It’s crazy how quickly the 2026 offseason flew by. After Friday night’s preseason finale, the New York Giants will essentially close the book on it, turning their attention to trimming the roster from 90 players down to 53 ahead of the season opener on September 13.
Speaking of the preseason finale, and before I get too far ahead of myself, the G-Men will make the long-distance trek to... MetLife Stadium, where they’ll visit the (this time) hometown Jets.
It's still a bit up in the air as to who will actually be suiting up on Friday. Head coach John Harbaugh hasn’t decided if the starters will get some run, but with several having not suited up since the preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings, they could see limited snaps. He did say, however, that it could be good for "communication purposes" if the defensive starters saw a few snaps, so be on the lookout for that.
While Harbs plays the whole will-they, won’t-they game with the starters, there are still a few position battles that haven’t been resolved. And seeing as though Friday is the final chance for several players to convince the coaching staff they belong on the 53-man roster, here are the seven under the most pressure against Gang Green.
7 Giants who could make or break their roster case against the Jets in preseason finale
Darius Muasau, LB
Darius Muasau couldn't be more on the bubble if he were in a bath. The third-year linebacker is firmly behind Tremaine Edmunds, Arvell Reese, Micah McFadden, and Jack Kelly in the off-ball LB group, which makes him more of a commodity than a necessity.
And that's not necessarily the best place to be. Muasau needs to prove he can be more valuable than fellow linebacker Zaire Barnes and pass rushers Trace Ford and Caleb Murphy. While pass rushers have a built-in argument of "you can never have too many," Barnes has special teams ability in his back pocket as his ace in the hole.
Muasau will need to light it up on Friday and prove he's more valuable than the trio seemingly in the mix.
Bryan Hudson, C
The backup center spot is coming down to the wire, and this final game is winner-takes-all. Presumed third-teamer Bryan Hudson did what he was supposed to do when second-stringer Lucas Patrick missed time with an ongoing knee issue. Hudson stepped up in a big way, .
But Patrick didn't stay quiet for long. He came back for the second preseason game against the Dolphins, logging 27 impressive snaps (with a 76.8 overall grade from PFF) and reminding everyone why they brought him in the first place earlier in the offseason. Hudson can't rely on the "Patrick is hurt" narrative anymore -- he has to go out against the Jets and prove without a shadow of a doubt that he's the better option to back up John Michael Schmitz.
It's either he succeeds or he gets demoted to the practice squad.
Deonte Banks, CB
Giants fans have waited three-plus years for Deonte Banks to look like a serviceable cornerback, let alone the team's No. 1 option. But that's what's on the line for the 25-year-old as he enters the last preseason game before the 2026 season officially kicks off.
Banks has been in a roster battle with Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome II, and Colton Hood for the starting corner spot. He's miraculously had somewhat of a career resurgence under Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, allowing him to go from potential cut candidate to alpha in one offseason.
How quickly things change, huh?
The former Maryland standout will look to build off arguably his most impressive performance in a Giants uniform ever on Friday, and if he does, he might just steal the CB1 spot with it.
Odell Beckham Jr.
OBJ has already proven he can still “get open,” but now the question is whether he can actually contribute. Calvin Austin III’s season-ending ACL injury certainly helps his chances of making the 53-man roster, especially after Beckham reportedly put together his “best week of camp" this past week.
Now let’s see him turn that into some real production. The preseason finale is the perfect opportunity for the 33-year-old to prove he deserves a legitimate role on the depth chart and not just a spot on it.
If he fails to impress and somehow loses ground to one of the guys behind him -- Jalin Hyatt, Xavier Gipson, Dalen Cambre -- there might be riots in East Rutherford.
Thomas Fidone II
The tight end room is Eras Tour-level crowded, and with Isaiah Likely, Theo Johnson, and Chris Manhertz (even Patrick Ricard) already in front of him, Fidone needs to put on a clinic in both the passing and blocking games if he wants a chance at cracking the roster. And that possibility gets less far-fetched by the day.
New York isn’t going to carry four tight ends and a fullback on its 53-man roster, which means the 23-year-old will likely have to beat out Manhertz for the third TE spot. He helped his case against the Dolphins, looking good as a blocker while adding four receptions for 29 yards on five targets.
Big Blue’s 2025 seventh-rounder looks like he could become a legitimate player in the NFL, and if he gets cut Sunday, there will likely be teams interested in adding him to their own 53-man roster. Friday night couldn’t be more important for Fidone and his future in North Jersey.
Ben Sauls, K
Just when it looked like the G-Men had finally found a reliable kicker, they signed undrafted rookie Dominic Zvada out of Michigan to throw a wrench into the whole thing.
Ben “Better Call Sauls” Sauls looked like the future after making all 15 of his kicks last year (eight field goals and seven extra points). But with Zvada having the stronger camp (and stronger leg), the 25-year-old is officially on the outside looking in.
If we’re operating in the Trust Tree, Zvada would probably have to self-destruct against the Jets to change Sauls’ fortunes. At this point, Friday night might be more about proving to the other 31 teams that he deserves a roster spot somewhere.
Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Tracy has had arguably the biggest lowlight in each of the Giants’ first two preseason games. He whiffed on the block that sent Jaxson Dart to the medical tent against Minnesota, then muffed a handoff against Miami that resulted in a turnover.
With Cam Skattebo healthy, Najee Harris now in the mix, and Devin Singletary still around, TTJ can’t afford another costly mistake. None of those backs bring the same quickness and shiftiness he does, but another rough showing Friday could push him down the depth chart or potentially onto the trade block.
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