The Giants kept the roster churn moving on Wednesday, adding offensive lineman Josh Gesky to the practice squad in a move that gives sixth-round rookie J.C. Davis a familiar face in the building.
Gesky’s signing comes after New York promoted linebacker Malik Harrison to the 53-man roster and added veteran defensive end Dawuane Smoot to the practice squad on Monday. The Giants have also recently brought in Jihad Ward and Kendrick Green, continuing the steady shuffle of in-season roster business.
What makes Gesky a little more interesting than a standard practice-squad addition is his Illinois tie to Davis. The two played together for two seasons with the Fighting Illini in 2024 and 2025, after Davis transferred in from New Mexico before his junior year. New York drafted Davis with the 192nd pick in the 2026 Draft, while Gesky spent his entire four-year college career at Illinois and made 32 starts at left guard alongside him.
Gesky then went undrafted in April, but the Packers made him one of their priority signings, giving the 6-foot-5, 310-pound lineman $215,000 guaranteed. That made him Green Bay’s second-highest-paid undrafted rookie.
He backed up that investment with a strong preseason, posting a 78.9 overall Pro Football Focus grade and a matching 78.9 run-blocking grade. He also turned heads at Illinois’ Pro Day, where he ran a 5.03-second 40-yard dash, benched 225 pounds 30 times and recorded a 33-inch vertical. His 9.63 Relative Athleticism Score ranked 71 out of 1867 OG from 1987 to 2026.
Green Bay eventually released Gesky to create room for cornerback Elijah Culp on its practice squad, and the Giants moved in.
He’s not a threat to jump into New York’s starting five right away, but Gesky gives the Giants a developmental offensive lineman with real athletic upside. And with Davis already on the roster, at least one small part of the adjustment period is already taken care of.
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