The New York Giants are heading toward training camp with most of the roster already taking shape, but the final few spots still have some real juice to them. The big picture is settled enough for a team in the middle of a rebuild, yet the back end of the 90-man group is where things can still get messy in a hurry.
That’s where a handful of lesser-known names can force their way into the conversation. They may not be the players drawing the loudest buzz this offseason, but they’ve got a path to sticking when the Giants trim things down to 53.
One of the more interesting names is running back Damon Bankston. The room behind Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy is wide open, and that gives an undrafted rookie a real opening.
Devin Singletary hasn’t been the dependable back he used to be, while Eric Gray has been mediocre so far. Bankston brings more than just backfield depth, too.
In college, he was a dangerous receiver and added two touchdowns as a kick returner in his final season.
Jalin Hyatt is another player worth watching, even if the story around him has been mostly disappointment. Through his first three years, he hasn’t come close to matching expectations, and his elite speed still hasn’t turned into consistent production.
That has pushed him toward the edge of the roster. Still, there’s one more chance here under a new coaching staff.
Matt Nagy helped revive Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tyquan Thornton, another speed guy who had struggled to deliver. The Giants will find out whether he can do something similar with Hyatt.
On the defensive side, Caleb Murphy is in the mix at edge rusher. That group is the strongest on the roster, but it also lacks much depth.
Behind Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, there isn’t much proven help. Khalid Kareem is expected to make the team, but Murphy and Trace Ford are competing to take that spot.
Then there’s Cam Jones, who sits as New York’s seventh off-ball linebacker. The climb is steep, but it’s not impossible.
Darius Muasau and Zaire Barnes were both clear weak links for the Giants last season, which keeps the door open. Jones has mostly been a special teams player over his first three years, but he has a chance to bring more than that to New York.
In Other News...
Giants Suddenly Have A Training Camp Battle Nobody Expected In The Secondary
The Giants went into training camp expecting the safety picture to be fairly straightforward, with Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin penciled in as the top two options. Instead, the early competition has opened the door for Jason Pinnock and ArDarius Washington, turning a spot that looked settled into one of the more interesting battles on the roster. Holland and Nubin have not separated themselves the way the team hoped, and that has created real uncertainty behind a secondary that needs stability.
Pinnocks case is easy to see after his best work came in an ultra-aggressive setup in 2023, and that kind of background matters with defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson leaning into a similarly assertive approach. Washington adds another layer because he can move between slot and safety and already knows the coaching staff from his time in Baltimore. For the Giants, the question now is less about who was supposed to start and more about which combination actually fits the scheme best. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Trade Idea Could Change Everything For Jaxson Dart
A hypothetical running back swap has surfaced as one of those ideas that makes sense on paper for a Giants offense still trying to sort out its identity around Jaxson Dart. The proposal from Lee Vowell of Horseshoe Heroes would send a second-round pick and Tyrone Tracy Jr. out of New York, with the appeal being obvious: add a proven back and give Dart a more stable supporting cast while the offense waits for its young quarterback to settle in.
The timing is what makes the exercise interesting, especially with Cam Skattebos injury in 2025 leaving his health uncertain and the Giants still looking for answers in the backfield. Even so, this is the kind of trade that lives more in the realm of debate than expectation, because the team on the other side is not exactly looking to move on from its top runner, which leaves New York fans to wonder whether the right move is a bold swing or simply patience. [Read more 🡒]
D.J. Reader Just Revealed What Sold Him On The Giants
D.J. Readers move to New York came together in May, when the Giants brought in the veteran defensive tackle on a two-year, $12.5 million deal after the 2026 NFL Draft. For a team looking to add more heft and experience up front, it was the kind of signing that made immediate sense on paper, and Readers explanation for why he chose the Giants only adds to the appeal.
He said the people around the building mattered just as much as the contract, with head coach John Harbaugh helping make the case to come to New York. Reader also pointed to a familiar face on the defensive side as part of what drew him in, which makes the Giants pitch feel less like a one-off free-agent visit and more like a reunion that had been waiting for the right moment. [Read more 🡒]