In just a couple of days, the New York Giants will kick off the John Harbaugh era in their preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings. After a transformative offseason and a grueling couple of weeks in the West Virginia mountains, Big Blue Nation is eager to see this new-look roster finally take the field.
As Saturday's clash draws closer, the G-Men released their first unofficial depth chart of the preseason. The key word here is "unofficial," as New York still has a ton of information to process over the next three games, and as such, nothing will be set in stone as they get ready for Week 1.
Make no mistake about it: this depth chart still means something. It gave fans the first glimpse of how the team feels about its players and reinforced the fact that training camp hype doesn't always translate to an increased role. Here is a position-by-position breakdown of how things stack up as the Giants prepare for their first taste of live game action of the 2026 season.
Biggest takeaways by position from Giants' first unofficial depth chart
Quarterback: Jaxson Dart | Jameis Winston | Brandon Allen
No notes here. There is absolutely nothing shocking here. So, let's move on.
Running back: Cam Skattebo OR Tyrone Tracy Jr. | Devin Singletary | Eric Gray | Dante Miller | Damon Bankston
Your eyes will immediately take you to the "OR" sandwiched between Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr., but it's what's brewing at the bottom of the group that should garner attention. Despite a quiet, almost invisible summer, Eric Gray managed to hold onto the RB4 spot over fan favorites like Dante "Turbo" Miller and undrafted rookie Damon Bankston.
Bankston recently lit up camp with a three-touchdown red-zone performance, yet it clearly wasn't enough to shake up Harbaugh’s initial hierarchy. Gray’s inclusion as the fourth-string kick returner might be the real clue here -- Harbs is a STOE (special teams over everything) kind of guy, making this back-end backfield battle an interesting storyline against the Vikings.
Fullback: Patrick Ricard | Grant Finley
This is another case of no real story here. Patrick "Pancake Pat" Ricard is a lock to be the lone fullback executing Harbaugh’s run-heavy scheme. The only footnote here is backup Grant Finley.
Finley is a converted defensive tackle, making him a prime candidate for some fun preseason weirdness. He could easily emerge as this summer's version of former Giant Elijah Chatman -- the undersized defensive tackle who carved out a niche by moonlighting as a lead blocker out of the backfield in jumbo packages.
Wide receiver: Malik Nabers | Darius Slayton | Calvin Austin III | Darnell Mooney | Malachi Fields | Braxton Berrios | Jalin Hyatt | Odell Beckham Jr. | Dalen Cambe | Isaiah Hodgins | JuJu Smith-Schuster | Xavier Gipson | Ryan Miller
Kudos to Darius Slayton, who is firmly entrenched as WR2 despite rookie Malachi Fields making a genuinely strong case for the role throughout the summer.
The real shockwave is the confirmation that fan-favorite Odell Beckham Jr. is fighting for his roster life. Buried with the third stringers, the veteran has zero safety net because he offers nothing on special teams -- a major contrast to Braxton Berrios, who currently holds the advantage of being listed as the team's No. 1 punt returner.
Meanwhile, Darnell Mooney has failed to separate himself as anything more than a quality depth piece, and the second-team appearance of Hyatt is the chart’s biggest head-scratcher. Given that camp reps have heavily favored Dalen Cambre, Berrios, Fields, or even JuJu Smith-Schuster, seeing Hyatt slotted ahead of them on paper smells more like a clerical error or an administrative typo rather than an honest assessment of his roster status.
Tight end: Isaiah Likely | Theo Johnson | Chris Manhertz | Tanner Conner | Thomas Fidone II
Isaiah Likely, Theo Johnson, and Chris Manhertz hold down the top spots -- shocker -- but the real story is how bleak things are looking for the camp darlings. Despite flashing some pass-catching promise over the past couple of weeks, Thomas Fidone II finds himself dead last on the initial hierarchy.
In a Harbaugh-led offense, holding your own as a blocker means everything, and Fidone’s spectacular catch-and-run highlights haven't masked how much work he has to do in the blocking game. He has plenty of upside, but his placement serves as a loud reminder that if you can't survive inline, a Harbaugh depth chart will treat you like an afterthought.
Offensive line: Andrew Thomas | Jon Runyan | John Michael Schmitz | Francis Mauigoa | Jermaine Eluemunor | Marcus Mbow | Daniel Faalele | Lucas Patrick | Aaron Stinnie OR Evan Neal | Joshua Ezeudu | J.C. Davis | Jake Kubas | Bryan Hudson | Brenden Jameis | Ryan Schernecke | Jarrod Gray
The starting five is locked in, but the immediate eye-opener is J.C. Davis being buried on the third string. The staff also deployed an intriguing "OR" tag between Evan Neal and Aaron Stinnie, signaling a battle no one saw coming for the backup right guard spot behind Francis Mauigoa. Neal spent almost all of camp with the third stringers.
The most confusing choice to me is Joshua Ezeudu, who's listed as the backup right tackle. Given his collegiate background at guard and his well-documented pass-protection struggles, leaving him on the outside feels like an unnecessary gamble. I would have expected Marcus Mbow to claim that spot, allowing Davis to slide in as the backup left tackle, or vice versa.
Aside from that head-scratcher, the rest of the line alignment shook out exactly as anticipated.
Defensive line: Shelby Harris | DJ Reader | Darius Alexander | Josh Tupou | Leki Fotu | Zacch Pickens | Anquin Barnes Jr. | Bobby Jamison-Travis | Marlon Davidson
The first-team bodies shook out exactly as expected, but the bottom of the group highlights a sobering reality check for some too-early offseason hype.
Sixth-round pick Bobby Jamison-Travis hasn't done enough to leapfrog the veteran depth signings brought in throughout the offseason. Seeing the rookie out of Auburn buried on the third string alongside undrafted rookie Anquin Barnes Jr. says plenty about where he's at entering the preseason.
It's a harsh reminder that looking good during minicamp and OTAs while running around in shorts doesn't translate to success when the pads come on. Jamison-Travis clearly wasn't as pro-ready as those early non-contact sessions made him look, which puts a decent amount of pressure on his preseason performance to prove he deserves a roster spot.
Pass-rusher: Brian Burns | Abdul Carter OR Kayvon Thibodeaux | Chauncey Golston | Khalid Kareem | Caleb Murphy | Trace Ford
The headline is the diplomatic "OR" slapped between Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux opposite Brian Burns. Carter has been a man on a mission this summer, looking practically unblockable and eating all of the first-team reps.
Thibodeaux has put together an impressive camp in his own right, so the co-starter title feels less like a legitimate roster battle and more like Harbs giving the former top-five pick a quiet nod for everything he’s dealt with this offseason.
Beyond the top three, the lack of quality depth behind them screams that general manager Joe Schoen needs to add another edge piece before Week 1. If nothing else, the chart confirmed the Thibodeaux trade talks should be buried -- it's never a bad thing to have too many quality pass rushers.
Off-ball linebacker: Tremaine Edmunds | Arvell Reese | Micah McFadden | Jack Kelly | Darius Muasau | Zaire Barnes | Anfrenee Orji
Rookie defensive demon Arvell Reese has looked every bit like a top-five pick this summer, locking down his role as a foundational centerpiece of this defense for the next decade-plus. The intrigue sits behind him, where sixth-round rookie Jack "Cannonball" Kelly is listed as Micah McFadden’s new running mate on the second team.
Cannonball's rapid ascension sends a clear message to Darius Muasau and Zaire Barnes. Both veterans have been pushed down the pecking order and will now have to earn their spots on the final 53-man roster the hard way: by proving their worth on special teams.
Safety: Jevón Holland | Tyler Nubin | Jason Pinnock | Ar'Darius Washington | Raheem Layne | Elijah Campbell | Beau Brade
The top pairing is exactly what you'd expect with Jevón Holland and Tyler Nubin taking those spots, but the names on the page don't necessarily pass the eye test. Jason Pinnock didn't return to East Rutherford to ride the bench. He has been eating into Nubin's first-team reps at camp and looking dangerous in his second stint in New York.
Meanwhile, Ar'Darius Washington is a Harbaugh favorite from their Baltimore days, and he'll fill Big Blue's role as a Swiss Army knife, playing safety, slot corner, and on special teams.
Cornerback: Paulson Adebo | Greg Newsome II | Dru Phillips | Deonte Banks | Colton Hood | Art Green | Korie Black | Nic Jones | D.J. James | JT Woods | David Long
The hierarchy on paper doesn't quite match the reality on the grass, where things are still very fluid. Paulson Adebo holds the CB1 spot, but his grasp on that spot feels rockier than ever. Deonte Banks has shockingly put together an impressive camp and worked his way back into first-team reps.
Greg Newsome II has quietly done exactly what he was brought here to do, providing make-it-interesting corner play. In the slot, Dru Phillips has the starting role locked down, even though he's been nursing a knee issue throughout camp. Further down the sheet, rookie Colton Hood isn't ready to play spoiler to the oldheads just yet.
But that's totally fine -- at just 21 years old, his ultra-physical traits and aggressive press coverage give defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson an intriguing developmental piece to mold.
Specialists: Ben Sauls OR Dominic Zvada | Jordan Stout | Ben Mann
The glaring "OR" slapped between Ben Sauls and Dominic Zvada cements the kicking competition as the undisputed camp battle of the summer for the G-Men.
Zvada-matic holds the edge, having drilled 41 of his 45 field goals in training camp compared to Sauls’ 35-for-44 mark. The undrafted rookie out of Michigan has controlled the narrative since mandatory minicamp, where he went a perfect 13-of-13 while Sauls fell apart (7-of-14).
While Sauls offers stability from his perfect three-game cameo late last season, Zvada’s unimaginable ceiling -- headlined by a walk-off 62-yard blast to end Wednesday's practice -- leaves Harby with a classic head-versus-heart decision that can only be settled under the preseason lights.
Punt returner: Braxton Berrios | Calvin Austin III | Xavier Gipson
Braxton Berrios holds the No. 1 spot, but Gunner Olszewski’s season-ending Achilles tear from earlier in the offseason is what made this a competition in the first place. While Berrios’ reliability gives him the initial nod, Calvin Austin III and Xavier Gipson won't go down without a fight.
Kickoff returner: Deonte Banks | Braxton Berrios | Dante Miller | Eric Gray
Banks leading the kick return unit makes sense after his surprising success there last year, which only happened because the Giants couldn’t play him at corner and needed to find something for their former first-round pick to do.
He ripped off a 95-yard kick-return touchdown against the Raiders in Week 17. Maybe he can build on that and his improved corner play to drag his career back from the brink and become the team’s ultimate redemption story.
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