The New York Giants are walking into Sunday Night Football with a roster that looks a lot different than it did a few months ago. Of the 53 players currently on the team, 23 arrived this offseason, and that total will climb to 24 once Braxton Berrios is inevitably activated from the practice squad to handle punt returns.
That turnover means the opener against the Dallas Cowboys is more than just a first game. It’s an early audition for the newcomers who were brought in to matter right away.
One of the most important of that group is linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. He hasn’t drawn a ton of offseason attention, but he may end up being the most influential addition on the roster.
Edmunds is set to start beside rookie Arvell Reese at off-ball linebacker and will wear the green dot for Dennard Wilson’s defense. Against Dallas, his job starts with helping slow the Cowboys’ run game.
He’s been one of the league’s steadiest linebackers for the last eight years, with at least 100 tackles in every season, and that kind of reliability is exactly what New York needs to open the year. The Giants will need him to keep the game clean and avoid giving Dallas extra yards.
DJ Reader belongs in that same conversation, even if his impact may be quieter. The veteran defensive tackle may not light up the box score Sunday, but his presence inside should free Edmunds and Reese to get downhill and finish plays against the run. Reader was New York’s answer to the absence of Dexter Lawrence II, and a strong debut could make the Lawrence trade look like a masterstroke from Joe Schoen.
On the back end, Greg Newsome II gets a brutal first test and a chance to validate his own confidence. This week, he said, "I think we’ve got the best cornerback room in the league."
Now he has to back it up against one of the NFL’s best receiver pairings in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Newsome II and Deonte Banks, who was a surprise inclusion in the Giants' unofficial depth chart as a starter, will be under the microscope from the first snap.
If they can help hold down Dallas through the air, Newsome II will start looking like one of the offseason’s biggest bargains for Big Blue.
Then there’s the Giants’ most expensive offseason addition, and arguably the one with the most pressure on him in Week 1. Likely signed with New York on a three-year, $40 million deal this offseason despite never having been a starting tight end in the NFL.
Against Dallas, he has a real chance to justify that investment. With Malik Nabers working back from injury, Likely should be Jaxson Dart’s primary target on Sunday.
The Giants don’t need a monster stat line from him, but they do need a steady outlet over the middle of the field. This is his chance to show he belongs as a starter.
In Other News...
Giants' Darius Slayton Decision Suddenly Looks Bigger After Patriots Injury
A.J. Browns Week 1 ankle injury in New England immediately changed the conversation around the Patriots receiver room, with the veteran being diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain and X-rays showing no fracture. The timetable is still fuzzy, but the early outlook suggests a potential absence of several weeks, and that kind of uncertainty tends to send teams looking for help wherever they can find it.
For the Giants, that makes the recent decision to move on from Darius Slayton look even more relevant than it did just days ago. Slayton is now a free agent option who could fit a Patriots team suddenly facing thinner depth at the position, and his availability adds another layer to a roster move New York already made. When injuries hit this early, a player with Slaytons experience can quickly go from expendable to a name worth monitoring. [Read more 🡒]
Giants May Have Found Jaxson Darts Missing Piece Already
The Giants decision to release veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton has already shifted the conversation around the passing game, and it may not just be about clearing snaps for the next man up. With Malik Nabers headlining the group and Darnell Mooney and Odell Beckham Jr. also in the mix, the depth chart now leaves room for a younger player to force his way into a real role. That is where rookie Malachi Fields comes in, after turning heads in preseason action and giving the staff a reason to think he can be more than a placeholder.
For Jaxson Dart, that matters. A young quarterback can use all the help he can get, and Fields has at least shown enough to suggest he could become a dependable option as the season unfolds. The Giants do not need him to be the finished product right away, but if his preseason showing carries over, he could end up looking like a much bigger piece of Darts support system than anyone expected when training camp began. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Enter John Harbaughs First Season With One Big Concern
John Harbaughs first season in charge will come with plenty of familiar pressure points for the Giants, but the offensive line may be the clearest one. PFF slots the group 23rd in its 2026 rankings, a placement that reflects a unit with some intrigue but not nearly enough certainty. Andrew Thomas remains the headliner up front, and his play gives New York a real anchor when he is available, even as his injury history keeps the conversation from getting too comfortable.
Gordon McGuinness pointed to the lines promise while making clear it still needs development, which is where rookie Francis Mauigoa enters the picture. If Mauigoa can help speed up the progress, the Giants could at least start to stabilize the offense under Harbaugh, but this is still a group expected to need more time than patience usually allows in New York. Until the protection settles in, everything else the new staff wants to build on offense will have to work around that uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]