All NFL teams have to cut their active roster down to 53 men by Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
The Giants’ roster will continue to evolve. They’ll have a chance to claim players from other teams’ cuts next Wednesday, and GM Joe Schoen could always upgrade his team with another signing or trade.
For now, though, here is the Daily News’ prediction for the Giants’ initial 53-man roster based on the team that took the field for Thursday night’s preseason finale against the New England Patriots.
Quarterback (3): Russell Wilson, Jaxson Dart (rookie), Jameis Winston
Tommy DeVito gets cut and either returns to the practice squad or chooses to seek employment elsewhere. Either way, this represents a complete facelift of last season’s quarterback room of Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and DeVito.
Running back (4): Tyrone Tracy Jr., Cam Skattebo (rookie), Devin Singletary, Dante Miller
“Turbo” Miller makes the roster due to his playmaking on offense and his ability to chip in as a gunner on special teams. He’s also early season insurance for Skattebo if the rookie takes his time to get fully healthy from a summer hamstring injury. Miller had a strong camp last summer, too, but it was cut short by a hamstring injury of his. This time, he sticks. Eric Gray remains on the physically unable to perform list.
Wide receiver (7): Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, Beaux Collins (rookie), Jalin Hyatt, Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Collins, the rookie from Notre Dame, goes from being undrafted to a roster lock. Bryce Ford-Wheaton’s season-ending torn Achilles removes a receiver from the fold and clears a spot for Miller, the running back, to slide in.
Picking between slot receiver Montrell Washington and Humphrey is tough. The Giants should have competition for Robinson in the slot, but Humphrey offers veteran savvy and run blocking. So Washington, Gunner Olszewski, Dalen Cambre and Juice Wells Jr. all have a chance to end up on the practice squad. Jordan Bly, Zach Pascal and Da’Quan Felton also fall short.
Tight end (4): Theo Johnson, Chris Manhertz, Daniel Bellinger, Thomas Fidone II (rookie)
Greg Dulcich lands on the practice squad behind three Joe Schoen draft picks and the veteran Manhertz.
Offensive tackle (4): Andrew Thomas, Jermaine Eluemunor, James Hudson III, Marcus Mbow (rookie)
Hudson may have to start the Giants’ season opener at left tackle at Washington. Mbow, the fifth-round pick from Purdue, has had an encouraging camp but is still developing. Stone Forsythe and Jaison Williams get released.
Offensive guard (4): Jon Runyan Jr., Greg Van Roten, Evan Neal, Aaron Stinnie
Schoen might cling to his former third-round pick Josh Ezeudu for one more season over versatile center Austin Schlottmann. But the News predicts that Neal’s move from tackle to guard is going to displace Ezeudu for good. That will mean pink slips for Ezeudu, Jake Kubas, Bryan Hudson and Jimmy Morrissey. All have a chance to land on the practice squad.
Center (2): John Michael Schmitz, Austin Schlottmann
Schlottmann has versatility, so he sticks as insurance for Schmitz and as a depth option all the way down the line.
Edge rusher (4): Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Abdul Carter (rookie), Chauncey Golston
The Giants gave Golston $12 million guaranteed in free agency. The former Cowboy seems to have underwhelmed in camp, but they paid him. He has inside-outside flex, and he has a proven track record as a rotational rusher.
One other name to note: edge rusher Victor Dimukeje (torn pectoral muscle in the spring) is not practicing yet, but he is progressing and has a chance to be available later in the season. So the Giants will make a decision here on whether to move him off the non-football injury list or add him to the active/inactive 53 through cut day. They can still activate him off the NFI list during the season, too, if they wish.
Tomon Fox and Trace Ford are the odd men out with the practice squad possibly in their near future.
Defensive tackle (5): Dexter Lawrence, Roy Robertson-Harris, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Darius Alexander (rookie), Elijah Chatman
The Giants seem to like Elijah Garcia, but signing Robertson-Harris and drafting Alexander in the third round squeezes some guys out. The most noteworthy are Schoen draft picks D.J. Davidson and Jordon Riley, as well as Garcia, Jeremiah Ledbetter and Cory Durden. Chatman squeaks onto the roster after showing position flex at fullback on offense, as well. Not that these are final decisions, pending practice squad spots and performance.
Off-ball Linebacker (4): Bobby Okereke, Micah McFadden, Darius Muasau, Chris Board
Board has not made consistent plays on defense, but he fills the special teams linebacker spot vacated by the injured and released Ty Summers. Dyontae Johnson and the rarely available Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles miss out.
Corner (5): Paulson Adebo, Cor’Dale Flott, Deonte Banks, Dru Phillips, Art Green
The five corners are pretty straightforward, topped by the pricey free agent Adebo and bookended by Green, a valuable special teamer who had a strong offseason on defense, too. That leaves Nic Jones, TJ Moore, Dee Williams, O’Donnell Fortune and Schoen draft picks Tre Hawkins and Korie Black on the outside looking in.
Safety (4): Jevon Holland, Tyler Nubin, Dane Belton, Raheem Layne
Layne left Tuesday’s practice early, so veteran K’Von Wallace has a chance here if Layne will be sidelined for any significant time. It feels more likely that the Giants would keep a corner like Jones or Black, though, before they retained Wallace at safety in that case. Makari Paige, an undrafted safety/corner, gets cut and retained on the practice squad in this scenario.
Special teams (3): K Graham Gano, P Jamie Gillan, LS Casey Kreiter
Jude McAtamney waits in the wings as Gano’s successor, but the veteran is not done yet.
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