One year after making a surprise trip to the playoffs and winning a postseason game, the New York Giants will hope to contend again in 2023. Key pieces on the Giants’ roster will return next season after Big Blue re-signed quarterback Daniel Jones on a four-year extension and applied the franchise tag to running back Saquon Barkley.
However, New York will have critical decisions to make at other spots on their depth chart, including the offensive line and the secondary. Let’s run through the Giants’ 90-man roster and determine how they’ll get down to 53 players before cutdown day.
Projecting the New York Giants’ 2023 Roster and Depth Chart
Quarterback
- In: Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor
- Out: Tommy DeVito
Taylor will serve as Jones’ backup as he wraps up the two-year, $11 million deal he inked with the Giants last offseason. New York only carried two quarterbacks last year, and there’s no indication they’ll change their stripes in 2023. DeVito appears ticketed for the practice squad unless New York finds another developmental signal-caller it likes better on the waiver wire.
Running Back
- In: Saquon Barkley, Matt Breida, Eric Gray, Gary Brightwell
- Out: JaShaun Corbin
Barkley will almost assuredly play for the Giants in 2023. Although he’s unhappy with the franchise tag, there’s no chance he’ll sit out the season and sacrifice more than $10 million. Barkley may not report until the regular season is near, but he’ll be there.
Breida and Gray are roster locks and would likely serve in a committee in the highly unlikely event that Barkley chooses not to report. Breida will likely enter camp as No. 2 on the depth chart, but Gray could become Barkey’s primary caddy by Week 1. Brightwell has the edge over Corbin after playing more than 60% of New York’s special teams snaps in 2022.
Wide Receiver
- In: Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, Parris Campbell, Jalin Hyatt, Wan’Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard
- Out: Jamison Crowder, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, Collin Johnson, Jaydon Mickens, Kalil Pimpleton, Makai Polk, David Sills, Jeff Smith
If everyone is healthy, the Giants’ top six receivers appear to be set in stone. But injuries are a major question mark. Robinson and Shepard are both coming off torn ACLs and might not be ready for the start of the season. If they’re placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, two more spots would open up on New York’s WR depth chart.
In that scenario, New York would have several intriguing candidates to fill those holes. Crowder offers a ton of experience, but the Giants may already have too many slot receivers. Jeff Smith offers special teams value, while New York guaranteed Bryce Ford-Wheaton $236,000 as an undrafted free agent.
Tight End
- In: Darren Waller, Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager, Tommy Sweeney
- Out: Ryan Jones, Chris Myarick
Waller, whom the Giants acquired from the Raiders in exchange for a third-round pick, was New York’s most significant offseason addition. He’ll become the Giants’ primary receiving tight end while Bellinger handles the dirty work.
New York only kept three TEs last season, but we’re projecting them to roster four in 2023. Cager is the better pass catcher who can spell Waller when needed. Sweeney is a blocking specialist who played under Giants head coach Brian Daboll when both were in Buffalo from 2019-21.
Offensive Line
- In: Andrew Thomas, Ben Bredeson, John Michael Schmitz, Mark Glowinski, Evan Thomas, Joshua Ezeudu, Matt Peart, Tyre Phillips, Shane Lemieux
- Out: Jack Anderson, Korey Cunningham, Wyatt Davis, Devery Hamilton, J.C. Hassenauer, Marcus McKethan
Here’s where the Giants will start having to make some tough decisions. Big Blue knows who its top six offensive linemen will be. Bredeson, Schmitz, and Ezeudu will compete at left guard and center, and the loser of that three-way battle will serve as New York’s top reserve interior lineman.
Peart, Phillips, Lemieux, Hassenauer, and McKethan are likely competing for three spots. Phillips seems like the closest thing to a lock — he played 365 snaps last season and offers guard versatility. Peart has more experience than McKethan, but the latter was actually drafted by New York’s current regime before suffering a torn ACL during last year’s training camp.
Defensive Line
- In: Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, A’Shawn Robinson, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Jordon Riley
- Out: Ryder Anderson, Vernon Butler, D.J. Davidson, Kobe Smith
The Giants might keep six defensive linemen, but given how many snaps Lawrence and Williams can play, we’re rolling with five for now. The only question is whether Riley can beat out Davidson, who is recovering from an ACL injury. We’re going with Riley based on health, but the loser of this competition should pass through waivers and end up on New York’s practice squad.
EDGE
- In: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Azeez Ojulari, Jihad Ward, Oshane Ximines, Tomon Fox
- Out: Habakkuk Baldonado, Elerson Smith
The Giants didn’t sign or draft any new edge rushers over the offseason, so it looks like they’ll bring back their same top five options from 2022. Thibodeauz and Ojulari are the clear-cut starters, while Ward remains a favorite of defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.
New York could theoretically add a free agent pass rusher before the season begins if they’re not satisfied with their depth. But Fox could still make the roster in that scenario thanks to his special teams ability. If the Giants add a veteran edge defender, they could cut a player at a different position and keep six outside ‘backers.
Linebacker
- In: Bobby Okereke, Micah McFadden, Darrian Beavers, Carter Coughlin, Cam Brown
- Out: Troy Brown, Dyontae Johnson, Jarrad Davis
We’re projecting the Giants to make a somewhat surprising decision at linebacker by cutting Davis, who played 70 snaps in New York’s Divisional Round loss to the Eagles. Davis was bouncing on and off practice squads as recently as last season, and there’s a chance the Giants will turn to their young options and hope they can slip Davis back to the taxi squad.
Okereke should be on the field for nearly every snap after inking a four-year, $40 million deal. If Davis gets cut, McFadden and Beavers should compete for a starting role on the inside. Coughlin and Brown aren’t realistic candidates to start, but they tied for the most special teams snaps (398) on the Giants’ roster last year.
Cornerback
- In: Adoree’ Jackson, Deonte Banks, Cor’Dale Flott, Tre Hawkins III, Amani Oruwariye
- Out: Zyon Gilbert, Gemon Green, Darnay Holmes, Leonard Johnson, Aaron Robinson, Rodarius Williams
Jackson and Banks will start on the outside, while Flott should win the slot job over Holmes. In that case, Holmes could be a release candidate — his salary will jump to nearly $3 million in 2023 after he reached the NFL’s proven performance escalator, but none of that total is guaranteed.
Hawkins should make the team as a rookie sixth-rounder, while Oruwariye offers the sort of veteran experience (36 career starts) that the Giants are sorely lacking.
Safety
- In: Xavier McKinney, Jason Pinnock, Bobby McCain, Dane Belton, Nick McCloud
- Out: Alex Cook, Gervarrius Owens, Trenton Thompson
One of the reasons the Giants might feel comfortable cutting Holmes is because they have a plethora of safeties who can also handle the slot. McCain played more than 400 slot snaps for the Commanders last season, while McCloud is a converted corner who can also take inside duties.
McKinney is a surefire starter, but any of the other four safeties projected to make New York’s roster could earn a starting role alongside him. Pinnock, McCain, and Belton are probably close to roster locks, but McCloud will have to fend off Owens, whom the Giants drafted in the seventh round in April.
Specialists
- In: Graham Gano (K), Jamie Gillan (P), Casey Kreiter (LS)
- Out: Cameron Lyons (LS)
No drama here. The Giants won’t force Gano or Gillan to go through training camp battles, and Lyons is unlikely to beat out Kreiter for New York’s long-snapper job.