A handful of New York Giants players entered Friday night's preseason finale against the New York Jets with the hope of earning one of the final spots on the 53-man roster.
Some players made those choices even more difficult for the likes of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach John Harbaugh. Chiefly among those players Friday night was outside linebacker Trace Ford, who put together an outstanding performance in the preseason finale.
Despite the uphill battle of cracking the roster given the talent already in the room, Ford made it clear he won't go down without a fight.
The second-year undrafted defender finished the night with five tackles (four solo), one sack, two quarterback hits, three tackles for loss and two passes defensed. It was
an impressive showing from the 25-year-old, who earned our Player of the Game honors.
Trace Ford sack! pic.twitter.com/1c9vgfEcxv
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) August 29, 2026
Other Giants who were in consideration for this selection included wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., running backs Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Najee Harris and fourth-year. linebacker Zaire Barnes.
It could be difficult for Ford to make the roster over Chauncey Golston, who may have had the upper hand for the final spot in the edge rusher room entering the finale. With that said, he may have done enough to impress Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.
The Giants have to make their final roster cuts by 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday so we'll know Ford's fate then, but the second-year defender can at least feel strongly that he put together a solid argument for a roster spot.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants vs. New York Jets Player of the Game: LB Trace Ford
