The New York Giants’ roster is going through a transformation under new head coach John Harbaugh. He wants real “giants” and players who play a physical style and put the team first.
The team brought in seven such players in the recent NFL draft and continued to add players afterwards during the free-agent period.
Here are five undrafted free agents who have the best chance at making the Giants’ roster this summer.
Cornerback Thaddeus Dixon
The biggest weakness on the roster this offseason may have been at cornerback. The Giants addressed it early on in the draft by taking Tennessee’s Colton Hood in the second round. He’s likely going to walk right out onto the field and become a starter from the jump. But, as we know, teams need a solid room these days that goes five or six players deep.
The Giants don’t have that, even with Hood, returning starter Paulson Adebo, and free agent add Greg Newsome II. Dixon has size and length and plays with the aggressiveness Harbaugh likes. He was projected to be an early Day 3 pick in the draft, and somehow his name wasn’t called. The Giants got a find here.
Long-snapper Ben Mann
Special teams are Harbaugh’s baby, and he’s brought in a load of players to compete for jobs this summer. The Giants moved off of Casey Krieter for Zach Triner this offseason, but see something in Mann, who hails from John Mara’s alma mater, Boston College. He’ll get a shot.
Kicker Dominic Zvada
Everyone knows about the Giants’ recent kicking woes, and Harbaugh and coordinator Chris Horton are hellbent on not letting it become a fiasco again. They have Ben Sauls held over from last season and added Jason Sanders to the mix. Last week, they sent an invite to Zvada, the former Michigan star who specializes in kicks over 50 yards. If he can show some consistency and tact, he could win the job.
Offensive tackle Ryan Schernecke
How many offensive tackle options does an NFL team need? As many as possible, and that is why the Giants drove hard to the net to secure the 6-foot-7, 320-pound Kutztown State prospect. The Giants have a solid starting duo of Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor, and a top swing man in Marcus Mbow. First-round pick Francis Mauigoa, who will start at guard this year, is a tackle by trade, and sixth-rounder J.C. Davis could end up being a daft steal. Still, the Giants are tired of getting caught short in this critical area and will stockpile as many good players as they can.
Running back Damon Bankston
The Giants didn’t add a running back in the draft, which means they’ll be keeping an eye out for possible options. Cam Skattebo is still rehabbing his ankle injury, which leaves the Giants with a backfield of Tyrone Tracy Jr., Devon Singletary, and Dante Miller. Not bad, but none of those backs are as electric as Bankston, the multi-talent from New Mexico. Bankston can make the team just on his special teams value alone.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: 5 undrafted free agents most likely to make New York Giants’ roster
Reporting by John Fennelly, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
