Let’s see how many top-tier players the Giants actually have
The New York Giants are less than two weeks away from the 2025 NFL Draft. We want to take an honest look at the Giants’ roster ahead of the draft, using former Washington and 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan’s color-coded scheme, inspired by Mark Tyler’s article at Hogs Haven.
Here’s the color-coded rating system:
The color ratings:
Blue – All-Pro/Pro Bowl Player
Red – Quality Starter (a really good football player)
Orange – Average Starter
Yellow – Below Average/Replacement Level
Green – Too New/Incomplete Rating
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The Blues:
Dexter Lawrence – Top-five defensive tackle in the NFL. A true Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
Andrew Thomas- When healthy, Thomas is arguably a top-five left tackle in the NFL. I’ll concede, it’s a bit difficult to make that argument due to his injury-plagued seasons, but Giants’ fans are well aware of his impact.
Malik Nabers – Is he young? Yes! Do I care? No! He is a blue-chipper.
Brian Burns – This one is a bit controversial. I believe Burns is unheralded as a player, coming off a 61-pressure season, while playing through injury. Yes, he’s on the low end of the spectrum of BLUE, but he’s a Pro Bowl talent.
The Reds:
Kayvon Thibodeaux – I’ll be the first to admit that Kayvon Thibodeaux has been a slight disappointment. That said, he’s still a solid contributor at 24 years old. He has 136 pressures over three seasons, and is slightly above average, earning him a spot in the RED category.
Jevon Holland – He hasn’t played a down as a Giant yet, but he was a quality starter for the Miami Dolphins, who will look to hit the ground running in September.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. – Am I putting the cart before the horse? Maybe, but Tracy Jr. proved a lot in his first NFL season, which was his second at running back. As Phillip said in Shaun of the Dead — “YOU GOT RED ON YOU.”
The Oranges:
Russell Wilson – Wilson was not a RED over the last three seasons, but still threw for 44 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in the previous two years, for two different teams. He’s an upgrade for the Giants’ offense and a comfortable orange.
Jameis Winston – Winston is toward the bottom of the orange.
Bobby Okereke – He had a down season last year in Shane Bowen’s defense but he was a solidified RED after 2023. Can he bounce back?
Micah McFadden – McFadden has steadily progressed over the last two seasons, but is between above-average and average, not quite a quality starter but a respectable player.
Chauncey Gholston – A very solid orange.
Paulson Adebo – Signed a big contract and could easily make the jump to RED, but is a high-end orange at the moment.
Darius Slayton – He’s slightly above average and should be in for a bump with a more stable quarterback situation. Still, I’m classifying him as a high-end orange.
Wan’Dale Robinson – Similar to Slayton, Robinson should benefit from the offensive additions this offseason. I like his game and his skill set, but he’s orange here.
Jermaine Eluemunor – I’m a big fan of Eluemunor. He may be the Giants’ second-best offensive lineman behind Andrew Thomas, and his versatility is invaluable.
Jon Runyan Jr. – A solid starter with good movement ability who is more of an asset in pass protection and in space than as a brute run blocker.
Greg Van Roten – He’s perfect for what he is — a competent veteran presence on the roster who can be an average starter.
Devin Singletary – He had impressive yards after contact and missed tackles forced through the early part of the 2024 season. He’s a solid running back, albeit a bit uninspiring.
Chris Board – More known for special teams but has solid linebacking tape when he earned a chance.
Chris Manhertz – Love Manhertz. Blocks guys into another dimension; that’s his role on the team.
Daniel Bellinger – A solid rotational tight end who blocks well on the move. A low end orange.
The Yellows:
John Michael Schmitz – We need to see more from the 57th overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
James Hudson III – He will compete with Stone Forsythe for the swing tackle position. As of right now, he’s yellow.
Stone Forsythe – Will compete with James Hudson III for swing tackle.
Rakeem Nunez-Roches – A solid rotational defensive lineman who plays a lot of snaps in the Giants’ rotation due to a lack of depth.
Cor’Dale Flott – I’m not fully out on Flott. He was a developmental player when the Giants drafted him in 2022, and he could take a fourth-year leap, but he’s a yellow now.
Dane Belton – Belton’s inconsistency in run support has relegated him to sub-package usage. He has value, but is a yellow.
DJ Davidson – A replacement-level player.
The Greens:
Tae Banks – Two years in, and I hate to say he’s too green to evaluate, but the disappointing 2024 season, along with his upside and traits, leaves him undetermined at the moment. He’s certainly on shaky ground, though.
Theo Johnson – A foot injury cut his season short. People in the organization love him; he has the potential to jump high up the colors.
Dru Phillips – Love what I saw from Phillips last year, but he’s still a green for me; one with a lot of upside, though.
Tyler Nubin – Similar to Phillips, massive upside and I am very optimistic about his potential.
Elijah Chatman – Has value as a situational pass rusher with some juice.
Dyontae Johnson – Hurt last year, but has potential.
Jordon Riley – A slight step back in 2024, relative to flashes from 2023; still green to me.
Darius Muasau – Still raw and young.
Jalin Hyatt – I don’t know where to put Hyatt. He has to find the field. I’m including him as a green, but he’s more of a chartreuse.
