The New York Giants have set their initial 53-man roster.
The roster will likely change in the next 24 hours as waiver claims can be made until 1 p.m. ET on Monday. The Giants are No. 5 in the claiming order, so they should have an opportunity to add a player or two should they desire.
When practice squads begin being assembled Monday afternoon, you can follow our practice squad tracker.
A couple of quick thoughts:
- Good for Odell Beckham Jr. He earned his roster spot.
- Wide receiver Darius Slayton will make the initial roster after much speculation that he would not.
- Draft picks Jalin Hyatt, Darius Muasau, Evan Neal, and Eric Gray were among the players let go.
- Elijah Campbell made the roster as a special teamer. Dalen Cambre did not.
Quarterback (2)
Jaxson Dart — All the feel-good stories around the Giants with John Harbaugh now running
the show won’t metter if Dart doesn’t take a big step forward in his second season. I think he will.
Jameis Winston — The respect his teammates have for Winston was evidenced by the backup quarterback being named to the team’s Leadership Council. Winston is the type of veteran backup every team would like to have.
One more thought
Will Brandon Allen or Jake Haener stick on the practice squad as QB3, or will the Giants look elsewhere?
Running back (4)
Cam Skattebo — Skattebo has been running over and annoying teammates recently. They will be happy to see him run through somebody else.
Najee Harris — When the Giants signed Harris after their first preseason game, Harbaugh said the veteran running back coming back from a torn Achilles tendon would be ready for Week 1. The 11 carries he got against the Jets would indicate that was on target. The 6-foot-1, 242-pound Harris is a physical back perfect for a Harbaugh team.
Devin Singletary — During training camp, Harbaugh lauded Singletary’s consistency. Singletary isn’t speedy, but doing what you are supposed to do when you are supposed to do it is worth something.
Tyrone Tracy — After a tumultuous summer, the third-year back is still on the roster.
Fullback (1)
Patrick Ricard — Yes, we get to see Skattebo and Harris run behind a 300-pound fullback.
Tight end (4)
Isaiah Likely — Likely emerged as a favorite target for Dart during the summer, especially in gotta have it situations. The Giants need Likely to be a major factor in their passing attack.
Theo Johnson — The 2024 fourth-round pick is probably in the role that suits him best as a pass-catching No. 2 tight end.
Chris Manhertz — The veteran blocking tight end is part of the team’s Leadership Council. His spot was never really in doubt.
Thomas Fidone — Dan Duggan reported Fidone making the roster because “he’s the type of young player they definitely wanted to guard from hitting waivers.” I wasn’t certain the Giants would find room for the second-year player on the roster, but they have. At least for now. It didn’t hurt Fidone that Johnson has been dealing with a shoulder injury.
Wide receiver (5)
Malik Nabers — Nabers remains on track to play in the season-opener against the Dallas Cowboys. How close to his 2024 form will he look?
Darnell Mooney — Maybe the Giants solicited offers for Mooney before the Calvin Austin injury. Maybe they did not. Either way, he is now on the roster and will be counted on to be a play-maker.
Malachi Fields — The rookie third-round pick should have a big role as a receiver this season.
Darius Slayton — After much speculation that Slayton would not make the team, he did. Slayton has been counted out before and produced good numbers for the Giants. Can he do it again?
Odell Beckham Jr. — Cout me as a person who thought the Giants should have steered clear of giving Beckham a chance to make a comeback. Beckham, though, seems different than he was as a young player a decade ago. He earned his spot on the roster by getting on the practice field every day, and showing that he could both get open and still catch the football.
Three more thoughts
- I had a feeling I would be wrong about Cambre making the roster. I do wonder if he gets picked up by someone.
- The Giants are playing roster gymnastics with Braxton Berrios. A vested veteran not subject to waivers, Adam Schefter is reporting that he should be back with the Giants before Week 1.
- Pretty weird to see only five wide receivers on the initial roster, although Berrios is likely coming back.
Offensive line (9)
Andrew Thomas — When he is healthy, Thomas is one of the best left tackles in the NFL. He has had a healthy spring and summer, and has been able to practice every day. That bodes well for his 2026 season.
Jon Runyan Jr. — In the spring, there was conjecture that Runyan could face a challenge for his starting left guard job. That never materialized. Runyan isn’t the mauling guard Harbaugh might prefer, but he is an adequate NFL starter.
John Michael Schmitz — This is a big year for Schmitz. He is an adequate NFL starting center. In the final year of his rookie contract, can he show the Giants he is worth a second contract?
Francis Mauigoa — The No. 10 overall pick was excellent during preseason.
Can he carry that kind of play through the regular season?
Jermaine Eluemunor — A rock-solid pass protector, can the veteran right tackle be a more consistent run blocker in 2026? Harbaugh will demand it.
Marcus Mbow — I have long thought Mbow would be the swing tackle. I do wonder, though, if Mbow would get the nod over J.C. Davis at left tackle if something happened to Thomas.
J.C. Davis — Until a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t believe the rookie sixth-round pick was making the roster. Now, keeping him on the roster was the only choice.
Bryan Hudson — A practice squad member last season, Hudson got the nod over Lucas Patrick as the backup center.
Aaron Stinnie — The veteran guard doesn’t get muh attention. He remains, though, a plug-and-play veteran who can step in if there is an emergency.
Defensive line (6)
D.J. Reader — In his 11th season, the 32-year-old is being counted on to anchor the Giants’ run defense. The Giants need to hope Reader’s two seasons with the Detroit Lions weren’t signs of a decline.
Shelby Harris — Entering his 12th season, the 35-year-old Harris has long been a durable, quality player. He has played more than 500 snaps in four of the past five seasons. Does he still have enough in the tank to be a primary player on the interior of the Giants’ defensive line?
C.J. Okoye — The Giants knew they needed help on the defensive line, and they turned to a player Harbaugh and defensive line coach Dennis Johnson are familiar with to get it. Okoye is a monstrous 6-foot-6, 365-pound player who is still relatively new to the game and should have immense upside at 24 years of age.
Chauncey Golston — The versatile Golston couldn’t find a steady role on the defense a year ago. This summer, he emerged as a base 3-4 defensive end. It is going to be interesting to see how much Golston plays, and how impactful he is.
Darius Alexander — After a preseason where his run defense has been questioned, you have to wonder how High Alexander will be in the pecking order when it comes to playing time.
Bobby Jamison-Travis — Like Fidone, the rookie sixth-round pick probably fits the category of a young player the Giants did not want to risk exposing to waivers.
Off-ball linebacker (5)
Arvell Reese — This young man, the No. 5 overall pick, is going to be a star if he remains healthy.
Tremaine Edmunds — I wasn’t sure that the Giants did the right thing when they signed Edmunds to a three-year, $36 million contract ($23.7 million guaranteed) this offseason. After watching the Reese-Edmunds combination, I feel much better about it.
Micah McFadden — Maybe McFadden is not a perfect every-down starting inside linebacker. He is, though, really good depth.
Jack Kelly — The rookie sixth-round pick is part of the reason Darius Muasau is no longer part of the 53-man roster. He has been impressive.
Zaire Barnes — He played his way on to the roster with an excellent summer. Barnes should be a solid special teams contributor.
Edge (3)
Brian Burns — The leader of the Giants’ defense. No question.
Abdul Carter — The 2025 third overall pick certainly did not leave a good impression last season. This time around, Carter appears primed to have a much different season.
Kayvon Thibodeaux — He might be the third wheel at outside linebacker, but Thibodeaux is still an important piece of the Giants’ defense. Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson will find a lot of creative ways to get him on the field.
One more thought
As I expected, only three pure edge defenders. Golston can play there if needed, and I would guess someone like Trace Ford, Caleb Murphy, or Khalid Kareem joins the practice squad as insurance.
Cornerback (6)
Paulson Adebo — Adebo did not have a great 2025 season. He started slowly this summer, as well, before coming on later in training camp. He is still the most accomplished cornerback on the roster.
Greg Newsome — After a couple of rough seasons, Newsome had a good summer and should be a regular contributor in the secondary.
Deonte Banks — The 2023 first-round pick seemed on the verge of being released and becoming little more than a kickoff returner after last season. Now, he might be a starter.
Colton Hood — The rookie second-round pick has talent, but doesn’t seem ready for full-time duty just yet.
Dru Phillips — Phillips shows a lot of the toughness that Harbaugh loves.
Nic Jones — The former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback steals a spot from Art Green. I didnt see that coming earlier this summer.One more thought
Second-year cornerback Korie Black will begin the season on IR after suffering a groin injury in the preseason finale. I would think we see him on the 53-man roster at some point. Black had a promising summer.
Safety (5)
Jevon Holland — Holland’s roster spot was never in question. The question is whether the veteran safety can make more plays for the Giants than he did a season ago.
Tyler Nubin — Coming off a rough 2025 season, Nubin held off a challenge from Jason Pinnock for his starting job this preseason. He seems to be around the ball, and getting his hands on more passes, than he has been the past couple of seasons.
Ar’Darius Washington — Washington is a versatile backup who can handle every job in the secondary in a pinch.
Jason Pinnock — Pinnock couldn’t wrestle Nubin’s job away, but he is valuable depth and a good special team player. When he gets on the field defensively, he could thrive in Wilson’s aggressive scheme.
Elijah Campbell — In my 53-man roster projection, I left Campbell off. I did, though, say I thought Harbaugh would try to find a way to keep him due to his special teams acumen. By rostering just five wide receivers, Harbaugh and the Giants found that space. At least for now.
Special teams (3)
Jordan Stout (punter) — If you weren’t sure why the Giants made Stout the game’s highest-paid punter, the back-to-back 63- and 81-yard punts Friday against the New York Jets should have given you a clue. Stout will give the Giants an advantage in the punt game most days.
Dominic Zvada (placekicker) — Zvada was a clear choice over Ben Sauls after a phenomenal summer. If he can maintain the consistency he showed during training camp and the preseason, he could be a real weapon. Sauls should land somewhere, and do well.
Ben Mann (long-snapper) — Chuck Mercein’s grandson earned this spot as an undrafted rookie by being rock-solid all spring and summer.
