A Very Early New York Giants 53-Man Roster Prediction
New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo smiled when the topic of a depth chart was raised following an OTA workout
“Guys are jockeying for reps right now for when we get to training camp and for when we get to the preseason games,” he said. “We just want guys to take advantage of their opportunities right now. I think it is a little early to be talking depth chart. Those things tend to sort themselves out.”
While McAdoo and the coaching staff are going to use practices and preseason games to help them sort out the roster and the depth chart, they probably have a general idea as to which direction they’re leaning regarding the how the 53-man roster is going to shake out if there are no injuries.
So although it’s very early and there are still probably a couple of spots where players who will factor into the Giants’ plans aren't yet on the roster, let’s take a look at how the 53-man roster might play out.
Quarterbacks
1 of 11
3: Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib and TBD.
Barring injury, Eli Manning and Ryan Nassib are locks for the roster. While there has been some debate as to whether this team might keep a third quarterback, my guess is they will and that the third quarterback isn’t yet on this team.
The reason is quite simple: Nassib is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is in no way a lock to return next year. In fact, it would be a surprise if Nassib eschews the opportunity to compete for a starting job elsewhere in favor of returning as Manning’s understudy.
If the Giants were paying attention to the Dallas Cowboys last year, they would've seen the value of having an experienced backup who really knows the system. Carrying a third quarterback would give that person an opportunity to learn the playbook so that come next year, if Nassib does depart, they would be more ready to step in for Manning should the unthinkable happen.
Running Backs
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5: Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams, Shane Vereen, Orleans Darkwa and Paul Perkins.
I struggled with this position and was initially leaning toward keeping four. However, I chose to go with five and no pure fullback for a reason I’ll explain in the next slide.
So why five running backs? Unless the plan is to appoint a workhorse like they did toward the end of last season, this could be final season for Rashad Jennings, especially if Andre Williams steps up and shows he can be that power runner than Jennings has been since singing for the Giants in 2014.
I don’t know what the team is going to get from Paul Perkins, the rookie who missed most of the OTAs while finishing up his classes.
Historically, when a player has had to miss the majority of the spring, he doesn’t usually catch up in time to make a significant contribution. With running backs who in addition to carrying the ball have to be up to snuff on pass-protection schemes, Perkins—who probably won’t get the bulk of the reps in training camp—is potentially looking at an uphill battle.
Shane Vereen isn’t going anywhere, so it came down to Orleans Darkwa and Bobby Rainey for the fifth running back position.
Although Giants offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan praised Rainey, saying he “is a young man to keep an eye on” and that Rainey “has done a lot of good things both from a running standpoint: he has good vision, good acceleration and he’s an excellent receiver,” statistically speaking, Darkwa appears to be the better runner who is going to pick up more yards after contact.
Per Pro Football Focus, Darkwa has never averaged less than 2.7 yards after contact in his career, while the best Rainey has done in that same category was average 2.8 yards after contact as a rookie.
More importantly, Darkwa’s career average of 3.9 yards per carry and 9.9 yards per reception tops Rainey’s career averages (4.0 rushing and 7.4 receiving). Darkwa has also done a better job with ball security in his limited snaps, posting zero fumbles as both a receiver and runner.
Tight Ends
3 of 11
4: Will Tye, Matt LaCosse, Jerell Adams, Will Johnson.
Since I don’t think the Giants are going to keep a pure fullback—in this case, Nikita Whitlock—I believe there will be room for four tight ends, with Will Johnson serving as that fullback/tight end.
I debated whether to include Larry Donnell on this list. Donnell was fully cleared to return after a neck injury that back in April he revealed was a cracked bone.
However, given the Giants' history of dealing with players who had neck injuries—Antonio Pierce, David Wilson and Jameel McClain all come to mind (Mathias Kiwanuka was the exception)—it would not be inconceivable that Donnell is shut down again if he suffers a stinger at some point in camp.
Given how Donnell struggles to get low and tends to allow himself to be flipped around when tackled, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a concern that the next wrong hit he takes might just be his last one.
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Receivers
4 of 11
6: Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, Sterling Shepard, Dwayne Harris, Geremy Davis and Roger Lewis.
For the second year in a row, I think the Giants are going to have to carry an extra receiver thanks to Victor Cruz’s situation. While Cruz seems to be in a much better place in his second rehab, all the progress he showed this spring was done without pads and against air, so it's pretty much the same situation as last year.
It’s unknown just what the Giants are going to get from Cruz, whom they might slowly introduce back into the lineup.
The other reason why they’ll probably try to keep a sixth receiver is because of the way Sterling Shepard plays the game. Shepard is a tough receiver who isn’t afraid to go over the middle.
However, in going over the middle, that leaves him susceptible to some big hits. The more playmakers the Giants can carry at this position the better—even if one ends up not dressing every week.
Offensive Line
5 of 11
9: Justin Pugh, John Jerry, Weston Richburg, Ereck Flowers, Marshall Newhouse, Bobby Hart, Adam Gettis, Shane McDermott and TBD.
The Giants like their offensive linemen to be versatile, and the final makeup at this position should reflect that.
Let’s first talk about right tackle. I firmly believe the starting right tackle isn’t on the roster yet. Whether it’s Jake Long, Eugene Monroe or a veteran who is on another roster, there is no doubt in my mind that the Giants are going to bring in another offensive tackle, which would vastly improve their depth at the position.
Looking at the rest of the death, I get the sense that Bobby Hart is still another year away from being ready to start. John Jerry has looked good in the spring after not playing that poorly last year in pass protection.
Jerry told me he worked at LeCharles Bentley’s O-Line Performance center, so there is reason to be optimistic that his run blocking has improved.
Shane McDermott has been an interesting player this spring. He's has worked at just about every position on the offensive line, getting a few snaps with the starting unit at guard. He just might be someone to keep an eye on as a dark-horse candidate to make this team.
The same can be said of Adam Gettis, who was mostly on the practice squad last year before the Oakland Raiders snapped him up. Gettis ended up on the Raiders’ practice squad and the Giants, who were going through injuries, signed him to their 53-man roster.
Gettis can provide depth at guard and tackle. As can Hart. McDermott seems better suited as a guard/center backup, while Newhouse projects to be the swing tackle if the Giants can find a starter between now and the end of the summer.
Defensive End
6 of 11
5: Jason Pierre-Paul, Olivier Vernon, Owa Odighizuwa, Kerry Wynn and Ishaq Williams.
The defensive end competition probably won’t get much of a high billing this summer, but it’s one of the most interesting position battles to watch.
The first three spots should be set with Jason Pierre-Paul, Olivier Vernon and Owa Odighizuwa. After that, the field appears to be wide open as the coaches determine wheter they will keep four ends and five defensive tackles or five ends and four tackles.
I believe it will be the latter. Already defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has been trying Pierre-Paul at defensive tackle in various pass-rushing packages, a move that would obviously enable him to get either Odighizuwa or another pass-rusher onto the field in an updated Four Aces package.
The real competition, assuming the Giants keep five at this spot, is who gets the last two spots. Kerry Wynn has always been a solid run defender, though last year his production trailed off slightly. Still, with an emphasis on stopping the run on first down, a player of Wynn’s skill set is worth keeping around.
The fifth spot will probably come down to a pair of undrafted rookies, Ishaq Williams and Romeo Okwara. Of the two, Williams looked more active as a pass-rusher during the spring.
The real test, of course, will come when the pads go on and the coaches get a chance to see how well Williams and Okwara do against the run.
Defensive Tackles
7 of 11
4: Damon Harrison, Johnathan Hankins, Jay Bromley and Louis Nix.
If the Giants are keeping five defensive ends, they will go with four defensive tackles, with the fourth spot the one that’s up for grabs behind projected starters Damon Harrison and Johnathan Hankins and rotational guy Jay Bromley.
Montori Hughes, who saw snaps at the end of last year, has been sidelined all spring with an undisclosed injury. That leaves Louis Nix, a player who bounced on and off the practice squad at the start of the season, as the potential fourth defensive tackle if he can build on the foundation established in this scheme last year.
Linebackers
8 of 11
6: Devon Kennard, J.T. Thomas, Jonathan Casillas, Jasper Brinkley, Keenan Robinson and B.J. Goodson.
On paper, the Giants linebacker unit doesn’t look any more impressive than the group from last year.
However, if they can somehow get Keenan Robinson, Devon Kennard and J.T. Thomas to stay healthy, as well as get rapid development out of fourth-round pick B.J. Goodson, this corps would then offer an upgrade in terms of versatility and talent.
The big question with this group is who starts in the middle. The incumbent is Jasper Brinkley, who finished as the starter last year. With a strong camp, Robinson could unseat him from that role.
The other concern is with Kennard, who can play that pass-rushing outside linebacker role when he’s on the field.
In his first two seasons, Kennard missed chunks of time through injuries; after each of those two seasons, he claimed to have made alterations to his training regimen. Will the third time be a charm for him?
Remember, most of his injuries were of the soft-tissue variety (hamstring), so perhaps the change in strength and conditioning coaches might be a help.
If this unit does stay healthy, I expect this will be the end of the line for Mark Herzlich. The 28-year-old has been one of the most solid locker-room leaders on the team and a strong special teams participant.
Unfortunately, when given chances to nail down a starting job, he just hasn’t had the athletic ability to do it.
It wouldn’t be surprising if B.J. Goodson, the rookie, takes over all of Herzlich’s previous roles, including backing up the strong side and special teams.
Safeties
9 of 11
4: Landon Collins, Darian Thompson, Nat Berhe and Bennett Jackson.
Landon Collins is firmly in place as the starting strong-side safety, and it looks as though rookie Darian Thompson has jumped out ahead in his battle with Nat Berhe for the starting free safety spot.
Berhe, meanwhile, offers intrigue as a Deon Grant type of player, a guy who maybe could play the pseudo-linebacker spot in the big nickel if Spagnuolo decides to revive that package.
Bennett Jackson, meanwhile, is assignment true and hungry. Given his versatility—he came in as a cornerback before converting to safety last spring—and his penchant for special teams, he would appear to be much too valuable to cut.
One other guy not listed as part of the four is Cooper Taylor, whose issue has been his inability to stay healthy. This spring was no different, as he missed the entire program because of a sports hernia injury.
Taylor has a rare combination of size and quickness, but the consistent injuries that have cut into his development time are a big reason why the team has since added Berhe, Mykkele Thompson and, most recently, Thompson to the safeties room.
Cornerbacks
10 of 11
4: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Janoris Jenkins, Eli Apple and Trevin Wade.
Normally, the Giants go with five cornerbacks. However, as noted on the safeties slide, if they keep Jackson, they have a swing man who can play safety and cornerback.
I’m still not 100 percent convinced the Giants have a natural slot cornerback on the roster—and neither is Spagnuolo.
“We are trying to find that out right now," the defensive co-ordinator told reporters. “We have played a lot of guys in there in the OTAs. Let’s find out which guy plays best in there and then go from there because we know they can all pretty much play outside.”
The fact the Giants tried to sign a slot cornerback—Jordan Raanan of NJ Advance Media and Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News respectively linked Leon Hall and Jerraud Powers with the team—would seem to indicate that they’re looking to upgrade that position.
Where that might leave Eli Apple, the first-round pick who was thought to be destined to play the slot, remains to be seen—a best guess is he’ll alternate with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
Specialists
11 of 11
3: Josh Brown (kicker), Brad Wing (punter) and Zak DeOssie (long snapper).
With Zak DeOssie fully recovered from last year's season-ending wrist surgery and Josh Brown re-signed, the Giants’ kicking battery will be back together again for a second season.
Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.
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