Dan Graziano, senior NFL national reporter 10y

New York Giants' projected roster

Projecting the New York Giants' 53-man roster after the first week of training camp:

QUARTERBACKS (2)

  • Eli Manning

  • Ryan Nassib

The Giants didn't like carrying three quarterbacks last year. They did so because they drafted Nassib as a fourth-round project with the thought that he wouldn't be active for any games as a rookie. But this year, they've come out and said that Nassib needs to win the No. 2 job. He worked as the clear No. 2 ahead of Curtis Painter in OTAs and minicamp, and I think he'd have to fall flat on his face in order to lose the job. He's looked terrible so far, but so has the rest of the work-in-progress offense. If Manning goes down, the Giants are cooked anyway, whether it's Painter or Nassib behind him. So they might as well keep developing the kid unless he's totally incompetent.

RUNNING BACKS (4)

  • Rashad Jennings

  • David Wilson

  • Peyton Hillis

  • Andre Williams

Five running backs feels like a lot, so Hillis or 2013 seventh-rounder Michael Cox had to go. It's possible the Giants carry five and Williams could start out as this year's Nassib -- a fourth-rounder who's inactive for at least a little while as he gets his feet wet in the NFL with an eye toward a contribution further down the road. If someone gets hurt, Cox or Kendall Gaskins could find his way onto the team.

FULLBACK (1)

  • Henry Hynoski

It's a camp battle between Hynoski and John Conner, but the Giants won't keep both. And they've been lining tight ends up in the backfield enough early in camp that you start to wonder whether they'll keep a fullback at all. If they do, my hunch is that Hynoski has shown enough ability to produce with the ball in his hands that he'll get the edge in Ben McAdoo's new offense ahead of Conner as long as he's healthy.

WIDE RECEIVERS (5)

  • Victor Cruz

  • Rueben Randle

  • Mario Manningham

  • Odell Beckham Jr.

  • Jerrel Jernigan

Trindon Holliday doesn't offer much in the passing game, and it's possible he could get squeezed out if the team decides Beckham, Quintin Demps and either Randle or Jernigan are enough to handle return responsibilities. The Giants signed Holliday before they drafted Beckham, after all. At this point, guys like Corey Washington, Marcus Harris and Preston Parker have shown more than Holliday as receivers, and Parker is another guy they feel they can use on returns.

TIGHT ENDS (4)

  • Adrien Robinson

  • Larry Donnell

  • Kellen Davis

  • Daniel Fells

In spite of the lack of quality experienced options, McAdoo's offense does appear to want to use the tight end a lot. Some Giants fans are hoping an outside name or two can replace some of the ones on this list, but as of now, this is what they have, and they'll hope something decent comes of it. They are eager to see what Robinson can do if he can ever keep himself healthy, and they love what Donnell showed them last year on special teams and think he deserves the reward of an opportunity here.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (9)

  • J.D. Walton

  • Weston Richburg

  • Will Beatty

  • Justin Pugh

  • Charles Brown

  • Geoff Schwartz

  • Brandon Mosley

  • John Jerry

  • Eric Herman

There are injury and health concerns with Beatty and Jerry, but both have been on the field a bit early -- Beatty moreso than the team expected. The Giants signed Brown and Jerry as veteran backups. They like Mosley's upside, and right now he's running with the first team at right guard. He could lose that spot to Jerry or Richburg, but the valuable camp reps will likely make him a useful backup at the very least.

DEFENSIVE LINE (9)

  • Jason Pierre-Paul

  • Mathias Kiwanuka

  • Robert Ayers

  • Markus Kuhn

  • Mike Patterson

  • Johnathan Hankins

  • Jay Bromley

  • Damontre Moore

  • Cullen Jenkins

I thought about undrafted Kelcy Quarles for one of the defensive tackle spots, but the Giants love what they're seeing from Kuhn and Patterson early in camp. Patterson and Jenkins project as starters right now, with Kuhn and Hankins in the rotation behind them.

LINEBACKERS (6)

  • Jon Beason

  • Jameel McClain

  • Spencer Paysinger

  • Jacquian Williams

  • Mark Herzlich

  • Devon Kennard

Kennard's been so good so far that, if they only keep five, you wonder about Paysinger's spot a little it. Williams looks like the starter at the weakside spot, even in the base defense, as long as he can stay healthy. And Kennard is a first-teamer right now on the strong side with McClain manning the middle in place of the injured Beason. Herzlich is on the team for special teams, where he has great value.

CORNERBACKS (5)

  • Prince Amukamara

  • Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

  • Walter Thurmond

  • Zack Bowman

  • Trumaine McBride

It helps the numbers that Jayron Hosley will be suspended for the first four games of the regular season for a drug violation. If he does make the team, the Giants will have to clear a spot for him in Week 5. This group could also swell if the Giants decide they need to keep sixth-round pick Bennett Jackson and/or Charles James for special teams. It's going to be tough to make the Giants' roster as a corner this summer. If one of those guys makes it.

SAFETIES (5)

  • Antrel Rolle

  • Stevie Brown

  • Quintin Demps

  • Cooper Taylor

  • Nat Berhe

It's going to be tricky to get fifth-round pick Berhe on this roster, but the Giants like him enough to make room at the expense of someone like Brewer on the offensive line or Charles James at cornerback.

SPECIALISTS (3)

  • Josh Brown

  • Steve Weatherford

  • Zak DeOssie

The kicker competition is legitimate between Brown and Brandon McManus, and McManus has looked great so far on field goals and kickoffs. I thought about flipping them, but I'll give it another week before making that move. The other two spots here are in stone barring injury.

^ Back to Top ^