The New York Giants are unlikely to play their starters on Friday night against the New York Jets, the designated home team, at MetLife Stadium. Any veterans who do appear should see only a handful of snaps.
That still makes this the last dress rehearsal before Sunday’s 53-man cutdown, and a handful of players can still change how the front office sees them.
Here are five Giants with the most to gain in the preseason finale.
WR Odell Beckham Jr.
This is Beckham’s last chance to make a big play, or several of them, before the roster is set. He has consistently gotten open even when the ball has not come his way, but he dropped a Jameis Winston touchdown pass last week against Miami.
Assistant general manager Brandon Brown recently pointed to the parts of Beckham’s game
that do not show up in the target column.
“Something that goes unseen with Odell is the way he’s able to uncover even when he’s not targeted,” Brown said. “He still has enough separation and route nuance and knows how to tempo in and out of his speeds to create leverage against the corners.”
Brown added that sports science data supports the idea that Beckham still has “juice in his legs.”
A clean, decisive night would give those comments a final piece of live evidence.
K Ben Sauls
Sauls remains behind Dominic Zvada and is unlikely to win the kicking job on the strength of camp alone. Zvada has been the more consistent and longer-legged option throughout the summer. A strong, pressure-packed night against the Jets would not erase that gap, but it could reopen the conversation if Zvada wobbles or if Sauls converts from distance in a game setting.
Accuracy under stadium lights is the one remaining argument Sauls can still make.
RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Tracy is still likely to make the 53-man roster, but the ground under him is less steady than it was two weeks ago. He missed an assignment in the preseason opener that left Jaxson Dart exposed to a heavy hit, then lost an untouched fumble in the red zone against Miami.
The arrival of Najee Harris added another proven back to a room that already includes Cam Skattebo and Devin Singletary. Tracy also dropped on this week’s unofficial depth chart.
A clean night as a runner, receiver, and pass protector may not restore him to co-starter status, but it would stop the slide.
LB Darius Muasau
Muasau is locked in a late fight with Zaire Barnes for what is expected to be one of the final linebacker spots. They have been neck-and-neck, though most around the team view Barnes as slightly ahead because of his work on special teams.
Muasau has starting experience from the past two seasons, but that no longer carries the same weight with Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese in place. Coverage units, tackles in space, and clean assignments on third and fourth downs will matter more Friday than anything he does on defense.
OL Evan Neal
Neal has played well in the first two preseason games, yet this may still be the end of his Giants career. He sits firmly on the bubble even after the trades of Joshua Ezeudu and Daniel Faalele improved his odds. He is competing with Aaron Stinnie, a sound veteran, and Jake Kubas, who has also held his own this summer.
Versatility inside and a mistake-free night would be the simplest way for Neal to argue that the former first-round pick still belongs on the initial 53.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: 5 New York Giants with most to gain vs. New York Jets
