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As the preseason nears an end, some key position battles need to be either won or lost for the New York Giants. Among those jobs up for grabs are the fifth wide receiver, third running back and backup guard. Here is a look at the post-roster cuts depth chart on offense:
| Offense | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | First | Second | Third | Other |
| WR | Hakeem Nicks | Rueben Randle | Ramses Barden | Marcus Harris |
| Julian Talley | ||||
| LT | Will Beatty | Bryant Browning | ||
| LG | Kevin Boothe | Selvish Capers | ||
| C | David Baas | Jim Cordle | Stephen Goodin | Matt McCants |
| RG | Chris Snee | James Brewer | Brandon Mosley | Eric Herman |
| RT | David Diehl | Justin Pugh | Matt McCants | |
| TE | Brandon Myers | Bear Pascoe | Adrien Robinson | Larry Donnell |
| WR | Victor Cruz | Louis Murphy | Jerrel Jernigan | Kevin Hardy |
| QB | Eli Manning | David Carr | Ryan Nassib | Curtis Painter |
| FB | Henry Hynoski | Bear Pascoe | ||
| RB | David Wilson | Da'Rel Scott | Ryan Torain | Michael Cox |
| RB | Andre Brown | |||
Wide Receiver: Jernigan vs. Barden
Vying to be the fifth wideout are Ramses Barden and Jerrell Jernigan, though Kevin Hardy, Julian Talley and Marcus Harris are technically still in the race.
Barden would have to be believed to have an edge considering he's been entrenched in Kevin Gilbride's offense for years, and when Hakeem Nicks missed time due to injury last season he shined.
Jernigan received praise early on in OTAs this spring, and as Barden continues to miss time due to a knee injury, the younger, more talented Jernigan will likely seize the job.
Running Back: Cox vs. Scott vs. Torain
Michael Cox was drafted toward the end of this year's draft for a reason -- to add another element to the New York Giants running game.
Against the New York Jets Saturday night, Cox rushed three times for -3 yards, while Da'Rel Scott countered with one attempt for no yards. Not too much to speak of here.
Prior to the Jets game, Cox was ahead of Scott in the race, so Saturday's outing probably didn't have an impact. Though it certainly inserted Ryan Torain back into the competition.
Torain put together the second-most productive game on the ground behind starter David Wilson, rushing seven times for 33 yards.
At this point, Cox has the edge, but slightly. The fourth preseason game definitely will be a telltale indicator of who gets the No. 3 job.
Guard: Herman vs. Mosley
Similar to the running back competition, Eric Herman is a recent draft choice vying with Brandon Mosley to back up Chris Snee.
The seventh-rounder out of Ohio is competing with a former first-rounder for the job. Considering Mosley was just a high draft selection in 2012, he is still pretty much a lock to remain with the team.
It's less optimistic for Herman, who becomes the extra man on the Giants' depth chart.
General manager Jerry Reese was intrigued with Herman when the team drafted him, but it has yet to be seen whether his preseason outings will be enough to crack the 53-man roster.
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