going to pan out.
With one preseason game left, it’s not about winning a starting job anymore. These Giants picks are fighting for practice squad relevance... and not much else, for now. The practice squad can do wonders for these young guys. But for a front office trying to put together the most talented team on the field in 2025, these three draft picks feel like definite casualties.
3 Giants draft picks who will definitely be cut after the preseason
1. Jordon Riley
The G-Men spent the 243rd pick of the 2023 draft on the former Oregon Duck defensive lineman. Riley’s production in the NFL has been similar to his production in college: lacking. Since entering the league, Riley hasn’t done much to stand out. He’s played in 21 games, amassing 20 tackles, including four tackles for loss and one quarterback hit.
He’s been exceptionally unspectacular. He has a few things going against him. Firstly, Schoen added a lot of competition to the DL room this offseason. Darius Alexander, Jeremiah Ledbetter, and Roy Robertson-Harris were added to a room that already consisted of Dexter Lawrence, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, and Elijah Chatman.
Secondly, and more importantly, he's a 27-year-old coming off a terrible 2024. His 34.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranked 209th out of 219 defensive tackles. There's no room on the roster for Riley, and there's also likely no room for him on the practice squad either.
2. Korie Black
Korie Black has the physical traits teams look for: length, speed, and experience. But his tape shows a player still figuring it out. The 246th overall pick out of Oklahoma State checks a lot of boxes, but he's not ready for NFL-level competition.
The G-Men have question marks all over their CB room. Paulson Adebo is CB1. Dru Phillips is the starting slot corner. Everyone else is figuring it out. And there are a lot of bodies competing. There’s simply no space on the 53 for a rookie still learning the position. Black hasn’t separated himself enough this preseason to justify bumping someone else off the roster.
That said, the upside is still there. His special teams ability, particularly as a gunner, plus his raw tools make him an ideal practice squad stash. With some polish and pro coaching, Black has the foundation to push for a roster spot down the line if injuries hit or development clicks.
3. Thomas Fidone II
Another seventh-rounder, this time from Nebraska, Thomas Fidone is arguably the most interesting player on this list. The 22-year-old was at one point the No. 2 tight end prospect of his recruiting class. He’s a 6-foot-5, 243-pound athlete who dropped in the draft due to his injury history, including two torn ACLs in 2021 and 2022.
His injuries limited his development in college, so naturally, he was viewed as a developmental prospect. He’s had his moments at camp, but it feels unlikely he’ll be ready to help this team week in and week out. The likelier outcome is that he gets sent to the practice squad and works on his blocking technique and strength, pad level, and overall feel for the game.
The tight end room is sneaky filled up. Theo Johnson is the team’s starter, and then it’s a hodgepodge of guys vying for the next two roster spots. Daniel Bellinger, Chris Manhertz, Greg Dulcich, and Fidone will all be fighting for two spots. With a strong preseason showing from Dulcich, he might be the surprise candidate to secure the job next to Johnson.
And seeing as though they’re both bigger receiving threats than blockers, it would make sense for New York to keep a more traditional in-line tight end on the roster over another move tight end.
Bonus cut candidate: Daniel Bellinger
Bellinger isn’t necessarily likely to get cut, but crazier things have happened. The fourth-year tight end doesn’t offer too much other than being a solid blocker, and with Manhertz back on a one-year deal, Big Blue could choose to move on from the 24-year-old and save $3.4 million in the process.
The truth is that Johnson, Dulcich, Manhertz, Bellinger, and Fidone are likely fighting for three roster spots. For a lot of the same reasons that Fidone might be sent to the practice squad, Bellinger could be on the outside looking in.