Outside of Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster is easily the most accomplished wide receiver the New York Giants added this offseason.
If OTAs are any indication, then only one of them has a chance to crack the Week 1 roster, and it’s not Smith-Schuster.
The 29-year-old Smith-Schuster went viral earlier this week for looking slow in practice and dropping an easy deep ball. As of Thursday morning, SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano’s video of Smith-Schuster had over 1.3 million views on X.
Juju Smith-Schuster. pic.twitter.com/EZcMeWZbYO
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano) June 8, 2026
Beckham, conversely, drew strong reviews for his performance throughout OTAs, especially given that he hasn’t played since December 2024.
JuJu Smith-Schuster’s struggles only help Odell Beckham Jr.
Barring any further injuries, we can likely count on Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin, and rookie Malachi Fields all making the initial roster.
Malik Nabers will obviously join them if he’s healthy, though it remains unclear whether the Giants would consider placing him on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen reiterated this week that he expects Nabers to be ready for Week 1.
If Nabers avoids the PUP list, then that last receiver spot might come down to Beckham or Smith-Schuster.
Beckham and Smith-Schuster already have familiarity with the Giants’ two most important offensive coaches, with Beckham playing for John Harbaugh in Baltimore. Smith-Schuster spent the last two seasons with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy in Kansas City.
However, Beckham likely had an early advantage given his resume and the fanbase’s excitement about his return.
Smith-Schuster has done nothing to help his own case. It’s telling that a 29-year-old receiver with 80 catches and 27 starts the last three years went unsigned until June 1.
We should already be hearing about Smith-Schuster impressing the coaching staff and making his presence felt. Slayton’s continued rehab from sports hernia surgery means there are added opportunities for the depth receivers.
Yet, there are no X posts or clips of Smith-Schuster beating the defense or snagging an inaccurate throw.
There is no reason to believe that the Giants would cut Smith-Schuster before training camp, largely because of his familiarity with Nagy.
However, he’s quickly running out of time to show that he, not Beckham, deserves a spot on the roster. In fact, his fate might already be sealed, though neither he nor the fanbase would officially know it.
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