The New York Giants’ initial 53-man roster is finally here, as a final wave of cuts was revealed just after the cutdown deadline of 4 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, August 26.
There were several surprises throughout the day on Tuesday, as both veteran signings and promising youngsters were waived and released, along with preseason standouts and fan favorite players. But it all led to this, the initial 53 for the 2025 season.
Giants’ Initial 53-Man Roster: Offense Takes Shape
For this initial 53-man breakdown, we’ll go position by position, highlighting who survived the roster cutdown and the notable cuts in that area. The Giants kept a total of 26 players on the offensive side of the ball.
Quarterback (3): Russell Wilson, Jaxson Dart, Jameis Winston.
No real surprises here, as the Giants officially parted ways with Tommy DeVito earlier in the day on August 26. Winston will likely open up the season as the official backup QB, but it won’t be long before Dart climbs the depth chart.
Running Back (3): Tyrone Tracy Jr., Cam Skattebo, Devin Singletary.
Reserve/PUP List (1): Eric Gray.
The Giants cut popular UDFA Dante “Turbo” Miller earlier in the day on Tuesday, which sort of ruined any suspense at this position. The one final decision was whether or not Big Blue would start Gray out on the PUP list, waive him, or keep him as a fourth running back. The Giants also cut veteran preseason standout Jonathan Ward on August 26.
Wide Receiver (6): Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt, Gunner Olszewski, Beaux Collins.
The Ihmir Smith-Marsette cut on Tuesday practically confirmed things for the other WR/returner on the roster, Olszewski. Fellow veteran departure Lil’Jordan Humphrey — paired with early cuts like Montrell Washington and Zach Pascal — were all good signs for a rookie wideout like Collins. Unfortunately, fellow UDFA Dalen Cambre was a last-minute cut, per Giants Nation Show host Bobby Skinner.
Tight End (4): Theo Johnson, Chris Manhertz, Daniel Bellinger, Thomas Fidone II.
The tight end battle ended up being very competitive throughout the 2025 preseason, but Fidone and Bellinger’s draft statuses eventually won out. Both also played well this August, holding off late-summer standout Greg Dulcich. UDFA Jermaine Terry was also waived with an injury on Tuesday. Overall, this was the expected outcome at tight end despite Dulcich’s roster push.
Offensive Line (10): Andrew Thomas, Jon Runyan Jr., John Michael Schmitz, Greg Van Roten, Jermaine Eluemunor, Marcus Mbow, James Hudson III, Evan Neal, Aaron Stinnie, Austin Schlottmann.
Injured Reserve (1): Joshua Ezeudu.
Promising UDFA Jake Kubas is one of the more notable cuts on the offensive line, but he had a downright awful training camp and never seriously pushed for the starting right guard job. So, it’s not all that surprising that he ultimately fell short. Kubas could still return on the practice squad. As for the general depth on the blocking unit, draft pick Mbow has impressed, beating out veterans Ezeudu (injured) and Stone Forsythe. Neal also survives at backup guard/tackle, along with versatile veterans Stinnie and Schlottmann.
Giants’ Final Roster Cuts on the Defensive Side
The Giants kept a total of 24 players on the defensive side of the ball.
Defensive Line (6): Dexter Lawrence II, Roy Robertson-Harris, Darius Alexander, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, D.J. Davidson, Chauncey Golston (listed as DL).
The huge shocker of the day was 2024 breakout UDFA Elijah Chatman being cut. The youngster missing the cut pretty much secured the spots of veteran cut candidates like Nunez-Roches and Davidson. The deadline announcement also means recent draft pick Jordon Riley and 2025 free agent signing Jeremiah Ledbetter were officially cut.
Edge Rusher/Outside Linebacker (3): Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Abdul Carter.
Reserve/PUP List (1): Victor Dimukeje.
Nothing to see here, as all the Thibodeaux trade chatter was mostly unfounded. Like Gray, Dimukeje sticks with the roster on an injured list, but does not count toward the initial 53. Trace Ford profiles as an interesting undrafted rookie cut who could make sense for the practice squad, and Golston adds depth here, too, despite NYG listing him as a defensive lineman.
Inside Linebacker (5): Bobby Okereke, Micah McFadden, Darius Muasau, Chris Board, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles.
This position battle was decided days ago, as the Giants made early cuts at inside linebacker. Board and Flannigan-Fowles were free agent additions brought in for their special teams acumen.
Cornerback (7): Paulson Adebo, Deonte Banks, Cor’Dale Flott, Dru Phillips, Nic Jones, Art Green, Korie Black.
Jones was the big surprise at cornerback, as the backup nickel did enough to make the team, at least initially. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported that Jones “appears to have made the Giants’ original 53-man roster” just before the deadline. From there, the top four have been set for a while, and the Giants elect to keep a special teams contributor in Green and a 2025 draft pick in Black.
Safety (3): Jevon Holland, Tyler Nubin, Dane Belton.
The safety room was decided earlier in the day on August 26, as the final two contenders for the fourth safety job (Raheem Layne and Makari Paige) were both cut. Expect the Giants to add a safety on waivers or in free agency, following the roster cutdown.
Giants’ 53-Man Special Teams Department
Kicker (1): Graham Gano.
Punter (1): Jamie Gillan.
Long Snapper (1): Casey Kreiter.
No surprises here, as Olszewski also wins the lead returner role. Expect international player and backup kicker Jude McAtamney to return on the practice squad once again.
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