NY Giants Roster Projection 2.0: Who will make the final 53?

The summer is rapidly flying. We are already halfway through New York Giants training camp, and in only a few weeks, the New York Giants will open the season under the bright lights of MetLife Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Giants put the pads on and faced another team last week for the first time this summer. Big Blue held joint practices with Dan Campbell's Lions at Detroit's team facility, giving us our first chance to see the Giants face opposing starters. The joint practices culminated with Big Blue's preseason opener last Friday. Seventeen of the Giants projected regular starters were held out of the opener, and the Lions beat the Giants 21-16.

Many players improved their chances of making the Giants after last week, while others' chances fell. Here is our 53-man roster projection after Week 1 of the preseason:

NY Giants quarterbacks

In: Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor
Out: Tommy DeVito

The Giants have a sneaky good quarterback room. You will be hard-pressed to find a better 1-2 combo than Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor.

Jones was held out of the preseason opener, but had a big week in Detroit. After a rough first practice last Tuesday, Jones lit up the Lions defense on Wednesday, completing 12 of his 17 passes, five of which were touchdowns. Two touchdown passes were to Darius Slayton, two to Parris Campbell Jr., and one to Darren Waller. Jones is distributing around the ball like he's in midseason form. Jones also went undercover at the Boss store in East Rutherford this past week, which was undeniably hilarious.

Taylor only played two drives on Friday, but the Giants posted field goals on both. All 32 NFL teams would sign up to have the veteran as their backup quarterback in a heartbeat.

Third-stringer Tommy DeVito was the star of the preseason opener. Despite being under constant pressure (DeVito was sacked five times), the undrafted rookie completed 15 of his 24 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown. DeVito also posted a solid 77.6 passer rating, the best among the four quarterbacks who played in the game, including Taylor.

His strong performance should solidify his spot on the Giants practice squad, though he may still steal one of the final 53-man roster spots.

NY Giants running backs

In: Saquon Barkley, Matt Breida, Eric Gray
Out: James Robinson, Gary Brightwell, Jashuan Corbin

Barkley was a pass-catching weapon for Jones during the Detroit practices. Barkley is hungry and motivated. He has every incentive to ball in 2023, as he will become a free agent in 2024 and would like a significant payday from the Giants or another club.

Breida received just one carry in the preseason opener but is cemented as the Giants No. 2 running back. Gray, the Giants 2023 fifth-round pick, is also a roster lock. The rookie ran for nine yards on five attempts while hauling in 10 yards and two receptions. The Oklahoma product is also the top man on the depth chart as both punt returner and kick returner. Brightwell was the leading kick return man, but a recent injury has sidelined him and allowed Gray to steal essential reps. His injury is not thought to be long-term but is also not day-to-day. Robinson was given six carries and was only able to grab nine yards. He seems destined to get cut.

Corbin, a member of the Giants practice squad in 2022, shined in the fourth quarter. The Florida State product, who starred for the Giants last preseason, ran for 40 yards on three carries, including a 33-yard sprint down the sideline. He deserves more reps and a shot to crack the 53. According to The Athletic's Dan Duggan, Corbin received "more first-team reps than usual" during Monday's practice thanks to his strong preseason showing.

NY Giants wide receivers

In: Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell Jr., Sterling Shepard, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt, Cole Beasley
Out: Collin Johnson, Jamison Crowder, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, Kalil Pimpleton, David Sills V, Jaydon Mickens

Barring injury, Hodgins, Slayton, and Campbell Jr. will start the Giants opener against the Cowboys out wide. Robinson is expected to be activated from the PUP list this week and should be ready for the season opener. Hyatt played much of the first half vs. the Lions, received just one target, and recorded -4 yards in his first professional football action. Look for the Giants to get the camp standout the football in the final two preseason games.

Beasley feels like a roster lock now. Beasley caught four passes for 33 yards on Friday. He is a professional chain mover with gas left in the tank, despite not playing the majority of 2022. He was chatting with both Jones and Brian Daboll throughout the game. Shepard did not play but cooked Tre Hawkins during Monday's practice. Jones' favorite target still has it.

Johnson led the Giants onto the field on Friday night but suffered a knee injury early in the game and did not return. The 2022 preseason star has made multiple highlight reel plays this summer, but it appears the injury bug will once again keep him off the roster. Crowder looked good (two catches for 32 yards), but it is hard to see him jumping up the depth chart. The Giants would love to add the veteran to the practice squad and Ford-Wheaton, who was disappointing in Detroit.

NY Giants offensive line

In: Andrew Thomas, Evan Neal, Tyre Phillips, John Michael Schmitz, Mark Glowinski, Ben Bredeson, Josh Ezeudu, Marcus McKethan, Matt Peart
Out: Shane Lemieux, Devery Hamilton, Jack Anderson, Wyatt Davis, Korey Cunningham

Thomas and Neal are the Giants two starting tackles, and Glowinski is trending toward starting at right guard again. The joint practices in Detroit also revealed Schmitz at center, and Bredeson at left guard, which is the most likely interior lineup to start 2023.

Schmitz was by far the most impressive Giants offensive lineman on Friday. The center logged 19 pass-blocking snaps and did not allow pressure. He also picked up his progressions very well, which was great to see.

Peart played 32 snaps and allowed just one pressure, which should help his chances to make the team as the swing tackle. According to PFF, Wyatt Davis recorded an unfathomably bad 21.2 pass-blocking grade, and Korey Cunningham's, 17.4, was somehow even worse. Those two won't sniff the Giants 53 and shouldn't even be wearing Blue after the performance.

NY Giants tight ends

In: Darren Waller, Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager, Tommy Sweeney
Out: Chris Myarick, Ryan Jones,

No Giants defender has yet to be able to stop Waller this summer, and the Lions defenders found it equally problematic. After his strong rookie season, Bellinger is firmly entrenched as the No. 2 tight end, while Cager is locked in as the Giants No. 3.

The real intrigue with the tight end position is whether the Giants will keep four guys. Tommy Sweeney caught a touchdown pass in the Giants preseason opener from fellow Don Bosco Prep Alum DeVito. Sweeney is familiar with Daboll's offense from their time together in Buffalo. Mike Kafka's will likely use a lot of 12-personnel in 2023, so tight end depth will be necessary.

NY Giants defensive line

In: Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, A'Shawn Robinson, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Jordon Riley, DJ Davidson
Out: Ryder Anderson, Kobe Smith, Brandin Bryant, Kevin Atkins

Lawrence and Williams are monstrous humans poised to destroy interior offensive lines all season. Robinson and Nunez-Roches add quality depth to the defensive line room, raising the D-line's ceiling to the best D-line in football.

Riley was among the biggest winners from the Giants joint practices in Michigan. He stood out during the practices and then flashed during Friday's loss. Riley, Big Blue's seventh-round pick in 2023, is a huge dude (6-5, 325 pounds). Despite being a rookie, Riley is the same age as Lawrence (25), which is part of the reason the Oregon product fell to round seven. Davidson was recently activated off the PUP list and should be a roster lock, as he was a 2022 fifth-rounder.

NY Giants outside linebackers

In: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Azeez Ojulari, Jihad Ward, Tomon Fox
Out: Oshane Ximines, Habakkuk Baldonado, Tashawn Bowser

None of that top three players on the Giants outside linebacker depth chart played on Friday (Thibodeaux, Ojulari, and Ward). That created a huge opportunity for Fox, Ximines, Baldonado, and Bowser to prove their worth.

No player stepped up more than Fox. Fox showed an incredible burst off the edge on the game's first play and hit Lions QB Nate Sudfeld, which led to an easy Jason Pinnock interception. Fox made the roster last summer with a huge forced fumble hit stick to end a preseason game and may have stolen a spot with another huge hit.

Ximines really disappointed, failing to set the edge on the run on numerous plays. Ximines recorded the worst PFF grade amongst the four OLBs who suited up for Big Blue. Baldonado made his presence known, recording a sack and two tackles. Bowser is one to watch for the rest of the summer, as he quietly recorded four tackles (tied for most on the team), one batted ball, and two hurries.

NY Giants inside linebackers

In: Bobby Okereke, Darrian Beavers, Micah McFadden, Cam Brown
Out: Carter Coughlin, Dyontae Johnson, Troy Brown

Okereke did not play in the preseason opener and has flown under the radar this summer, but he is poised to be one of the Giants defense leaders this fall. It appears McFadden has jumped over Beavers on the depth chart.

McFadden wore the green dot during Friday's loss, indicating that the coaching staff trusts him seriously. In contrast, Beavers did not play. Brown will make the team as he is a special teams star. Coughlin flew around the field and showed that he has ILB value.

Dyontae Johnson may have the best chance to make the Giants roster among undrafted free agents. The Toledo product played 35 snaps, recording four tackles, one pressure, and one hurry. PFF gave him a starter-quality grade in total defense, run defense, tackling, coverage, and pass rushing.

NY Giants cornerbacks

In: Adoree' Jackson, Deonte Banks, Cordale Flott, Tre Hawkins III, Darnay Holmes Out: Aaron Robinson (PUP), Amani Oruwariye, Zyon Gilbert, Germon Green, Rodarius Williams, Alex Cook, Darren Evans

Jackson did not play Friday. We saw plenty of youngsters. Hawkins has been the talk of Giants training camp but had an up-and-down opener. The sixth-round pick in April's draft allowed four of his six targets to be caught, though the four receptions went for only 30 yards. Flott played just 10 snaps and left early due to an abdominal injury, but allowed zero catches on two targets.

For the first time this summer, Flott received reps on the outside during Monday's practice. No player deserves praise more than Banks. The first-rounder had a strong week and then capped it off with an incredible performance Friday.

I think Holmes will eventually get cut, but with Robinson still on the PUP list, he cracks the roster for now. The Giants could look to add corner depth after roster trimming starts to happen.

NY Giants safeties

In: Xavier McKinney, Jason Pinnock, Dane Belton, Gervarrius Owens, Dane Belton, Nick McCloud
Out: Alex Cook, Bobby McCain

Pinnock could not have had a better week in Detroit. His performance on Friday night was incredible. The young safety played five snaps, recording a pick on the first play of the game, a tackle for loss on the Giants second defensive play, and a fourth-down pass breakup. The second starting safety job is no longer a competition; Pinnock has won.

If not for the flashy plays of Pinnock, we would be talking about Belton. Belton had a crazy fumble recovery during the joint practices, an interception in Friday's game, and then picked off a locked-in Daniel Jones during Monday's practice. Jones was perfect before the pick. Entering the summer, McCain was the favorite to win the starting job, but with the strong play by the youngsters, there seems to be little reason to keep him rostered.

NY Giants specialists

In: Graham Gano (K), Jamie Gillan (P), Casey Kreiter (LS)
Out: Cameron Lyons (LS)

Gano drilled three field goals Friday, one of which was 47 yards. He is in midseason form. Gillan shot one punt 67 yards Friday but also allowed Maurice Alexander to return the ball 95 yards to the house on the same punt.

READ MORE: 4 NY Giants who have disappeared during training camp