Giants 53-Man Roster Projection: Who's In & Who's Out

The summer has flown by, and the 2025 preseason is now in the rearview window. Up next on the NFL schedule is cutdown day, the day in which all 32 NFL teams need to cut down their rosters to 53 players, making it one of the toughest days for management, coaching staffs, and players around the league.

This will be my second year projecting the Giants' 53-man roster and boy, do they have some choices to make. The roster has undergone a makeover since my 2024 projection almost a year ago to the day, and I believe Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll have the toughest cut down on their hands since they took over in 2022. That is certainly not a bad thing, as that shows how far the Giants have come in stockpiling talent and depth heading into the season.

With that, I present to you my 53-man roster projection for the 2025 New York Giants.

The Offense (26)

Quarterback:

• Russell Wilson, Jaxson Dart, Jameis Winston (3)

  • What a difference a year makes. The quarterback room has completely turned over compared to last year and finally feels like a strength for this team. Wilson will begin as the starter with Dart as the backup and eventual replacement for 2026. Winston is a leader, veteran voice, and solid depth piece on a cheap 2-year, $8 million deal. Tommy DeVito is unfortunately left off in this scenario and I think he will be claimed by another team in need of an experienced back-up.

Running back:

• Tyrone Tracy Jr., Cam Skattebo, Devin Singletary, Dante "Turbo" Miller (4)

  • I believe the Giants keep four running backs, with a heavy workload distributed amongst Tracy Jr. and Skattebo. That is a potentially scary duo, one that gives me Ahmad Bradshaw/Brandon Jacobs vibes. Singletary may get some goal line carries here and there, while I kept Miller on because of his impressive preseason, speed (hence the turbo nickname), and ability to play special teams.

Tight End:

• Theo Johnson, Greg Dulcich, Chris Manhertz (3)

  • Johnson is TE1 and should get a bulk of the reps in his sophomore season. I left Daniel Bellinger and Thomas Fidone II off, as I think the Giants may get Bellinger's contract off the books and will look to stash Fidone II on the practice squad. This is a super tough call and can go many different ways, but I think Dulcich's solid preseason coupled with Manhertz's blocking ability gives them the edge to make the roster.

Wide Receiver:

• Malik Nabers, Wan'Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Beaux Collins (6)

  • The top three in Nabers, Robinson, and Slayton carry over from 2024, and I expect them to see most of the volume in 2025. Hyatt is a mystery but given it's year three and he's still young, I think the Giants give him one more shot. Collins had drop problems in the preseason, but I see this guy as one that can be an impact player (sort of like a Victor Cruz) if they develop him the right way. Smith-Marsette just edges out Gunner Olszewski as the punt and kick returner and primary slot WR backup.

Offensive Line:

• Andrew Thomas, Jermaine Eluemunor, Jon Runyan, John Michael Schmitz Jr., Greg Van Roten, Evan Neal, James Hudson III, Marcus Mbow, Joshua Ezeudu, Austin Schlotmann (10)

  • The starting five roll over from last year, which is something the Giants have not had on their offensive line in what feels like forever. Mbow is looking like a steal early on and could possibly be the next man up down the line this season. I kept Neal as I think they will want the depth at guard and his ability to run block is a strength at the position. Ezeudu and Schlotmann are toss ups and the back end of the offensive line group could be expendable.

The Defense + Special Teams (27)

Defensive Line:

• Dexter Lawrence II, Rakeem Nunez-Roches Sr., Darius Alexander, Roy Robertson-Harris, D.J. Davidson, Elijah Chatman (6)

  • I had the Giants keeping five defensive linemen in last year's projection. I think this year, they add one more to the group. They need as much depth as they can get at the position given their inability to stop the run over the last couple years. They drafted Alexander to be a force in the middle, and although he had a rough preseason, there is promise in him becoming a guy they can turn to for production up front. Lawrence II and Nunez-Roches will anchor up front once again, and can hopefully clog some gaps while defending the run. Robertson-Harris should add some solid run-stuffing ability after the Giants signed him to a 2-year, $9M contract his past offseason.

Edge/Outside Linebackers:

• Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Abdul Carter, Chauncey Golston (4)

  • All eyes are on Carter to be a sensation for this team. This positional group is deep and should be the backbone of the defense. Expect a lot of pressures and sacks after the group generated over 65% of the Giants' sacks in 2024. Golston is also a really good piece, and although he's got the other three in front of him, can jump in and be a force when needed. He's only 27 and had 5.5 sacks with the Cowboys a year ago.

Inside Linebackers:

• Bobby Okereke, Micah McFadden, Darius Muasau, Chris Board (4)

  • Okereke and McFadden are back for another year as the starting inside linebackers, hopefully looking to put 2024 in the rearview. McFadden is super young and has proven his worth as a starting linebacker on this team. This will be a defining year for Okereke's future with the team, so I expect to see Muasau peppered in here and there as the Giants give him opportunities to prove his worth. This positional group is one that needs depth, so I kept Board, given he is a veteran and experienced special-teamer.

Safeties:

• Jevon Holland, Tyler Nubin, Dane Belton, Raheem Layne (4)

  • Holland and Nubin have the chance to be one of the best safety duos in the league after the Giants signed Holland this past offseason. Belton has shown flashes and will rotate in here and there, but he will most likely spend a lot of time on special teams. I decided to keep four safeties, as I believe they will want some depth at the position and like having another veteran presence in Layne available.

Cornerbacks:

• Paulson Adebo, Deonte Banks, Cor'Dale Flott, Dru Phillips, Tre Hawkins III, Art Green (6)

  • Aside from Adebo, this group is young and unproven. I kept six, given they'll need some depth this year. Banks and Flott are competing for the CB2 spot opposite Adebo, while Phillips will look to carry over his strong rookie season with another leap in his sophomore year. Hawkins III and Green will provide depth and possibly some special teams value.

Special Teams:

• Graham Gano, Casey Kreiter, Jamie Gillan (3)

  • These three carry over from last year. Gano is now healthy and should be back to booming 50-yarders through the yellow posts.

Practice Squad (Not counted on 53 man roster):

• Tommy DeVito, Thomas Fidone II, Jake Kubas, Tomon Fox, Jimmy Morrissey, Aaron Stinnie, Makari Paige, Dalen Cambre, Jordon Riley, Trace Ford, Korie Black, Nic Jones, Jonathan Ward (13)

  • I'm keeping 13 guys out of the max 16 spots available on the practice squad. I don't think DeVito makes it back around to the Giants, but I'm going to keep him here anyway just in case. Fidone II is a guy to watch that has the chance to be a nice complement to Theo Johnson down the line if he stays healthy. Trace Ford looked great in the preseason off the edge, and if any injuries were to occur to the edge/outside linebackers room, I'd expect him to be the first one called up.

Final Thoughts

I think this team is going to be much better than the 2024 squad, regardless of strength of schedule. There is a lot more talent and veteran leadership mixed with young guys looking to make an immediate impact.

Like I said in the beginning, this is going to be one of the hardest cut down days that Schoen and Daboll have been part of throughout their tenure with the Giants. A lot of great players are going to make it, while others will unfortunately be faced with the harsh reality of cut day.

Overall, there is a lot to like about where the roster is headed, and don't be surprised if this team makes some noise against quality opponents this season.