Breaking down the New York Giants training camp battles to watch heading into 2024.
When the 2023 season ended for the New York Giants, it was clear there were going to be a lot of holes to fill. Saying the season didn’t go as planned would be an understatement. The Giants kicked off the season getting blown out 40-0 at home by the Cowboys. They finished the year 6-11, good enough to get the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which – isn’t good. With the 2024 season coming up, let’s take a look at the Giants training camp battles and which positions are already locked up heading into the summer.
To make things easier, let’s start with the positions that are safe from training camp battles going into the 2024 season.
Confirmed Starters
DT1 – Dexter Lawrence
He’s called Sexy Dexy for a reason. Lawrence is likely the best player on the current roster, with PFF ranking him as the No. 1 overall interior defender in 2023, beating out future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. Lawrence is a defensive tackle that also plays as nose tackle, and is a beast at both. His position is one of the safest on the roster. Keep on dancing, Sexy Dexy.
LT – Andrew Thomas
The only player on the offensive line who won’t be involved in any Giants training camp battles is none other than Andrew Thomas. He’s one of the only draft picks that hit coming from the Gettleman years. A PFF grade of 76.1 for 2023 is solid, especially in a year plagued with injuries and an O-Line ranked as the worst in the NFL.
Fresh off a five-year, $117 million extension in the 2023 offseason, the left tackle position is locked in for 2024. Injuries have been an issue for him throughout his career, but as long as he’s healthy, he will start.
WR1 – Malik Nabers
The Giants haven’t had a true WR1 since Odell left. Malik Nabers has the tools and skill to be of that caliber. After all, he was drafted sixth overall for a reason. Nabers’ speed, explosiveness, and elusiveness made him a top tier receiver coming into the 2024 NFL Draft, only being beaten out by Marvin Harrison Jr. His profile projects him to be a day one starter and an immediate contributor on the field. There’s no doubt that he’ll be a top asset for the team in September, and possibly the WR1 by the second half of the year.
Outside Linebacker 1 – Brian Burns
Fresh off a trade from the Carolina Panthers and a nice payday of $30 million per year, Brian Burns adds the thunder to Kayvon Thibodeaux’s lightning. The Athletic ranked Burns as the No. 1 free agent going into the 2024 offseason, and for good reason.
A combination of age, athleticism, and all around ability makes him a premier option as an edge rusher. Going into the 2023 season, he was ranked as the 8th overall edge defender according to USA Today. Granted the 2023 season didn’t go as planned, but that had a lot to do with scheme and the fact that the defense was constantly on the field with the offense completely incompetent all season long. Given that the Giants traded for him and paid him, expect him to be used more the way he was used in 2022 which gave him such high expectations in the 2023 season.
Outside Linebacker 2 – Kayvon Thibodeaux
Going into his third year and coming off a season with 11.5 sacks, Thibs’ position on the roster is solid. He’s flashed multiple times in both his rookie and sophomore years in the league. Being picked fifth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft and the fact that no one else on the roster can come close to beating him out of a spot, he’ll have no worries about a training camp battle. He will start as an edge rusher alongside Burns for the 2024 season.
Thibodeaux’s sack total is good, however his solo tackle totals aren’t anything to write home about. That means he still has more to prove this coming year. Let’s see what he can cook up with Brian helping on the other side this time.
LB – Bobby Okereke
Bobby Okereke fit right in when he was signed by GM Joe Schoen last season to a four-year, $40 million contract. With an elite PFF grade of 78.9, he was tied for first in forced fumbles and was top-10 in solo tackles and interceptions for his position. Okereke was one of two defenders to not miss a snap the entire season, making him one of the most reliable players in the league. He’ll continue to be a force to be reckoned with on the D-Line stopping the run and disrupting offensive schemes.
LB – Micah McFadden
Micah McFadden showed real improvement going into his sophomore year. His PFF grade went from a 38.7 as a rookie to a solid 65.6 in his sophomore season. McFadden had a sack, an interception, four fumble recoveries, 11 tackles for loss, and 98 total tackles to highlight a few stats. He was great when used for blitz packages and will be a key part to the defense going forward. Things are bright for his 2024 season outlook.
CB1 – Deonte Banks
Coming off a solid rookie campaign in a bottom-10 defense, Deonte Banks has the CB1 position locked in for the upcoming season. He had 92 targets (10th in the league) and only allowed 53 receptions (21st in the league), so he clearly allowed fewer receptions than the target volume he was getting in his direction. Banks’ PFF grade of 51.4 is slightly below average, but for as bad as the defense was, he was one of the bright spots. He also has plenty of room for improvement going into his sophomore season. With Shane Bowen, who coached top defensive units through his first two years as DC for the Titans, Banks could solidify himself as an above-average player.
S Jason Pinnock
Jason Pinnock has had an up and down career. Initially selected by the New York Jets in 2021, he was released in August of 2022 and claimed off waivers by the Giants the next day. Pinnock found success on the team during their unlikely playoff run that season, and was named starter in Week 12. He finished the season with 1.5 sacks, 41 tackles, three pass deflections, a forced fumble and recovery. In 2023, he recorded a solid PFF grade of 67.7, improving off his grade of 61.3 in 2022. The highlight of his season came when he picked off Tua Tagovailoa and returned it for a TD, running 102 yards in the process. He finished 2023 strong and he’ll remain the starting safety going into the 2024 season.
TO THE HOUSE 🏡
102 YARDS FOR JASON PINNOCK AND THE @Giants
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/B2T9MymMHH
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 8, 2023
That’s the list of all the locked in positions for 2024. Now let’s take a look at the Giants training camp battles that lay ahead.
Giants Training Camp Battles To Watch
Offensive Line
As already stated, this was the worst-graded unit last year according to PFF. And, our eyes told us the same story. They allowed a league-high 85 sacks, ahead of the second-worst line by a whopping 20 sacks. That’s a lot of sacks allowed.
There’s a lot to be desired from Evan Neal (current right tackle) and John Michael Schmitz (current center). Neal has been struggling mightily since coming into the league in 2022. He earned a low 39.8 grade from PFF last year and a 44.1 in 2022. It’s been suggested that he might need to switch to guard. That isn’t unprecedented, as talked about by Justin Pugh here.
Pugh himself transitioned from RT to left guard and found success in the NFL because of it, so maybe he has a point. Neal was graded so highly out of college, it would be shocking if he didn’t have any NFL caliber talent. A transition to a different position might bring out the best in him.
Meanwhile, Schmitz did not do much better in 2023. Last season he had a PFF grade of 41.4. It was his rookie year, so struggles are not uncommon, especially among centers. The Giants have had a lot of issues developing talent on the OL in recent years. Being a rookie in 2023, he deserves a chance to see if he can turn it around. And even Andrew Thomas struggled early on before he found his footing. The new OL coach Carmen Bricillo has a track record of success before coming to the Giants, so maybe he can properly coach JMS to make him a viable starter.
There are also some new faces to hopefully fill some needs along the OL. In free agency the Giants signed Jon Runyan from the Packers, Jermaine Eluemunor from the Raiders, Aaron Stinne from the Buccaneers, Austin Schlottmann from the Vikings, and Matt Nelson from the Lions.
Of these, Runyan has the best track record and could be a starter at guard immediately. Eluemunor and Stinne are good enough for a spot start on paper, and could be better if they end up jelling well with the OL. The rest are backups at best, and the team didn’t select any new linemen in the 2024 draft.
A returning player that has a lot to prove would be Joshua Ezeudu, who has not impressed in his three years with the team. Last year he had a measly 42.4 PFF grade, and given this is his fourth season, it’s make or break for him to be a viable backup. There isn’t much belief that he will develop into a player the Giants can utilize and will most likely be playing his final year with Big Blue.
Hopefully by the end of the summer, the Giants will have these training camp battles figured out and positions locked in to start the season.
Defensive Line
Dexter Lawrence, Bobby Okereke, and Brian Burns are set it and forget it kind of players, while Micah McFadden and Kayvon Thibodeaux will have significant roles. Who plays next to them on the D-Line isn’t set in stone. Giants training camp will be used to define who gets that role, at least to start the season.
There’s Azeez Ojulari, one of the few Gettleman selections that have remained with the team. He had a great rookie year, recording eight sacks and setting the all-time Giants rookie sack record. Unfortunately, his career has been hampered with injuries, going on IR in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Still, he has shown his ability throughout his career and can have a real impact if he can remain healthy. We’ll see how the new defensive coaching staff feel about his role with the new scheme.
There’s also Jordan Phillips, a journeyman nose tackle who’s played for the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Arizona Cardinals. He’s found some success on multiple teams, but has been hampered by injuries and enters his age-32 season. 2023 wasn’t a great year for him as his PFF grade was a 35.8. While he did have three sacks and can be serviceable in certain situations, he probably isn’t a surefire thing.
Rakeem Nuñez-Roches is another journeyman defensive end, playing for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning a championship with the latter. He’s been serviceable in his career, but will be 31 this season. He will most likely be just a rotational player used when needed.
Isaiah Simmons was acquired by the team last year via trade from the Cardinals for a late round pick. He can be successful in certain defensive packages, but his role in the new scheme remains to be seen.
Then there’s players like Jordon Riley, Ryder Anderson, Elijan Chatman, Tomon Fox, Darrian Beavers and others farther down the depth chart that will be fighting to make the team. Training camp will see some real battles to fill out the depth on the D-Line.
Defensive Backs
Outside of the starters Deonte Banks and Jason Pinnock, the Giants secondary has much to be desired, ranking 27th out of 32 in 2023.
Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott was named starter in 2022 and had a decent year, earning a good PFF grade of 65.8. However he took a step back in 2023 with a PFF grade of 53.3, securing one forced fumble and one interception but not much else of note. He’ll be looking to secure that CB2 spot outside of Banks for the coming season.
Safety Tyler Nubin was drafted in the second round of the 2024 draft and is looking to secure a spot as a safety with Jason Pinnock already securing the top spot. As a prospect, he projects to be a starter at some point in his career. However, these Giants training camp battles will determine his value for the upcoming season.
Cornerback Andru Phillips was selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He is currently listed behind Cor’Dale Flott on the unofficial depth chart for the Giants. They passed on other prospects for positions of need to select him. With that in mind, the staff must see a spot for him in their current plan. However training camp will be big to determine where his fit is on the defense.
Tre Hawkins was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. While he flashed in training camp, he did not perform well in the regular season. He allowed 21 receptions on 26 targets going his way. Hawkins allowed a 96.8 QB rating when targeted and four TDs on his watch, but did secure two interceptions. His PFF rating of 52.6 could be worse, and being a rookie in a tough position means he does have room for growth. We’ll see how training camp goes for him. Being that he performed well last year in the preseason, he might improve and be a viable starter in the coming future.
Aaron Robinson was selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, but has not been healthy enough in his career to make an impact. Training camp will be big in determining if he remains on the roster for the coming season. He’ll be competing to make the team with players like Elijah Riley, Dane Belton, Jalen Mills, and others on the depth chart.
Running Backs
With the departure of Saquon Barkley in free agency, the running back room is up in the air to determine the starting lineup.
RB1
Devin Singletary is the only player currently on the roster with experience as a starter in the NFL. He’s never surpassed 1,000 yards in his five-year career, but has shown flashes. Singletary has been a decent starter at various points in his career for multiple teams. This includes the Texans last season, and the Bills, where he earned rapport with now-Giants head coach Brian Daboll.
In 2023, Singletary earned a PFF grade of 70.8 and was the Texans’ starter down the stretch on their playoff run, beating out Dameon Pierce in the process. He signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract this offseason. The RB1 job is his to lose going into training camp.
RB2 & RB3
Eric Gray was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and wasn’t used much as a running back in his rookie year. Gray was relegated to kickoff and punt return duties and only used sparingly running the ball. His YPC of 2.8 on 17 carries is subpar to say the least. Reports out of camp so far are that Gray got a lot of run with the 1st team offense (as of May 30th) in the small sample we have so far so we’ll see.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. His athleticism score from the NFL Combine is solid with an 86, while his prospect grade of 6.18 labels him a good backup with potential to develop into a starter. Training camp and preseason will be huge for him to determine his role in the upcoming season in what projects to be a committee backfield.
They also signed speedster Dante Miller as a rookie free agent. Miller and Tracy will be battling it out for the coming season. Miller had issues with eligibility that led him not to qualify for the draft, so it’s possible he ends up carving out a significant role on the roster for the 2024 season.
Wide Receiver
It’s safe to say Malik Nabers is in pole position to get the WR1 role with his high draft capital and prospect profile coming into the league. However how the rest of the Giants wide receiver room shapes out will be determined these training camp battles.
Darius Slayton returned to camp, which heavily implies his contract dispute with the team will be resolved very soon. He’s led the Giants in receiving four out of the last five years, and has been a reliable fixture throughout the turmoil the offense has seen in recent years. Slayton a fan-favorite given his commitment to the team since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He’s the most likely candidate to have the WR2 spot this upcoming season. He’s a good player, just not a true WR1, and his numbers have shown that in his career. Even so, he has some great highlight plays throughout the years, including this one against the Eagles in 2023.
Jalin Hyatt was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s shown flashes throughout his rookie year. Hyatt was used sparingly, but had an average yards per reception of 16.1, so he can shape out to be a significant deep target if the OL can give the QB time in the pocket. His PFF score of 59.8 is average, but not by much. He still has time to develop given that he’s only going into his sophomore year.
Wan’Dale Robinson was selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He flashed as well during his rookie year, albeit injuries hampered him throughout the year. Robinson was being eased in by the coaching staff, primarily using him as a slot receiver and slowly increasing his workload and duties. A stellar performance of nine catches for 100 yards was unfortunately cut short with an ACL injury that took him out for the remainder of 2022.
Robinson returned for 2023, posting a solid 65.5 PFF grade. However, he only accumulated 525 yards and a TD in a lackluster offense that struggled to move the ball frequently. All the blame for his lackluster stats cannot be pinned on him, as the offense barely had time to develop a play given the abysmal state of the OL throughout the entire season.
Undersized, Robinson profiles as a slot receiver. However, his skills make him a potentially impactful weapon in the offense. As PFF states in this article, he has an open-target rate of 94.7% and a contested-catch rate of 80%, putting him in the 94th percentile or greater in each facet. He’s listed as a triple-threat receiver in the article alongside superstars like Puka Nakua and Amon-Ra St. Brown. That isn’t a bad group of players to be compared to, to say the least. Giants training camp will be big to determine the extent of his role in the offense, but things are looking up for this young and talented receiver.
Isaiah Hodgins was a huge surprise for the Giants in 2022. After grabbing him from waivers from the Bills, he was a key part of the offense. Hodgins secured 351 yards and four TDs in the final weeks leading up to the 2022 playoffs. There, he added eight receptions for 105 yards and TD in their playoff win against the Vikings that same year. 2023 wasn’t as kind to him, with only 21 receptions, 230 yards, and three TDs for the season. Hopefully he can bounce-back to his play in 2022. With Nabers getting the WR1 treatment, he has a chance to regain significance in the offense.
The Giants signed Allen Robinson to the roster this offseason. If this move was done a few years ago, this would be considered a big splash. However, given that he’s had multiple down years in a row and he’s not the new kid on the block, it’s safe to say he’s over the hump.
Robinson hasn’t hit 1,000 yards receiving since 2020. Last year he only hit 280 yards and zero TDs. This isn’t the same Allen Robinson of old, this is an old Allen Robinson. And to be honest, he’s 30, and it’s been a while since he’s been productive. I don’t have high hopes for him carving out a huge role on the offense, but time will tell. Let’s see what he can do in training camp and the preseason.
Bryce Ford-Wheaton was an UDFA in 2023 and remains on the roster as of now. However, he will be battling to keep his roster spot in Giants training camp. He didn’t have much of a role in 2023, but with another year under his belt and improved receiving weapons around him, it’s possible he can carve out a role.
Tight End
Giants fandom is waiting to hear what the status of Darren Waller is for the coming season. If Waller chooses to retire, he will save the Giants $6.7 million against the cap for the coming season and leave the TE1 spot open for grabs. Waller has a nagging hamstring injury that he attributed to more than just a regular strain, which, isn’t good. He also dropped a song about his divorce from Kelsey Plum, so no one’s sure football is top of mind right now. The rest of the tight end room will be battling it out to see who can take the top spot.
Daniel Bellinger was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and had a decent rookie year. He earned a 61.3 PFF grade in 2022, and accumulated 30 receptions, 268 yards, and two TDs in 12 games. Bellinger took a step back his sophomore year, earning a 49.1 PFF grade and only accumulating 255 yards and no TDs across 17 games. If he’s to take the TE1 spot in Waller’s absence, he’ll need to step it up in camp and the preseason.
Theo Johnson was selected in the fourth round of this year’s draft. His prospect profile is not starter caliber out the gate, but he can develop into a starter and could have a larger role this season, depending how camp and preseason go for him. He was named to the 2024 All-Breakout Team by Jarrett Bailey, so he could definitely carve out a significant role for himself.
The tight end room is sparse for the Giants going into training camp, so the battles at this position could be a huge factor for the upcoming season.
Quarterback
Now we finally get to the Giants training camp battles that everyone’s been waiting for. Ever since Daniel Jones signed a four-year, $160 million extension in 2023, people have been wondering if he’ll keep the starting job and how the QB room will shape out. Last season wasn’t as kind to him as 2022, going 1-5 and only throwing for 909 yards and two TDs over those six games while adding 206 yards and a TD on the ground before tearing his ACL. Jones’ QBR was 36.3, which is not a starting caliber grade, especially given that Tyrod Taylor got a 47.7 grade as the backup QB in the same offense.
The Giants signed Drew Lock on a one-year, $5 million deal, and everyone is watching closely how he does in training camp. Can he beat out the starter earning the big bucks in Big Blue?
So far, Lock hasn’t impressed in training camp. It remains to be seen if he can truly beat out Jones, but so far he hasn’t proved himself better than the QB the team paid to be their starter just a year ago. Carl Banks, ex-Giants legend, seems to think that Daniel Jones can still be a starting caliber QB. If the OL can be even average, he can succeed in the NFL.
The players seem to be behind Daniel Jones as well. Darius Slayton spoke to Pat Leonard, beat reporter for the Giants, and expressed his belief in Jones. On how Jones can earn the respect of the league, he summed it up on one word – “Win”.
The roster still has Tommy Devito, or “Tommy Cutlets”, who was an UDFA signed during the 2023 season. While he had some good games last year, he didn’t have sustained success and remains the third string QB going into the 2024 season.
We’ll keep an eye out on how these Giants training camp battles continues to play out. So many positions are still up for grabs, and there’s still plenty of time left before the season starts. Until then, we’ll all be left guessing as to how the roster takes shape.
Evan Solomon
Evan is originally from Queens, NY and grew up on Long Island, and grew to love The New York Giants being surrounded by Giants fans. He's a social media marketer and content creator by day, which is what led him to joining The League Winners creating content about something he loves - football. Keep an eye out for his fantasy content and NFL team breakdowns.