The New York Giants have trimmed their roster to the 53-man limit required for the regular season, with the deadline at 4:00 PM Eastern on Tuesday.
The roster cuts came with several surprises, but also provided clarity as to what the Giants’ roster will look like for the 2025 regular season. Here are some takeaways from who the Giants decided to keep and who they let go.
Giants Retain Entire 2025 Draft Class On Active Roster
The Giants initially retained all seven draft picks from their 2025 draft class, starting with first-round selections Abdul Carter and Jaxson Dart. Mid-round pick-ups Darius Alexander, Cam Skattebo, and Marcus Mbow, and late-round selections in tight end Thomas Fidone II and Korie Black all joined them in making the 53-man roster.
Black was later released to make space for the Giants’ Wednesday afternoon waiver claims. However, he is expected to sign back with their practice squad.
New York has retained its entire draft class every year since Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll were hired, showcasing its ability to consistently draft well and develop its own talent.
The front office seems to have hit a home run this year by getting both Carter and Dart in the first round, while getting some quality mid-round players in Alexander, Skattebo, and Mbow.
Fidone made the active roster to join a tight end room with Theo Johnson, Daniel Bellinger, and Chris Manhertz, while Korie Black will be part of a roster that currently contains seven cornerbacks.
Many Preseason Standouts Cut, Some Were Signed To Practice Squad
The most surprising aspect of the roster cuts was that many of the players had made a significant impact during the preseason. Tight end Greg Dulcich caught multiple preseason touchdowns, Dante Miller showcased his speed and shiftiness, while Lil’Jordan Humphrey caught the first touchdown pass of Jaxson Dart’s career.
Another notable player that did not make the initial 53-man roster is defensive lineman/fullback Elijah Chatman, who has had an impact in 2024 regular-season games after making the team as an undrafted free agent.
Several other released Giants have played in regular-season games, including Dulcich, offensive lineman Jake Kubas, defensive linemen Tomon Fox and Jordon Riley, kicker Jude McAtamney, cornerback Tre Hawkins, and wide receiver/kick returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette.
Fan-favorite quarterback Tommy DeVito was released despite a strong preseason and was claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots, who saw DeVito throw three touchdowns in the second half of their preseason contest against the Giants.
DeVito will be remembered fondly for his run in 2023, which saw him take over at quarterback and win three games after Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor ended up on injured reserve.
However, many of the roster cuts will return to the Giants on the practice squad. Humphrey, Chatman, McAtamney, Miller, Kubas, Dulcich, Riley, and Smith-Marsette are all among the players who were re-signed to the practice squad and could be elevated to the active roster at any point in the season.
Giants Leave Cut Day With Thin Running Back, Wide Receiver, and Safety Rooms
The Giants are keeping just three running backs on their initial 53-man roster, which will include projected starter Tyrone Tracy Jr., 2025 draft pick Cam Skattebo, and veteran back Devin Singletary. Eric Gray is currently on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to start the season, as he deals with a lingering injury from last year.
The biggest surprise was the release of Dante “Turbo” Miller, who impressed all preseason with 26 rushes for 80 yards and 14 receptions for 135 yards. Elijah Chatman had also added fullback touches to his repertoire, but neither is on the active roster and instead is on the practice squad after clearing waivers.
Big Blue kept just six wide receivers on its 53-man roster, which is also fewer than many teams carry during the regular season. In addition to the starting three of Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Darius Slayton, the Giants opted to hold onto Gunner Olszewski, who will likely be the team’s primary punt returner with Smith-Marsette now on the practice squad.
Olszewski was later released to make space for a waiver claim, but will be back with the team in the coming days as they do some roster gymnastics.
Joining them are undrafted wide receiver Beaux Collins, who caught a long, near-touchdown pass from Russell Wilson in the preseason game against the Jets, as well as Jalin Hyatt, who survived cut day despite dropping a couple of passes in the preseason that had fans scratching their heads.
Expect both receivers to play rotational snaps this season, with Russell Wilson looking to capitalize on their raw talent downfield.
Finally, the Giants’ safety room was trimmed down to just three, which include offseason acquisition Jevon Holland, Tyler Nubin, and Dane Belton.
Big Blue released Raheem Layne and Makari Paige, while keeping seven cornerbacks, including rookie Korie Black, Nic Jones, and Art Green, in addition to Paulson Adebo, Deonte Banks, Cor’Dale Flott, and Dru Phillips.
New York already addressed their safety depth by picking up Beau Brade off waivers, who had signed with the Ravens last year and played in three preseason games. They also claimed cornerback Rico Payton from the Saints, who played in 16 regular-season games and totaled 11 tackles on special teams last season.