This week is the final act for a lot of the New York Giants’ 90-man roster.Make or break. Sink or swim. By this time next week, the initial 53-man roster’s identity will be known, the winners of the summer’s marquee roster battles determined, and the preparations for the start of the regular season underway in full swing.“We're certainly not certain about what we want to do yet, yet I wouldn't say it's all up in the air either,” head coach John Harbaugh said on Monday. “There's probably some key points, some clutch areas where we just have to make decisions still, with three, four, five decisions that have to be made.”Some will end up returning to the Giants’ practice squad, and others will land with other teams. In this, our fourth iteration of the Giants’ initial 53-man roster, we not only look at projections for each unit but also at the biggest questions for the position groups.We’ve been projecting the 53-man roster since the end of the mandatory minicamp in June; our last version is found here.As we get ready to do another–and yes, there will be one after the preseason finale on Friday against the Jets–we’re focused more on this installment being about the biggest questions at each position unit and how they could sway the outcome of the final projection.Quarterbacks: Will There Be a Third QB Kept on the Practice Squad?The Giants are keeping Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston, but the question to which the answer isn’t as clear is whether they intend to keep a third quarterback on the practice squad and, if so, who.The third quarterback would serve as a fallback plan should Dart, who has already had one trip to the blue medical tent, draw future trips from which it’s determined he’s not fit to return to action.One would think that given the newness of the system, that Brandon Allen, who has not exactly set the league on fire this summer, would be the logical choice to retain given his familiarity with the offense at this point, but the Giants did add Jake Haener to the mix, though presumably that was to give them three quarterbacks for the preseason game against Miami in which Dart and the starters didn’t play.Projection (2): Jaxson Dart, Jameis WinstonRunning Backs: What’s the Pecking Order?Aug 22, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) celebrates gaining yardage against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter of a preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe arrival of Najee Harris has thrown the projected order at this position into flux, but does it really matter?First, Harris is still working his way back into football shape after missing most of last year with an Achilles injury. Everyone seems to be rushing to assume that Harris is now RB1, followed by Cam Skattebo as RB2, Devin Singletary as RB3, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. as RB4.While that still might end up being the case, a more likely scenario is that Harris, who has the potential to be a “Derrick Henry light” for the Giants, and Skattebo switch back and forth in doing the pounding part of the run game; Tracy does the finesse stuff, and the nondescript but still very valuable Singletary gives them a little bit of everything.In other words, the exact pecking order might not matter as much as some think it will, as whoever gets his number called will be determined by the opponent, match-up, and situation.Projection (4): Najee Harris, Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy, Jr., Devin SingletaryTight Ends: Is There Room for Thomas Fidone II Somewhere?Patrick Ricard is technically a fullback, but he’s been running with the tight ends. This poses an interesting decision.First, Isaiah Likely and Theo Johnson are locks. Ricard is also a lock. And considering how Chris Manhertz was voted as part of the team’s leadership council by his teammates, it’s hard to fathom him not being a lock as well.So what about Thomas Fidone II? Fidone did well to get in the way of defenders in pass-blocking situations, but when it came to run blocking, he wasn’t as effective. To be fair, injuries have plagued him in his first year-plus with the Giants, so perhaps further development on the practice squad would be just what the doctor ordered.Projection (4): Isaiah Likely, Theo Johnson, Chris Manhertz, Patrick Ricard (FB)Receivers: Does OBJ Make the 53?Aug 22, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) enetrs the field for warms up prior to a preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectMalik Nabers, Malachi Fields, Darius Slayton, and Calvin Austin III are the locks at this position. That leaves, potentially, two spots for Braxton Berrios, Darnell Mooney, Dalen Cambre, Isaiah Hodgins, Xavier Gipson, Jalin Hyatt, and Odell Beckham Jr., assuming the Giants only keep six at this spot.Mooney has been linked to early trade rumors, given the overlap between him and Darius Slayton in their skill sets.While Berrios can give the Giants one guy for three different roles–receiver, punt returner, and kickoff returner–the Giants have other guys who can fill those roles and then some, Austin being one such guy.If Cambre, who has been one of the better special teams performers for the Giants, makes the roster, and Jalin Hyatt, who is languishing away in the trainer’s room with a leg/ankle injury that almost certainly will have him landing on IR, that should leave a spot open for Beckham, the fan favorite who is trying to end his career where it all began. Projection (6): Malik Nabers, Malachi Fields, Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin III, Odell Beckham Jr, Dalen CambreOffensive Linemen: How Does the Interior Depth Look?The Giants, believe it or not, are stocked at tackle thanks to the solid showing by sixth-round draft pick J.C. Davis, who is on the upswing, giving Big Blue starters Andrew Thomas, Jermaine Eluemunor, Davis, and Marcus Mbow at the position.The interior is the bigger question mark, however. Francis Mauigoa, the first-round draft pick this year, is a lock for the future. Jon Runyan, the incumbent at left guard, is not, as he is not signed beyond this year. Behind Runyan and Mauigoa are Aaron Stinnie, Lucas Patrick, Evan Neal, Josh Ezeudu, and Jake Kubas.Stinnie should be a lock to make it as he’s not only durable; he’s reliable and has quietly had a strong summer in both run blocking and pass protection in the 56 snaps he’s played.The coaches seem to like what they have seen from Ezeudu, who, believe it or not, has also had a strong showing this summer in 74 snaps played.Ezeudu, whose 74 snaps are the second most behind Davis’s 102, has not allowed a quarterback pressure thus far in preseason action. The only concern with Ezeudu, to be frank, is that he seems to be snake-bit as far as injuries go.That said, Stinnie and Ezeudu appear to be the leading contenders as far as backup depth at guard goes.And speaking of backup depth, we have to address the center position. John Michael Schmitz is the starter, but he, too, has been snakebit by injuries.Bryan Hudson saw extensive work at center when Schmitz missed the preseason opener, and on par, he has been solid in run blocking, posting the highest PFF grade (69.0) of the three Giants centers (Schmitz and Brenden Jaimes are the other two). Hudson can also be an emergency guard if needed.With Lucas Patrick having dealt with knee issues, Hudson makes more sense for the coming season. Projection (10): Andrew Thomas, Jon Runyan, John Michael Schmitz, Francis Mauigoa, Jermaine Eluemunor, Marcus Mbow, J.C. Davis, Bryan Hudson, Aaron Stinnie, Joshua EzeuduDefensive Linemen: Do They Need to Add Someone from the Outside?Yes, yes, and yes. But first, DJ Reader, Shelby Harris, Darius Alexander, and Chauncey Golston are all locks. Bobby Jamison-Travis hasn’t been a disaster, but he’s still on the raw side. That said, it would be surprising if the Giants try to slide him through to the practice squad.Now to the original question. Who is the backup to Reader at nose tackle? If Jamison-Travis is still raw, it probably won’t be him. Leki Fotu, who could give them snaps at nose tackle, has been a disappointment, ranking as PFF’s lowest of the Giants’ eight defensive linemen (out of eight) overall and in run defense grades.Whether it’s a trade or a waiver wire claim, don’t be surprised if the Giants prioritize this position group at cut-down. We have five projected here, but we strongly believe there will be a sixth lineman added. Projection: (5): D.J. Reader, Darius Alexander, Shelby Harris, Chauncey Golston, Bobby Jamison-Travis Inside Linebackers: Will Special Teams Inflate This Unit?When putting together a roster projection, it’s important not to ignore special teams. And when one thinks of special teams, usually it’s a receiver, defensive back, or linebacker who finds himself specifically with that role.That’s why I have added an extra linebacker to the foursome I originally had: Arvell Reese, Tremaine Edmunds, Micah McFadden, and Jack Kelly. The fifth spot will come down to Zaire Barnes or Darius Muasau, two linebackers who can give a little on the defensive side of things, but whose roles will be more special teams than anything else. Based on PFF grades, Muasau, in 209 snaps, is the second-highest-graded Giant in the special teams category, with a 79.2 mark. Muasau has played seven more special teams snaps than Barnes, but both have one tackle apiece. Barnes has been slightly more productive than Muasau on defense, recording two tackles (both solo efforts) and one tackle for loss to Muasau’s one solo tackle.Sticking with special teams, though, Barnes has played snaps on every unit–kick return, kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block. Muasau has played on all of those units except the field goal block. Is that enough to give Barnes the edge in the battle? It’s close–really close–but one of those two should end up on the 53-man roster, and given the evidence, Barnes appears to have the slightest competitive edge. Projection (5): Arvell Reese, Tremaine Edmunds, Micah McFadden, Jack Kelly, Zaire BarnesOutside Linebackers: The Purest Strength of the Team?Aug 20, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) speaks to reporters after joint practice with the Miami Dolphins at Baptist Health Training Complex. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectTo repeat what I wrote for the defensive line section: Yes, yes, yes! The Giants’ edge unit is by far the deepest talent pool on this roster, and it’s not even close.The only other question regarding this unit is whether it makes sense to carry a fourth guy for special teams, just in case a starter gets injured.If they do, will it be Caleb Murphy or Khalid Kareem, a really close competition that could come down to Murphy, who, as noted in our grades of the linebackers, has more mobility and lower power?Projection (4): Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Caleb MurphySafeties: Who Starts Next to Jevon Holland?Tyler Nubin, the starting strong safety the last two seasons, has been locked in a battle for his starting role with Jason Pinnock and Ar’Darius Washington.While the runners-up to the job will have a decent-sized role on the team, Washington might better suit the team as a Swiss Army knife type of player who can move around based on the situation as opposed to locking him into one spot.If the coaches agree, that means the starting role comes down to Nubin or Pinnock. Nubin, to his credit, has responded well to the challenge. In 23 snaps played, he has three tackles and one pass breakup, and is PFF’s highest-graded Giants safety both overall (91.8) and in coverage (91.4).Pinnock, in 38 snaps, has four tackles (three solo), with three of those coming in run defense. He has shown himself to be around the ball a lot more, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything if plays aren’t being made.Projection (4): Jevon Holland, Tyler Nubin, Jason Pinnock, Ar’Darius WashingtonCornerbacks: Who Are the Starters?New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (2) looks on while training at Quest Diagnostics Training Center, Aug 10, 2026, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectIt’s been a rocky summer for the Giants cornerbacks thanks in part to the injuries that Paulson Adebo (hamstring), Greg Newsome II (knee), and Dru Phillips (knee) dealt with that cost them some practice time.But when it comes to the starting jobs, both of which were apparently put up for grabs by the coaching staff, Deonte Banks has risen to the occasion.Banks, who has always had the physical tools and size to be an NFL-quality cornerback, finally looks like the player that the Giants were hoping to get when they traded up one spot to get him in 2023.His biggest issue–his lack of confidence–has even improved. Banks has taken to this new defense like a glove. But has he done enough to displace Newsome or Adebo?The preseason finale will likely answer that question, as this one is too close to call. Meanwhile, rookie Colton Hood has been sidelined by an injury, the timing of which isn’t the greatest, though he did return to practice this week. Hood still has a future as a starter for this team, but that future will likely be put on hold as he’ll likely be a reserve who should see a lot of playing time.Projection (6): Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome II, Colton Hood, Dru Phillips, Deonte Banks, Art GreenSpecialists: Did Dominic Zvada Win the Kicking Job?Again, yes, yes, yes! Besides being lights out on his field goal tries and being the better of the two kickers (Ben Sauls the other) on kickoffs, the one thing about Zvada’s kicks that offers confidence is that he nails them right down Broadway, whereas Sauls’s kicks all have a slight curve to them.Why is this a thing? It’s well known that when the weather turns in November and December, making the conditions more challenging, the notorious Meadowlands winds can play games with passes and with field goal attempts.If an attempt isn’t hit with power and sent straight through, it then runs the risk of being caught in the wind and blown off course, depending on the angle of the curve. So it’s probably better to kick the ball straight and not risk even the slightest curve in those tricky winds.Projection (3): Kicker Dominic Zvada, Long Snapper Ben Mann, Punter Jordan StoutSign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news, and send your mailbag questions to us.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow