The Giants will likely add several new players through some combination of waiver claims, free agent signings and trades early next week.
So the 53-man roster they assemble for Tuesday’s 4 p.m. cutdown deadline will not be a final decision for their Week 1 depth chart.
But the trim from 90 to 53 looms following Saturday night’s preseason finale against the Jets.
So the Daily News took a crack at projecting what Brian Daboll’s team will look like when they return to the practice field on Tuesday.
Quarterback (3): Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito
DeVito has not had a strong training camp, but Lock’s oblique and hip injuries — plus DeVito’s local popularity — seem to point to Tommy Cutlets sticking around early on.
Running back (3): Devin Singletary, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Eric Gray
Dante “Turbo” Miller’s hamstring injury slowed his strong camp. Tracy is their short-yardage back after dodging a bullet on his ankle injury. And Gray is a Joe Schoen draft pick with some confidence after making some plays this preseason. If Miller gets cut, he’ll go to the practice squad and wait for an elevation to add a spark whenever the herd gets thinned by injuries.
Wide receiver (7): Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt, Allen Robinson II, Miles Boykin, Isaiah McKenzie
Isaiah Hodgins was a promising Schoen addition in 2022, but he fell out of favor last season and has not stood out in this camp. In this scenario, the savvy vet Robinson sticks, Boykin makes the team as an elite gunner and special teams asset and McKenzie avoids being cut thanks to Gunner Olszewski’s ankle injury.
Olszewski will hang around, though. Teams can place up to two players on injured reserve before Tuesday and still activate them in the regular season. That’s a new rule. Before, players who went on I.R. before cutdown day had to sit out the year. That’s what the Giants will do with their top returner.
Tight end (3): Chris Manhertz, Daniel Bellinger, Theo Johnson
Lawrence Cager could be the second player to go on I.R. who remains in the team’s plans once he’s healthy. Darren Waller’s retirement has this depth chart looking a lot different. If Daboll can get reliable blocking from the TE group, though, that will be a good start. Manhertz is the best of the bunch in that regard.
Fullback (1): Jakob Johnson
The Giants’ recent signing of Johnson seemed like a challenge to or insurance for Bellinger, who has been practicing as both a tight end and fullback.
Offensive tackle (4): Andrew Thomas, Evan Neal, Jermaine Eluemunor, Josh Ezeudu
Ezeudu has versatility and has struggled at tackle, but he is a former Schoen third-round pick. Neal is a former No. 7 overall Schoen pick whose place in the Giants’ 2024 story remains a mystery, too.
Offensive guard (4): Jon Runyan Jr., Greg Van Roten, Aaron Stinnie, Jake Kubas
Schoen 2022 fifth-rounder Marcus McKethan gets shown the door, and in steps the undrafted rookie Kubas from North Dakota State. The other three guards are all free agent signings from this past offseason.
Center (1): John Michael Schmitz
Schoen has to decide whether he is going to keep free agent signing Austin Schlottmann as a backup true center or if he’ll use that roster spot for someone else and count on Van Roten’s and Runyan’s center flex abilities in a pinch.
Edge rusher (4): Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Azeez Ojulari, Boogie Basham
Benton Whitley is an edge and special teamer who sat right on the bubble entering Saturday night’s finale. If he makes it, that would knock one of the backups out of the picture.
Defensive tackle (5): Dexter Lawrence, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Elijah Chatman, D.J. Davidson, Jordon Riley
Not long ago, Ryder Anderson topped the depth chart alongside Dexter Lawrence at D-tackle. But he’s been waived-injured since with a hamstring, and now Chatman, the undrafted rookie from SMU, is their one hope for creating some depth on the inside.
Linebacker (7): Bobby Okereke, Micah McFadden, Dyontae Johnson, Isaiah Simmons, Matthew Adams, Darius Muasau, Carter Coughlin
Schoen 2022 sixth-round Darrien Beavers gets shown the door as the Giants keep several inside linebackers due to injuries, special teams value and the absence of a well-rounded No. 2 behind Okereke. Johnson and McFadden hopefully will fill that role as a tandem once they’re both healthy. Simmons has been working as a slot corner/linebacker, but he’s more of an inside player blitzer than a corner type in space.
Corner (5): Deonte Banks, Nick McCloud, Cor’Dale Flott, Dru Phillips, Tre Hawkins
This scenario sees Darnay Holmes released and the Giants counting on McCloud and four Schoen draft picks in a secondary that has looked shaky all summer. This is arguably the Giants’ greatest need entering next week’s waiver activity.
Safety (3): Jason Pinnock, Tyler Nubin, Dane Belton
Alex Johnson could go to the practice squad and develop. Presumably, that’s where the Giants would stash 2023 seventh-round pick Gervarrius Owens, too. Schoen signed Jalen Mills in the offseason to help here, but he arrived at camp with a non-football injury, never practiced and got waived. So there is pressure on the second-round rookie Nubin to make a difference immediately.
Special teams (3): K Graham Gano, P Jamie Gillan, LS Casey Kreiter
Gano is healthy after last season’s surgery on his left knee to reunite this reliable trio.