New York Giants 53-man projection: Final prediction before cutdown day

With the preseason now complete following Friday night's 23-6 victory over the Jets, the New York Giants ' roster hierarchy has grown clearer under head coach John Harbaugh.

Three exhibition games and a full summer of practices have sharpened evaluations across multiple position groups, prompting several notable adjustments from last week's projection as the picture comes into focus.

This final 53-man outlook accounts for the physical demands of camp, which continues through September 3, along with special-teams contributions, positional versatility, and standout performances in the last preseason contest. Harbaugh's preference for versatile, reliable contributors continues to shape the depth chart as the Sunday 6:00 p.m. ET deadline arrives and the Giants turn their attention to the September 13 opener against Dallas.

As anticipated, nothing changed here. The Giants were always going to go with Dart and Winston, and that remains the case. Allen played himself out of a job, so expect Haener to land on the practice squad.

There was a thought that Tyrone Tracy Jr. might have entered Friday night's game closer to the bubble. Still, he rebounded after two rough weeks and shined until exiting the game with a neck injury and concussion evaluation. Bankston may be the sneaky practice squad player here.

In : Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Devin Singletary, Najee Harris, and Patrick Ricard

Out: Eric Gray, Damon Bankston, Grant Finley

I've consistently had the Giants carrying seven wide receivers on their initial 53-man roster, but I no longer believe that will be the case. They lost Calvin Austin III to a torn ACL and Braxton Berrios was awful in his final dress rehearsal. OBJ gets in and Cambre steals a spot.

In : Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, Malachi Fields, Odell Beckham Jr., Dalen Cambre

Out: Braxton Berrios, Isaiah Hodgins, Jalin Hyatt, Xavier Gipson, Kobe Prentice

Fidone came on at the end, but it's too little, too late. However, he is likely to end up on the practice squad and will potentially see some action later this season.

In : Isaiah Likely, Theo Johnson, Chris Manhertz

Out: Tanner Conner, Thomas Fidone II, Josiah Deguara

Hudson did himself no favors with a mediocre performance on Friday, and now finds himself on the outside looking in. Patrick ultimately gets the backup job at center, although his injuries are something to keep an eye on. He dealt with a knee issue this summer and appeared to suffer a wrist/hand injury against the Jets.

In : Andrew Thomas, Jon Runyan Jr., John Michael Schmitz, Francis Mauigoa, Jermaine Eluemunor, Marcus Mbow, Aaron Stinnie, J.C. Davis, Lucas Patrick

Out: Bryan Hudson, Evan Neal, Jake Kubas, Ryan Schernecke, Jarrod Gray, Brenden Jaimes

Reader, Harris, and Colton are locks here. However, there are going to be some major changes to the team's depth along the defensive line over the next 48 hours. Outside of the top three, no one did enough to inspire any sort of confidence or trust. Jamison-Travis ultimately lands on the practice squad, while new faces will likely fill out the depth.

In : D.J. Reader, Shelby Harris, Chauncey Golston, Darius Alexander, Leki Fotu, Josh Tupou

Out: Bobby Jamison-Travis, Zacch Pickens, Marlon Davidson, Anquin Barnes Jr., Ben Barten

Many predict the Giants will only carry three edge rushers on the 53-man roster, but there is no denying that Ford has forced a difficult conversation. He played so well this preseason that a practice squad spot might get stolen away. I feel like he's earned it and gets one of the final 53-man roster spots.

In : Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Trace Ford

Barnes won his battle with Muasau outright on Friday night. His interception showed he can do a little something on defense if called upon, while also serving as a reliable special teams option. Muasau, who missed a huge opportunity on an 81-yard Jordan Stout punt, likely heads to the practice squad.

In : Tremaine Edmunds, Arvell Reese, Micah McFadden, Jack Kelly, Zaire Barnes

Out: Anfernee Orji, Darius Muasau, Chandler Martin

Black played well enough to be in the conversation for the final cornerback spot. A minor injury to Green -- one that won't keep him out "too long" -- may be the deciding factor. If "too long" means a few days, it won't matter. If it means a few weeks, Black gets the nod.

In : Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome II, Dru Phillips, Deonte Banks, Colton Hood, Korie Black

The Giants probably toil around with the idea of carrying a fifth safety -- and perhaps they do after the initial wave of changes -- but the initial 53-man will only have four -- the obvious four.

In : Jevon Holland, Tyler Nubin, Ar'Darius Washington, Jason Pinnock

Out: Raheem Layne, Elijah Campbell, JT Woods, Ugochukwu Amadi, Beau Brade

The debate about the starting kicker was settled on Friday night when Harbaugh revealed that Zvada had won the job.

In : Dominic Zvada (K), Jordan Stout (P), Ben Mann (LS)

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