With the NY Giants minicamp starting on Tuesday, things are starting to heat up, as well as shape up to what the depth chart could be by the time the preseason rolls around. Obviously, it's too early to tell how everything will unfold, but minicamps always give us a good look at some of the more underrated players for teams across the board.
Positional battles are always some of the most exciting parts of offseason sessions regardless of what team you're a fan of. This year for the Giants, though, there are plenty of positional battles for fans to keep an eye on leading up to camp in late July. In this piece, we take a look at four in particular for fans to monitor this week:
4. Backup running back
We all know Saquon Barkley will be the NY Giants' starting running back once he and Joe Schoen find a middle ground on a potential extension. However, what is less clear is who will be playing behind Barkley as the No. 2 back.
The good thing about this is that there are plenty of good options as to who can take this role during the 2023 season. Whether it be Matt Breida, Eric Gray, or even Gary Brightwell, all three of these guys have a good chance to take the role of RB2 in the offense. Alongside this, you never know if a guy like Jashaun Corbin could come out of nowhere and impress coaches early on.
On paper, it seems like Breida will have the first chance to secure the backup running back spot. Not only was he the team's backup last season, but he has the most experience whether it be in the NFL or with Brian Daboll and Schoen. However, it wouldn't shock us at all to see him slip further down the depth chart for a younger back like Gray or Brightwell.
Brightwell looked pretty solid in limited carries last season and Gray is a fifth-round rookie who has already gotten a good amount of praise from people around him. Compared to Brightwell, Gray is a more traditional three-down back, so this could easily give him the edge over both of the other backs on the team.
Regardless, these three all bring varying skill sets that make it easy to plug them in at various times throughout a game. The team may have only three spots for running backs on the active roster. However, we're confident that seeing these three battle it out for the backup spot will be incredibly fun to watch.
3. Strong safety
Following the loss of Julian Love in free agency, the Giants have a new hole at strong safety. While having an elite coverage guy like Xavier McKinney will help mitigate this loss and make it easier to find a replacement, the Giants still need to find someone to man the position.
Some names to keep an eye on for strong safety include Bobby McCain, Dane Belton, Jason Pinnock, and Gervarrius Owens. On paper, it seems like Belton would be the first man up. He impressed the coaches last season with his strong play, but he also battled some inconsistency as well. Despite this, someone like McCain, who has more NFL experience, could also jump into the starting role.
This position may be more of a toss-up than any other on the team. All it takes is one bad day in a camp, or game, for one of these guys to be swapped out for the other. McKinney can help these guys through some struggles, but there is only so much he can do as one player.
Hopefully Belton continues to progress as a player. Having two coverage safeties at the top of your defense is a dream come true in the modern NFL. He may have his problems against the run, but with Bobby Okereke now manning the LB1 spot, there isn't much need for a run-stopping safety.
2. Left guard
The last big gap on the Giants offensive line is left guard. They have their young and incredibly talented tackles, a rookie center who was arguably the best player at his position in college, and a solid veteran at right guard. However, left guard is looking much more questionable. The team has plenty of options, but who will take up the mantle of starting guard this season?
The main options at left guard are Ben Bredeson, Josh Ezeudu, Marcus McKethan, and Shane Lemieux. Currently, it seems as if Bredeson will be the most likely to start. However, keep an eye on Ezeudu. Ezeudu showed promise during his rookie season as a run-blocker, but his liabilities as a pass protector caused him to not see the field much.
It will also be interesting to see how both McKethan and Lemiuex bounce back from injuries they sustained last season. These two both have solid upsides if they can remain healthy. While McKethan tore his ACL before he was able to play a snap, Lemieux has been dealing with injury after injury since he came into the league, so it's hard to trust him long term.
The battle will likely be between Bredeson and Ezeudu. While now it seems like Bredeson is the top option, Ezeudu could very easily snag the starting spot before the season starts. It all comes down to whether or not he can progress as a pass protector.
1. Inside linebacker
Over the last five or so years, the Giants have consistently failed to put a starting-level linebacker on the field. However, now they finally have a very good player in the position in the form of Okereke. Despite this, the question of who will be playing alongside Okereke must be answered.
While Okereke can mop up most of the work against opposing offenses, he is still going to need help, especially in coverage. Okereke certainly isn't a liability in that aspect like previous players to man the position for New York, but help is needed. This leaves a pretty clear advantage for second-year 'backer Darrian Beavers, who missed his entire rookie season due to a torn ACL.
It's hard to trust a sixth-rounder who hasn't played a snap in the regular season, but his specialty in coverage could help him out a ton in the battle for a starting job. The competition will be fierce, as there's Micah McFadden, who had a rough rookie season but showed some promise, Jarrad Davis, a solid veteran who could bring some consistency to the position, and Carter Coughlin, who has been incredibly limited since being drafted due to injuries.
The battle will likely be determined by what Wink Martindale wants out of his linebackers. If he wants a coverage guy, Beavers is the answer. However, if he wishes to have two run-stoppers up the middle, then it will likely be Davis or McFadden. Honestly, all four of these guys can be used throughout any game depending on the situation. We expect this position to be more of a turnstile than just one singular LB next to Okereke.
READ MORE: 4 things to watch at NY Giants minicamp this week