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The New York Giants roster is mostly set at this point in the NFL offseason. Now, the next time we truly see the 2023 squad will be at Giants training camp when players start fighting for playing time and roster spots. After the Giants’ 2023 NFL draft, there are several Giants rookies who will push veterans for playing time and starting roles. First-round pick, cornerback Deonte Banks, is one of those players, but there are several more as well.
Eric Gray vs. Matt Breida
The starting running back on the Giants' roster is Saquon Barkley, as long as he plays this season. He is currently on the franchise tag and has until July 17 to work out a long-term deal with the club.
If no deal comes, Barkley could sit out the season, although he will likely play either way. No matter what happens with Barkley, the next running back spot on the depth chart will be an interesting battle to watch in Giants training camp.
Matt Breida is a six-year NFL veteran who spent the last two years with Brian Daboll in New York and Buffalo. He is a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none back who is a solid backup in the league.
However, the Giants took a more dynamic young back who could slip into the RB2 spot or even become the starter if Barkley gets hurt or sits out. That player is former Oklahoma RB Eric Gray.
Gray is well-rounded and dynamic. The fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is fast, crafty, and has excellent hands. If he can pick up the nuances of the NFL game quickly, he can not only be a capable backup who splits time with Barkley, he could make the Pro Bowl back expendable and become the Giants’ RB1 of the future.
Jalin Hyatt vs. Darius Slayton
The Giants got lucky in the NFL draft as one of the players they were considering in the second round, Tennessee wideout Jalin Hyatt, slipped into round three where New York scooped him up.
Hyatt is a speed-burner who will stretch the defense and give Daniel Jones, Barkley, and the rest of the WR corps more room to operate underneath. The former Volunteer will get on the field in some capacity right away if he has a decent Giants training camp. But if he has a good one, he could quickly become a starter.
That’s bad news for veteran Darius Slayton.
Slayton returns in 2023 for his fifth season with Big Blue. Last season he has 46 catches or 724 yards and two touchdowns, which is just about what he’s done every year in the league. If a big-play WR like Hyatt shows he’s ready for prime time, that could push Slayton to the bench.
Right now, Isaiah Hodgins is the No. 1 wideout after last season, and free-agent acquisition Parris Campbell will be WR2. Hyatt could challenge these two for their spots as well, but it will likely be Slayton pushed down the depth chart no matter where Hyatt ends up in the pecking order.
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Deonte Banks vs. Cordale Flott
The Giants’ first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks. The former Terp is a big (6 foot, 197 pounds), athletic boundary CB who will likely become a starter at the position opposite Adoree’ Jackson.
That is bad news for 2022 third-round pick Cordale Flott. The former LSU CB started six out of 11 games as a rookie and had two passes defended and no interceptions. Banks jumping him on the Giants’ roster could push him way down the depth chart.
Darnay Holmes and Nick McCloud will likely split the slot corner and backup corner roles, while another rookie, Tre Hawkins III from Old Dominion could push Flott as well for time.
With rookies and more productive CBs all around him, Flott could be the odd man out in Giants training camp now that Deonte Banks is here.
John Michael Schmitz vs. J.C. Hassenauer
Like with Cordale Flott and Deonte Banks, second-round pick John Michael Schmitz will be the Week 1 starting center for the Giants if all goes according to plan. Schmitz was one of the top centers in the draft and looks like an NFL-ready player already.
This means offseason free-agent signing J.C. Hassenauer will have to fight tooth and nail for his Giants roster spot in training camp. Hassenauer started just seven of his 45 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers in his career, but when he signed with the G Men, he was the only true center on the roster.
At Giants training camp, if Schmitz is as good as advertised, the team may roll the dice and just keep guard Ben Bredeson as the backup center (which he’s played in the past) and cut Hassenauer in favor of players with more positional flexibility.
