Five undrafted free agents who could make make noise for the Giants this spring

The New York Giants were done with the 2022 NFL Draft after they selected Darrian Beavers at the top of the sixth round on Saturday, but they weren’t done with the 2022 draft class.

The Giants’ draft ending 80 picks before the final pick in the draft gave them an advantage over some other teams with a jump-start over other teams in the frenzy for undrafted free agents. Teams always scramble to attract players who caught their eye over the course of the season and draft process.

The list of undrafted free agents is — so far — unofficial, but the team has reportedly been connected to a good number of players this year. We won’t know exactly who will make the Giants’ 90-man roster for a little while yet (perhaps not until after the rookie mini-camp which runs from May 13-15).

But for now, let’s see which undrafted free agents could make noise for the Giants.

Tyrone Truesdell (iDL, Florida)

The Giants have a definite need at nose tackle. They signed Justin Ellis in free agency and drafted D.J. Davidson out of Arizona State in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but they evidently want more competition. Enter Truesdell.

Truesdell is a fifth-year senior who spent the first four years of his college career at Auburn before transferring to Florida for his red-shirt senior season. He is a thick, stocky defensive tackle weighing in at 6-foot-2, 326 pounds. He has good natural leverage and a powerful lower body, which he makes good use of to clog interior rushing lanes. Truesdell fires out of his stance with good leverage and is difficult for offensive linemen to move off the ball. He didn’t play many snaps for Florida, usually coming on the field when the Gators aligned in a 3-man front.

The Giants don’t have significant resources at the nose tackle position, and the Giants have reportedly given Truesdell $75 thousand in guaranteed money (per Dan Duggan of The Athletic). So while he might be a bit of an underdog to make the final roster, the Giants certainly seem serious about wanting him in-house.

Jeremiah Hall (FB/H-Back, Oklahoma)

Hall was another UDFA to get guaranteed money from the Giants, netting a total of $30 thousand.

Hall’s athletic profile suggests a Madison Hedgecock like battering ram of a fullback. Hall is a stocky, muscular 6-foot-1, 239 pounds who’s general proportions bear a striking resemblance to a fire hydrant. However, he was used at a pretty wide variety of positions for the Sooner’s ever-potent offense. Hall took snaps — and produced — as a fullback, running back, tight end, and pure slot receiver. He’s downright slow, with a 40-yard dash of 4.96 seconds, but his 1.66-second 10-yard split suggest some good burst in a short area.

Over the last three years, he’s racked up 68 receptions for 721 yards, and 12 touchdowns. He also carried six times for 25 yards and a touchdown in 2021. The Giants mentioned versatility a few times throughout draft weekend, and Hall definitely seems to have that trait.

We don’t know what the Giants’ offense will look like, but it’s fair to suspect that it’ll involve a lot of misdirection and quick passes for catch-and-run opportunities. We might see a steady diet of screens, bubble screens, and pitch passes off of jet motion. A player like Hall has some upside getting the ball in space, and nobody ever thinks to cover the fullback.

Josh Rivas (OG, Kansas State)

Rivas doesn’t seem to have gotten any guaranteed money from the Giants, but he could still factor into the calculus as the Giants piece their offensive line together.

Joe Schoen has brought in a lot of players to throw into the mix along the offensive line, but only two (Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal) are likely assured spots. Rivas is a big (6-foot-5, 330-pound) guard with power in his upper and lower body. He has decent lateral mobility for a player with his build — though he is definitely more suited to blocking down-hill as opposed to laterally.

Rivas has a chance to compete with players like Shane Lemieux, Ben Bredeson, Joshua Ezeudu, and Marcus McKethan to help fill out the Giants’ interior offensive line depth chart.

Yusuf Corker (S, Kentucky)

The Giants had two safeties on the roster before the draft, and three after adding Iowa S Dane Belton in the fifth round. Corker is listed as a free safety, but at 6-foot, 203 pounds, he offers a similar athletic profile to Belton.

Like Belton, Corker has a quick downhill trigger and a taste for contact. Both players have very similar production in college, but also have some tendency to miss tackles they really should make.

Under most circumstances, I’d say that Corker has a chance to stick if he proves himself on special teams. However, the Giants’ lack of depth in their defensive secondary and Wink Martindale’s love of blitzing DBs could give Corker a solid path to the final roster. It’s also possible that he and Belton could find themselves in direct competition for a roster spot.

Zyon Gilbert (CB, FAU)

Gilbert might be the most intriguing athlete the Giants have added this weekend. Gilbert landed on Bruce Feldman’s pre-season “Freaks” list, and backed it up with a 40-inch vertical and 11-foot-6 broad jump at 6-foot, 193 pounds. He had an only-okay 4.49-second 40 yard dash and poor agility scores, but his size and explosiveness are traits that coaches can work with.

Joe Schoen mentioned that the Giants mid and late round picks were more about the future than 2022. Gilbert might be one of those players the Giants hope to develop for 2023 and beyond. As with the other UDFAs, Gilbert has a chance to secure a back-end roster spot given the Giants’ depth.