The New York Giants kick off training camp this week, paving the way for some intense position battles as the coaching staff determines what the depth chart will look like for the 2025 season. Here are three of the most intense and important position battles to keep an eye on during training camp this summer.
The Giants could have an open competition at CB2
When the Giants signed Paulson Adebo in free agency this offseason, the expectation was for him to take over as the CB1 while Deonte Banks steps back into a CB2 role.
However, Banks’s role is far from set in stone. He struggled immensely last season and had his effort and confidence called into question on numerous occasions.
This spring, Banks split first-team reps with fourth-year CB Cor’Dale Flott, who could be gunning for the CB2 role after playing the best football of his career so far last season.
Banks and Flott will likely continue to rotate in with the starting lineup this summer. This could become an intriguing position battle for the starting cornerback job opposite Adebo.
Will Greg Van Roten maintain his starting job?
Greg Van Roten is entering his second season as the Giants’ starting right guard. The 35-year-old veteran made 17 starts for Big Blue last season, primarily at right guard.
The Giants re-signed Van Roten to a one-year deal in free agency this offseason, maintaining continuity on the offensive line. He is expected to start again at right guard; however, there could be room for competition.
Behind Van Roten are a few contenders for the job. Rookie fifth-round pick Marcus Mbow is expected to start out at right tackle, but he has experience playing right guard and has expressed his intention to practice at all five positions on the line.
There’s also former first-round pick Evan Neal, who is making the transition from right tackle to left guard this summer. While it’s unlikely he would move to right guard, if the Giants need to make a change at that position, starting left guard Jon Runyan Jr. has the experience to make the flip to the other side. That is a move, however, that the Giants would only make if they were comfortable with Neal taking over at left guard.
Can a rookie steal a starting job on the defensive line?
The Giants made it a priority to upgrade the interior of their defensive line this offseason.
They signed a pair of veterans in free agency, such as Roy Robertson-Harris and Jeremiah Ledbetter.
Returning veterans include last year’s starter Rakeem Nunez-Roches and depth pieces such as Cory Durden and D.J. Davidson.
Former seventh-round pick Jordon Riley and former undrafted free agent Elijah Chatman are entering their third and second seasons in the league, respectively.
Then there’s the prized rookie that the Giants added this offseason, Darius Alexander, who they selected out of Toledo with the No. 65 pick in this year’s draft.
The current projected starters on each shoulder opposite Dexter Lawrence are the veterans Nunez-Roches and Robertson-Harris. However, any one of those young guys could steal a starting job with a strong summer of practices and preseason performances.
Riley and Alexander have been training with Lawrence and renowned private defensive line trainer Mark Hall this offseason. They drew intense praise from Hall during a recent interview on Fireside Giants.
Lawrence is the only starter on the interior defensive line whose name is written in pen. The rest are put down in pencil and could easily be erased and replaced if another contender for the job proves to be more worthy this summer.
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