The New York Giants earned their first win of the 2025 season in Week 4 over the Los Angeles Chargers—and their first since Week 17 of last season, and rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart may be the answer the G-Men have been looking for.
Dart was extremely impressive in his first NFL start, and it’s clear he’s already won over Big Blue fans. Along with fellow rookies Cam Skattebo and Abdul Carter, the trio has played exceptionally well and shown us all that the future is now for this franchise.
New York’s young stars have given Brian Daboll and Big Blue Nation plenty of reasons to smile after last week. Still, with injuries piling up and some players trending in different directions, the G-Men must prepare their roster for the Week 5 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Let’s look at three Giants quietly climbing the depth chart ahead of Sunday:
3 New York Giants players climbing the depth chart ahead of Week 5
1: WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey
Jaxson Dart impressed on Sunday in the Giants’ 21-18 win over the Chargers, and in time, he’ll only get more comfortable and confident. But he’ll have to do it without top wideout Malik Nabers, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury — a massive blow to the offense.
Dart ran the ball well, but if he wants to keep winning, he’ll need to air it out more and rely on weapons outside of Nabers, such as Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, and Theo Johnson, who caught a touchdown last game. It’s officially a next-man-up situation.
One name to watch is veteran wideout Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who could be elevated from the practice squad. He had an impressive preseason and developed solid chemistry with Dart, making several big plays, including a touchdown against the Bills. If the Giants don’t call up Humphrey, they could also lean on Jalin Hyatt or Beaux Collins, both of whom are already on the 53-man roster, or consider bringing back former Giant Isaiah Hodgins from the Steelers’ practice squad.
2: CB Deonte Banks
Another player who impressed in Week 4 against the Chargers is third-year cornerback Deonte Banks, who played 29 defensive snaps and nine special teams snaps. The veteran defensive back totaled three tackles, had a pass defended, and was used as a kick returner for the first time with two returns for 54 yards.
While Banks won’t necessarily climb the depth chart in the secondary, as Dru Phillips, Cor’Dale Flott, and Paulson Adebo have solidified themselves as the starters, you can make a strong argument for the former first-round pick to earn more opportunities on special teams if the team decides to give Devin Singletary or Gunner Olszewski a break.
3: SAF Dane Belton
Don't forget about fourth-year safety Dane Belton. Belton played 24 defensive snaps on Sunday against the Chargers and was impressive, totaling five tackles (two solo), and was also used on special teams.
Fans mainly saw Belton enter last week when Jevon Holland suffered a neck injury and was questionable to return. While Holland did end up returning to the game and is likely not severely injured, should he miss more time, we can expect Belton to take on a bigger role heading into Week 5 against the Saints.