5 biggest surprises from the NY Giants 53-man roster reveal

2. LB Darrian Beavers

Darrian Beavers tenure with the Giants has been a very strange one. Beavers was a sixth-round pick of the Giants back in 2022, so he was one of the draft picks under Joe Schoen’s first class. Beavers was playing extremely well during the preseason last summer and many had him penciled in to be one of the two starting middle linebackers.

Then an ACL injury ended his rookie season. Beavers spent the entire offseason getting stronger and back into football shape to where he could have a chance to win back the job he was penciled in for. But then he didn’t quite look the same this past preseason. He was even leaped over by Micah McFadden on the depth chart.

Then came the trade for Isaiah Simmons with the Arizona Cardinals, which changed everything. Simmons leaped both McFadden and Beavers on the depth chart and made an early impact in the preseason finale against the New York Jets. Simmons' arrival was likely sealing the fates of either Beavers or McFadden, and it ended up being Beavers.

Beavers got waived before ever stepping onto the field and playing in a regular season game for the Giants despite being drafted a year ago by them. It just goes to show how cutthroat the business side of the NFL can be, especially if you are a possible playoff team. Beavers is back on the practice squad, but not many expected him to be off the 53-man roster at this point in the summer.