Of the 53 players on the New York Giants' roster, 23 joined the team this offseason. That number will be bumped up to 24 once Braxton Berrios is inevitably activated from the practice squad as the team's punt returner. John Harbaugh's team has undergone massive changes over the last six months.
Those newcomers will get an early chance to prove that they were worth bringing in when the G-Men take on the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
These four offseason additions will be especially important in the season opener.
4 Giants newcomers who can show they belong against Cowboys
LB Tremaine Edmunds
He hasn't generated much offseason buzz, but Edmunds might be the most impactful newcomer on the Giants' roster this year. He's set to start next to rookie Arvell Reese at off-ball linebacker and will wear the green dot for Dennard Wilson's defense this season.
Edmunds will be crucial in stopping the Cowboys' rushing attack. He has been one of the most consistent linebackers in football over the last eight years, generating at least 100 tackles in each season. That consistency should stabilize New York's defense in the season opener. He'll need to play a mistake-free game, limiting the extra yards that the Cowboys pick up.
DT DJ Reader
These first two players could be lumped together in many ways. Reader's impact may not show up in the stat sheet on Sunday, but his ability to take up space on the interior will give Edmunds and Reese chances to make quick tackles against the run.
While nobody was going to be a one-for-one replacement for Dexter Lawrence II, Reader was New York's answer to his absence. With a strong showing against the Cowboys, he can make the Lawrence trade look like a stroke of genius from Joe Schoen.
CB Greg Newsome II
Newsome II made a bold claim this week. He said, "I think we’ve got the best cornerback room in the league."
He couldn't ask for a better opportunity to back up his hot take in Week 1, as he'll take on one of the NFL's best wide receiver duos in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. He and Deonte Banks, who was a surprise inclusion in the starting lineup in the Giants' unofficial depth chart, have a tough task ahead of them.
Limiting the Cowboys' passing attack would go a long way toward making Newsome II look like an offseason steal for Big Blue.
TE Isaiah Likely
New York's most expensive offseason addition is its most important in Week 1. Likely signed with the Giants on a three-year, $40 million deal this offseason despite never being a starting tight end in the NFL.
He can prove Big Blue right with a big game against Dallas. With Malik Nabers working back from injury, Likely should be Jaxson Dart's primary target on Sunday. He doesn't need to put up jaw-dropping stats, but he needs to offer Dart a consistent option over the middle of the field. It's time to prove that he belongs as a starter in the league.
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