The New York Giants are approaching final roster cuts, and the defensive side of the ball presents some fascinating decisions for John Harbaugh and his staff. While the offense has its own questions, the Giants’ defense features position groups with legitimate talent at the top and troubling depth behind the starters. From defensive tackle to cornerback, several spots remain up for grabs heading into the final week of the 2026 preseason.

With that in mind, let’s dig in position by position. If you want to look into the offense, I already published my predictions for that side of the ball. 

Defensive tackle: 4 

The interior defensive line should carry four players into the regular season. DJ Reader is critical for the run defense, though how much he ends up playing remains to be determined. Shelby Harris is a veteran piece New York added to address the lack of defensive tackle talent.

Darius Alexander, even though his camp has been up and down, made a ton of noise at the beginning of camp and sounded like he was excelling during practice. His preseason game performances against the run, however, have called into question whether he can be an every-down defensive tackle.

That means the Giants might need to add another big-bodied space eater for early downs because Alexander can’t do it reliably enough.

Bobby Jamison-Travis, the late-round pick from Auburn, has been interesting but profiles as a clear-cut practice squad candidate. He’s not good enough for another team to poach, and he’s big enough to plug a role for a couple of games or on a short week if something goes down.

He’ll be survivable if they have to throw him out there. Zacch Pickens, Josh Tupou, and Marlon Davidson are likely on the outside looking in because none of them generated any noise during this preseason.

Outside linebacker: 4

This is the hardest position group to make because of the pass-rushing talent already in place. Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux are locks.

Chauncey Golston has been a quiet but impressive story this preseason, establishing that his frame and size make him a valuable piece for defending the run.

Khalid Kareem, Caleb Murphy, and Trace Ford are probably on the way out. This was an impossible position group for any of those guys to crack. 

Inside linebacker: 5

Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese are established. Jack Kelly has made a lot of noise, and his camp has played out exactly as projected after the draft. Kelly is not the most physically imposing guy in terms of athleticism, but he’s super physical, plays at 100 miles an hour, and is perfect for special teams. He’s exactly what you want in a backup inside linebacker. He’s the type of player who could stick with this team for the entirety of his rookie contract and potentially earn a second deal.

Micah McFadden has been encouraging despite essentially losing the job he held at the beginning of last season to Reese’s emergence. Knowing that McFadden went right back to being technically sound and reliable is exactly what you want from a first-linebacker-in option if injuries strike. He has stamped himself and locked himself in.

Zaire Barnes appears to be trending the most upward for that special teams-focused final linebacker spot. He probably never steps on the field defensively but sticks with the team because of a prominent special teams role.

Safety: 5 

Five safeties should stick with this roster. Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin are going to get chances to prove themselves this year. Nubin had a strong second preseason game against the Miami Dolphins. Jason Pinnock has played more than anybody anticipated and seems to have confirmed that he fits with the squad.

Ar’Darius Washington keeps getting brought up as a movable, useful chess piece for specific subpackages. His connection to the coaching staff when he came in made him a perfect candidate to be a lock on this team. Elijah Campbell probably becomes the last safety on the roster as a backup. Bo Brade and Raheem Layne haven’t established enough traction to stick.

Cornerback: 6

Six corners should make this roster, and this group could determine the Giants’ defensive ceiling.

Greg Newsome has arguably been the best corner on the team during the preseason. He was almost an afterthought, brought in for depth purposes, and wasn’t exactly a premier free-agent signing. But Newsome has inspired more confidence as a potential starter than Paulson Adebo, Colton Hood, or Deontay Banks at this point.

Colton Hood obviously will make the team as a second-round rookie, even if he hasn’t done enough to start. Deonte Banks has been regarded as the biggest riser during camp. At one point, coming into offseason activities, he was clearly one of the biggest roster bubble guys because of his contract and lack of prior success. Everything he’s done since has shown that if he needed to start, the Giants could rely upon him.

Adebo will make the roster based on the financial commitment from last year’s free agency. Dru Phillips is locked in at nickel corner, with Washington behind him as a versatile defensive back.

The sixth corner spot is where things get ugly. The back-end corners haven’t been great. That final spot will likely go to someone cut from another team’s roster. If an internal candidate does survive, it’s probably Korie Black over Nic Jones and Art Green.