The New York Giants are gearing up for their second preseason outing of 2025 on the evening of August 16, and they’ll play the cross-town rival New York Jets in the annual “Snoopy Bowl.”
With the 53-man roster cutdown rapidly approaching, the bubble candidates will have the most to prove in this one, despite head coach Brian Daboll hinting that the healthy starters will play at least one or two possessions similar to the preseason opener versus the Buffalo Bills.
Below are five Giants players with no room for error against the Jets.
2 Defensive Fan Favorites Need to Make an Impact vs. Jets
Two recent undrafted fan favorites find themselves on the roster bubble after the Giants brought in veterans at their respective positions in free agency. Those youngsters are linebacker Dyontae Johnson and defensive lineman Elijah Chatman.
As for which of the two is more in danger of being cut, that feels like Johnson at this time.
Johnson was on the field for 37 defensive snaps against the Bills, according to Pro Football Focus, and he did not play well whatsoever. Johnson was targeted five times in pass coverage, and he allowed all five of those targets to be caught for a total of 52 yards and 1 touchdown.
The third-year linebacker was also charged with 1 missed tackle. Although he did get credit for 1 key defensive stop.
Even so, it was a subpar showing for the former UDFA, and the Giants brought in a lot of veteran competition at backup middle linebacker/special teams. Including Chris Board, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, and returnee K.J. Cloud — who replaced Ty Summers after his injury.
Chatman is in a similar boat, facing new competition via free agency. The Giants signed Roy Robertson-Harris, Jeremiah Ledbetter and DL/OLB hybrid Chauncey Golston. They also retained cut candidate Rakeem Nunez-Roches and drafted Darius Alexander.
Chatman didn’t make any glaring mistakes in the Giants’ first preseason game, like Johnson, but he didn’t stand out over his 11 snaps either, with zero quarterback pressures and zero tackles.
Of course, the lack of playing time could be taken as a good sign. Perhaps, the Giants have already decided that they like the second-year pro too much to let him hit waivers.
Dante Miller & Montrell Washington Headline Giants Offensive Players With Most to Lose in Preseason Week 2
GettyNew York Giants running back Dante Miller against the Jets during the 2024 preseason.
There are three offensive bubble candidates who could be on the outside looking in with a bad performance on Saturday. The first is second-year offensive lineman Jake Kubas.
After initially being hyped as a dark horse candidate for the starting right guard job in 2025, the former UDFA success story has struggled with pre-snap penalties throughout training camp. Daboll has gotten so frustrated with Kubas, among others, that he’s even yanked him and others off the practice field.
Over 30 blocking snaps in preseason Week 1, Kubas was also charged with a team-leading 2 quarterback pressures allowed, per PFF. His blocking grades were atrocious, too, with a pass protection mark of 15.5 out of 100.
Kubas has been getting some snaps at center in recent practices as the Giants try and add to his repertoire, but his roster spot certainly isn’t guaranteed after several additions on the offensive line.
Along with Kubas, running back Dante Miller and wide receiver/returner Montrell Washington are on the hot seat, but with an opposite trajectory. While the three players above have either struggled or failed to make an impact, Miller and Washington shone bright against the Bills.
The difference is that neither was expected to make the 53-man roster at the start of training camp.
Miller led the Giants in receiving yards last weekend, with 7 catches for 80 yards. He also led all NYG running backs in rushing yardage with 22, although his yards per carry average was poor (2.2 YPC).
With Eric Gray potentially sidelined to start the season, there could be room for Miller on the 53-man roster, but he has to convince the Giants to keep four running backs.
Finally, Washington has been the star of training camp in recent weeks, developing strong chemistry with rookie QB Jaxson Dart. But he began the summer way down the depth chart.
Washington stayed hot with 3 receptions for 60 yards in Buffalo. Can he continue to force the Giants’ hand against the Jets?
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