5 NY Giants whose jobs are not safe after the 2024 NFL Draft
The NY Giants approached the NFL Draft with a handful of positional needs, and most fans believe general manager Joe Schoen adequately addressed the team's key gaps. Big Blue is riding it out with quarterback Daniel Jones for another season after a 6-11 finish to the previous season, and there is hope head coach Brian Daboll's squad can turn it around.
As the dust settles on Big Blue's draft picks, questions have been raised regarding the outlooks of several players. The arrival of fresh talent has left NY supporters wondering who the outsiders on the roster will be. With that being said, here are five Giants who could have trouble keeping their jobs this upcoming season.
5. RB Gary Brightwell
The first player whose job is not safe after the draft is running back Gary Brightwell. He has played for the Giants for three consecutive seasons to open his NFL career, but his tenure in royal blue could be coming to a close. The addition of RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. in the fifth round puts his role in jeopardy moving forward.
Brightwell has been nothing special with the ball in his hands, rushing for 164 yards and one touchdown across 37 career games. This past season, he recorded just nine totes for 19 yards after ceding his spot on the depth chart to Eric Gray, and opportunities will still be difficult to come by despite the departure of Saquon Barkley in free agency.
While Brightwell's contributions have primarily come on special teams, NY might not need him in that department either. Not only did the Giants' new RB average 6.5 yards per carry in college, but he has a history of returning kicks. The multifaceted Tracy ran back 16 kick returns for 408 yards and one touchdown in his final season at Purdue, much better than the 21.3 yards per return mark Brightwell posted in 2022.
Tracy offers a higher upside in most aspects on the field, as he has experience lining up as a receiver and is a more explosive ball carrier. Brightwell will certainly fight to keep his spot on the 53-man roster, but he could be relegated to the practice squad or released outright if Tracy impresses the coaches during training camp.