There are a lot of things working against New York Giants safety Raheem Layne. The four-year veteran is entering a pivotal time in his career where every training camp rep counts... which essentially says everything you need to know about the uncertainty surrounding his roster spot.
Layne hasn't had the best luck since entering the NFL out of Indiana as an undrafted free agent with the LA Chargers in 2022. He had a quiet rookie season, playing nine special teams snaps. His second year wasn't much better, ending prematurely with a torn ACL in Week 6.
The G-Men took a swing on the former Hoosier in 2024, looking to add a little juice to the special teams unit. After spending time on the practice squad, he got called up for two games, recording three tackles, before tearing his meniscus... ending another season. His injury luck is well-documented, but it might be other factors that will keep him off the roster.
Raheem Layne might want to start packing his bags
Layne hasn't necessarily had a bad training camp. He hasn't really made much of an impression either way. But his competition has. During OTAs, Dane Belton was showing off early and often. Belton's ascension practically guarantees the Giants' top three safeties being Belton, Jevón Holland, and Tyler Nubin. That leaves a fight for the last safety spot. But it's not Layne's to lose.
Earlier in the offseason, Big Blue signed veteran safety K'Von Wallace to bolster the unit. Wallace has a lot going for him — most notably, he was a former teammate of Dexter Lawrence at Clemson and played under defensive coordinator Shane Bowen while with the Tennessee Titans.
The G-Men also took a flyer on 6-foot-4, 208-pound undrafted rookie Makari Paige. The former Michigan safety checks a lot of boxes — size, versatility, big-game experience — and fits their push for younger, longer, more athletic defenders. His ability to line up in multiple spots and help on special teams adds to his appeal.
That’s the kind of stuff that stands out. Layne, meanwhile, hasn’t. And when your best-case path to the 53 is outperforming everyone on special teams, you can’t afford to blend in.
We can all agree, it's never great when a player's camp highlight is someone else's highlight. Earlier in training camp, seventh-round rookie tight end Thomas Fidone II made Layne look silly with an incredible one-handed grab over the middle of the field.
Thomas Fidone II elevates to make the catch from Jaxson Dart! pic.twitter.com/Liur6oE9iA
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) July 24, 2025
Granted, the pads weren't on at the time, but still. It's never a great look when a rookie does you dirty like that.
Unfortunately, Layne’s name only surfaces when he’s on the wrong end of a rep, and that’s not how you hang onto a roster spot. The Giants know who their top safeties are. They brought in real depth to the secondary this offseason. And Layne's been standing still while everyone else is seemingly moving past him. The clock was always ticking, but August might be the buzzer.