4 NY Giants players who must impress vs. the Jets

With one preseason game remaining and about two weeks until Week 1, each team will soon have to determine their official roster for the 2023 NFL season. Teams will have until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to make final cuts and trim their roster down to 53 players.

With that being said, the NY Giants will have some tough decisions to make over the coming days and will be closely evaluating each of their positional battles. This means that a few Big Blue players fighting for a spot will have to stand out in their final preseason matchup on Saturday night against the New York Jets. Let's take a look at four players who must impress the coaching staff:

4. Offensive guard Shane Lemieux

It appears the Giants will be carrying at least 8-9 offensive linemen on the roster. We know that tackles Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal, guards Ben Bredeson and Mark Glowinski, and rookie center John Michael Schmitz are definitely making the roster, but the G-Men still need to determine the rest of their depth on the O-Line.

We can assume that 2022 third-round pick Josh Ezeudu will also earn a roster spot after an impressive summer, but another name Big Blue player fans might forget is guard Shane Lemieux, a former draft pick.

The G-Men selected Lemieux in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Oregon. He played a significant role in his rookie season, starting nine games and making 12 appearances at left guard, replacing former New York Giant Will Hernandez. However, he has played two games over the last two seasons due to suffering multiple injuries.

Throughout training camp, Lemieux has been getting reps with the second and third teams as a center and guard. This will be something to consider when rosters are finalized after backup center J.C. Hassenauer was ruled out at the start of training camp with a torn tricep injury.

Lemieux's recent injury history has left Giants fans questioning if he deserves a roster spot ahead of this season. That means the fourth-year lineman must impress the coaching staff against the New York Jets, or his tenure with the team could be decided before next Tuesday's roster cut deadline.

3. Safety Dane Belton

Giants fans can expect the safety position to be improved in 2023. Xavier McKinney enters his fourth professional season, and Jason Pinnock is set to have a breakout year after performing well this summer throughout training camp. However, the Giants' depth at safety raises several questions heading into 2023.

Although Pinnock has been impressive, and his stock has risen this offseason, he recently suffered a leg injury and he has missed time this week. The following strong safety in line is 2022 fourth-round pick Dane Belton.

Last season, Belton suffered a broken collarbone during training camp but quickly recovered and made an immediate impact as a rookie. He made 31 tackles (24 solo) and two interceptions in 15 appearances with the G-Men.

Through two preseason games this year, Belton has two solo tackles, one interception, and one pass defended. He even had his viral moment in joint practices with the Detroit Lions, forcing a fumble by stripping the ball away from running back David Montgomery. Belton is playing confidently, which has led to his continued success and should benefit the Giants this season.

While the second-year DB is a lock for the roster, Belton must still earn his playing time behind the Giants' starting safeties. He will have the chance to show the coaching staff why he will deserve signficant playing time this campaign on Saturday night against the Jets if Pinnock does not play due to his current injury. It will be essential for him to take advantage of this opportunity and exceed expectations.

2. Linebacker Darrian Beavers

The Giants received the unfortunate news that veteran linebacker Jarrad Davis would undergo season-ending knee surgery at the start of training camp. This has led to one of the biggest positional battles this offseason for the inside linebacker job opposite veteran Bobby Okereke. Darrian Beavers and Micah McFadden enter their second NFL season and have made strong cases to be named the starter.

McFadden has continuously stood out to the coaching staff and has already proven to succeed professionally. He should be the starter for Week 1 vs. the Cowboys. Last season, McFadden had an impressive rookie campaign, making 59 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble in 17 games with Big Blue.

On the other hand, Beavers is still unproven and has yet to make his regular season debut. The 2022 sixth-round selection sat out the entirety of his rookie season after suffering a torn ACL injury in a preseason game with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Beavers was a star in college at Connecticut his first two years before transferring to Cincinnati for three seasons. He progressively improved each year; however, he had his best season as a senior. In 2021, Beavers made 98 tackles (46 solo), 11 tackles for a loss, four sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles. His performance significantly raised his draft stock, which led Big Blue to pick him in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Beavers has been healthy and competitive this offseason, working towards earning a roster spot. While he did not play in the Giants' first preseason game with the Lions, he had four tackles in their most recent victory over the Panthers. If Beavers wants to stay on the right track, he must stand out in Saturday's matchup with the Jets.

1. Pass-rusher Jihad Ward

When it comes to the pass-rush, the Giants are lacking a ton of depth and fans are hopeful general manager Joe Schoen will land a veteran in free agency. Because of this, it's imperative for the backups to perform well and remain healthy. With that said, Jihad Ward is back on a one-year deal and he's going to be seeing the field quite a bit in relief of Azeez Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeaux.

The Oakland Raiders drafted Ward in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft from the University of Illinois. Throughout his professional career, he has spent time with the Raiders, Colts, Ravens, Jaguars, and Giants. Ward enters his eighth NFL season and second with the G-Men this year.

Last season, the outside linebacker made 43 tackles (28 solo), three sacks, two forced fumbles, and four passes defended in 17 games. After an impressive year, the G-Men re-signed Ward to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million.

Ward is known for his bubbling personality and he's also a playmaker on the field. Wink Martindale and Coach Dabes will be relying on him this season to step up beind both Ojulari and Thibodeaux. Let's see how he does come Saturday night.

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