After a disappointing start to the season, Brian Daboll and the New York Giants continue to make adjustments as they aim to start stacking up wins moving forward.
The Giants will host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4, and it won’t be an easy matchup. Still, they’re making changes based on what’s gone wrong over the first three games in hopes of being more prepared, because if they drop another one, fans may be calling for Daboll to pack his bags.
We’ve already made the case for Jaxson Dart to start over Russell Wilson, and for Cam Skattebo to see more work over Tyrone Tracy Jr. Big Blue fans got what they wanted. Dart has officially been named the starter for Week 4. And with Tracy battling a shoulder injury, Skattebo is in line for increased playing time. Now, let’s look at three other Giants quietly climbing the depth chart ahead of Sunday:
3 New York Giants players climbing the depth chart ahead of Week 4
1: K Younghoe Koo
The Giants announced that former Falcons kicker and Pro Bowler Younghoe Koo will be signing to the practice squad, and it’s clear he could earn a role soon, with veteran Graham Gano’s time in New York seemingly coming to an end. Just before kickoff, Gano suffered a groin injury during pregame warmups and was ruled questionable.
If you recall, this happened last season too, when the Giants played the Commanders. They scored three touchdowns but were forced to go for two-point conversions every time, even turning to punter Jamie Gillan after Gano pulled his hamstring at the start of that game. The Giants lost 21–18. By signing Koo, they’ve added important depth to their special teams and can hopefully avoid a similar disaster this time around.
2: OL Marcus Mbow
After a James Hudson disaster class in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys, where the offensive lineman committed four penalties on the Giants' opening drive of the game, rookie Marcus Mbow was slotted into the left tackle role and quickly earned the likes of many, including former lineman turned analyst Brian Baldinger.
While All-Pro Andrew Thomas returned from injury and looked solid on Sunday night against Kansas City (77.2 overall PFF grade and 84.4 pass block grade), the G-Men eased him back in with just 28 snaps. That gave Mbow a chance to shine, logging 38 snaps and continuing to make the most of his opportunities.
3: CB Cor'Dale Flott
Slot cornerback Dru Phillips has committed five penalties through the first three games, including three against the Chiefs and two versus Dallas — the most by any player in the NFL so far. Meanwhile, Deonte Banks hasn’t been much of a factor either, logging just 28 snaps last game across defense and special teams.
One defensive back who has contributed and deserves more recognition is Cor’Dale Flott. After a strong preseason finale, Flott earned the CB2 role and played 62 defensive snaps (86.1%) against the Chiefs, tallying three total tackles. Through three games, he’s registered seven tackles (four solo) and three passes defended. While the raw numbers don’t jump off the page, Flott has quietly been one of the more dependable pieces in the secondary, and he’s earned more reps moving forward.