Giants Players Who Need Impressive Camp to Avoid Being Cut

The New York Giants are eying a rebuilding season in 2022. While finishing above .500 for the first time since 2016 would be a tremendous achievement, it's not the ultimate goal.

The Giants have a new head coach in Brian Daboll, a new general manager in Joe Schoen and could soon move on from quarterback Daniel Jones. This season will be about incremental improvement and evaluating the roster for the future.

That roster will enter training camp with a maximum of 90 players. By August 30, it will be trimmed to 53. While Daboll, Schoen and Co. will spend the next several weeks looking for pieces who best fit in 2022 and beyond, several Giants will simply be scrapping to make the regular-season roster.

Here, we'll highlight three players who must truly shine in training camp to make the final cut. We'll examine both why they face long odds and how they could help New York this season if they manage to stick.

Let's dive in.

Gary Brightwell, RB

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CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 22: Running back Gary Brightwell #37 of the New York Giants runs for a gain during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on August 22, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns defeated the Giants 17-13. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Given the injury history of starting tailback Saquon Barkley, the Giants would be well-served to keep a fair bit of running-back depth on their roster this season. That's a positive for 2021 sixth-round draft pick Gary Brightwell.

Fans didn't see a ton of Brightwell in 2021, as the Arizona product played just 12 offensive snaps and eventually landed on injured reserve with a neck injury. He did contribute on special teams and could provide value in that role and as a depth player in 2022, however.

The problem is that special-teams ability may not be enough to earn Brightwell a roster spot. New York brought in veteran Matt Breida this offseason and signed Jashaun Corbin as an undrafted free agent.

Corbin flashed plenty of offensive upside at Florida State, finishing the 2021 season with 887 rushing yards, 144 receiving yards and eight combined touchdowns. Further complicating matters is the fact that Barkley could be ready to resume an every-down role.

"Saquon Barkley looked fresh upon his return, saying he feels like he can 'trust' his knee again and 'not think about it,'" Dan Salomone of the team's official website wrote during minicamp.

New York may not be inclined to carry four or more backs if Barkley can handle 300-plus touches as he did as a rookie. Unless Brightwell proves invaluable as a special-teamer or cleanly outperforms Corbin in camp, he could be the odd man out.

Darius Slayton, WR

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 28: Darius Slayton #86 of the New York Giants warms up before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium on November 28, 2021 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

For fourth-year wideout Darius Slayton, it's going to be all about the numbers—and the Giants have numbers at the receiver position after using a second-round pick on Wan'Dale Robinson.

One can certainly question the quality of New York's receiving corps, but the Giants have several bodies at the position, including Slayton, Robinson, Kenny Golladay, Richie James, C.J. Board and 2021 first-round pick Kadarius Toney.

Slayton's individual numbers also play a factor here. He saw his snap count drop from 877 in 2020 to 536 last season and his receiving yards dip from 751 to 339. Slayton can provide value as a complementary receiver, but his role appears to be on the decline.

The other number New York will consider is Slayton's 2022 cap hit of $2.5 million. Only $58,497 of that is guaranteed. The Giants can save a considerable amount by cutting him.

Dan Duggan of The Athletic reported in April that New York was "shopping" Slayton. No trade has materialized yet, but that in no way means that the 25-year-old is guaranteed a roster spot.

If Slayton is going to earn a roster spot—and that $2.6 million—he'll have to prove that he deserves to be one of the top three or four receivers in Giants camp.

Jihad Ward, Edge

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 10: Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Jihad Ward (6) reacts after a play during the game between the Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 10, 2021 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Pass-rushing depth is always valuable, which is why free-agent addition Jihad Ward can help the Giants if he makes the final 53. With the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, he tallied two sacks and 12 quarterback pressures to go with 32 tackles.

However, Ward will have to really stand out in training camp to make the regular-season roster. The Giants now have multiple pass-rushing options after using a first-round selection on Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Between Thibodeaux, Leonard Williams and Azeez Ojulari, New York already have a strong foundation for its pass rush.

The challenge for Ward will be proving that he has enough value as an ancillary pass-rushing piece while providing additional value against the run. He'll need to show more than he did with the Jags last season for that to be the case.

Ward played just 41 percent of the defensive snaps in 2021 and was credited with six missed tackles and a 15.8 percent miss rate. If Ward doesn't show more consistency in camp, he'll be a cut candidate because of his contract.

Playing on a one-year deal, Ward is set to carry a cap hit of $1.047 million this season with only $137,500 guaranteed. This means that if Ward doesn't appear poised to be a reliable commodity, New York can save $910,000 by cutting ties.

*Contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.