Football is so back. The preseason is finally here. All offseason, the New York Giants’ pass rush has been the most talked-about part of the roster. But all that talk’s been about the top four — Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Chauncey Golston. Everyone else has been an afterthought.
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That’s where Tomon Fox comes in. He’s not moving past any of those names in August, but he can fight for a roster spot. Fox was the only undrafted rookie to make the roster back in 2022, and he's been hanging around ever since. He’s stuck around by being a depth piece who pops every once in a while and knows his role is with the special teams. But that formula might not work this time.
Saturday against Buffalo is his first real shot to show he’s more than just the bottom of the outside linebacker depth chart. The Giants are deep at edge, and they might only want to keep the core four. There’s no pretending otherwise. If Fox wants in, he’s got to win a job outright.
Tomon Fox will have to be more than special teams player
Right now, Fox’s clearest path is still on special teams. It makes sense — almost 70 percent of his 2024 snaps came there — but that alone isn’t keeping him safe when this group is loaded with pass rushers. He'll show some more consistency as the third-team rusher.
He needs defensive snaps to pop, and the preseason is when he’ll get them. Even if he’s not running with the ones or twos, every rush rep matters. Beat a tackle clean. Collapse a pocket. Finish a play instead of just getting close. That’s the kind of thing coaches keep in mind when they’re filling out the bottom of the roster.
Fox has made some plays before... just not enough — but opportunities, you know? They’ve been few and far between. He's got three games in August to string them together to make his case for the 53-man roster. It's a tall task, but the clock is officially ticking on the 27-year-old.
Buffalo’s backups are going to give him opportunities. If Fox can make the most of them and show he’s more than just a special teams guy, then he might just hang around this room longer than the depth chart says he should. He won't be going against many starters, if any, which is even more reason to put on a show. If he does anything to take any attention away from the top guys, he's done a good job.