5 New York Giants Who Could Surprise This Summer

With the New York Giants almost finished with their spring program—they have their mandatory minicamp next week—the excitement among fans continues to build as to how the final roster might look.

Truthfully, a clear picture of the 53-man roster is still a long way off. Factors such as injuries will play a big role in who stays and who goes.

So too will performance—which makes any final judgments based on practices with no pads and no contact premature.

With all that said, there are a few clues based on the talent (or lack thereof) at certain positions, as well as the growing number of reps certain players have received since the start of OTAs that suggest these players are ones to watch come training camp.

Who are they? Let’s have a look.

TE Matt LaCosse

Mel Evans/Associated Press

After a strange and no doubt stressful odyssey that began last summer, the future sure does look bright for first-year tight end Matt LaCosse.

LaCosse was a premium undrafted free-agent signing last year out of Illinois. After impressing in OTAs and minicamp last year, he came to training camp and immediately suffered a hamstring injury.

Big Blue waived LaCosse with an injury settlement, and after a “blink and you’ll miss it” stay on the Jets roster, he rejoined the Giants at the end of last season.

These days, LaCosse is healthy and has been turning some heads with his skill set and grasp of the playbook. In fact, during OTAs Nos. 4 and 7, both of which were open to the media, LaCosse received a healthy dose of snaps with the first-team offense.

At 6’5” and 261 pounds, LaCosse is an interesting prospect. Although there is no live blocking in the spring, tight ends coach Kevin M. Gilbride praised him during blocking drills against a sled.

Further, LaCosse looked surprisingly smooth as a receiver, lining up in different positions within the offense. 

With Larry Donnell, who is coming off a season-ending neck injury, not a lock to make the roster, LaCosse could well find himself on the 53-man roster if he stays healthy.

DE Ishaq Williams

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

The Giants appear set at three defensive end spots. Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon are the starters, and Owa Odighizuwa is projected as the third man in the rotation.

Beyond that, the fourth spot is up for grabs from a group that includes incumbent Kerry Wynn and undrafted free agents Romeo Okwara, Mike Rose and Ishaq Williams. 

Williams hails from Brooklyn, New York, and played his college ball at Notre Dame.

While he has primarily worked with the second- and third-string units, he has shown a nice burst and quick step that have enabled him to get into the backfield before his opponent can get out of his stance.

While Wynn right now appears to be in the lead for that fourth spot, he has thus far been a one-dimensional player who has done his best work against the run.

If Williams shows he can play the run as well as he seems to rush the passer, he could end up wrestling away that fourth defensive end spot from Wynn.

WR Roger Lewis

Mel Evans/Associated Press

For the second year in a row, the uncertainty regarding receiver Victor Cruz could force the Giants to carry an extra receiver.

Thus far while Cruz has been off on the side working with a trainer, the three-wideout set has primarily been Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard and Geremy Davis.

With the Giants still unsure what they’ll get from Cruz, it would not be a surprise if they keep those three, Dwayne Harris and a to-be-determined receiver.

That extra wideout could end up being Roger Lewis, an undrafted free agent from Bowling Green who has seen work both in the slot and on the outside. He has done a nice job of separating from defenders.

At 6’0”, 196 pounds, Lewis is a decent-sized target for Eli Manning to target. Of course, he must still prove his value as a downfield blocker and special teamer.

When given his chances, Lewis has been impressive, particularly on those back-shoulder throws that the Giants like to execute.

OL Emmett Cleary

Uncredited/Associated Press

If the Giants plan to keep the status quo on the offensive line—and I don’t think they will—then they better hope that a young player develops quickly at offensive tackle, where the depth right now is paper-thin.

A prospect to keep an eye on at this spot is Emmett Cleary, a 6’7”, 324-pound tackle from Boston College who was with the Giants last year.

When working against the blocking sled, Cleary appears to have improved his strength, which was an issue, according to his NFL.com draft profile.

In addition to tackle, Cleary has seen some snaps with the reserves at guard.

While it’s too soon to make any definitive statements about an offensive lineman until the pads go on, his knowledge of the playbook and what appears to be improved technique and strength from last year could give him an advantage over the others who are trying to latch on as a swing tackle/guard.

S Darian Thompson

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

Darian Thompson, the Giants’ third-round draft pick, has been turning the heads of the coaching staff since the day he arrived for rookie minicamp last month.

In fact, he could become the first third-round draft pick to contribute right out of the chute since defensive end Justin Tuck in 2005. 

The first thing one notices about Thompson is he’s vocal and confident when he’s on the field.

That is a rarity for a rookie in most cases, because first-year players are generally feeling their way around the team and the playbook. In fact, most rookies don’t start to show their true colors until their second year.

Thompson? He told reporters during OTAs that he’s not afraid to make mistakes out there, figuring that OTAs were the place to make mistakes if he had to make them to begin with.

Having already shown a high football IQ in absorbing the playbook and making calls in the secondary, he has earned himself practice reps with the first-team defense, where his primary competition for a starting job is third-year man Nat Berhe.

Want a good example of how in tune Thompson has been with the details?

At OTA No. 7, he came up with a big interception during the two-minute drill and then did something that a lot of rookies don’t usually do, given their excitement over making a big play.

Aware of the time left on the clock, Thompson took a knee rather than risk trying to return the interception and have the ball stripped away. 

“He showed good awareness there,” head coach Ben McAdoo said.

That’s precisely the kind of awareness that is going to continue to endear Thompson to the coaching staff this summer.

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.

Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.