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Injured New York Giants inside linebacker Micah McFadden.

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The start of the 2024 NFL season is imminent, but the New York Giants still have time to sign talent for three positions of concern. By cleverly using the waiver list, weaknesses at cornerback, inside linebacker and defensive tackle can be addressed.

This is what Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com expected from the Giants in the next few weeks. He believes: “Since they are sixth on the priority list, the Giants will be as active as they were two years ago as they try to shake up the bottom end of the roster and fill some of their holes, especially at CB, ILB and maybe DT. They trust their personnel department.”

There’s a good case for waiving veteran support at every spot. Injuries have plagued the inside linebacker corps, while durability concerns and an unfortunate free agent signing put the D-tackles rotation in a similar position.

Meanwhile, personnel disagreements are causing further question marks in the cornerback group.

Cornerback and inside linebacker are increasingly causing concern for the Giants

The Giants could have answered many of those questions by trading Stephon Gilmore, the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, before the cover player was traded to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Aug. 18, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Gilmore’s one-year deal is worth $10 million, and Dan Duggan of The Athletic believes that “the Giants, rightly or wrongly, didn’t want that,” but Duggan thinks that “it’s much more likely that they’ll sign a CB after the cuts to add depth.”

Duggan’s reaffirmation of Stapleton’s prediction reflects a growing trend that the Giants will be expanding in their cornerback room. That makes sense, as the team is still looking for a credible starter alongside second-year pro Deonte Banks.

Of the possible candidates, Nick McCloud has taken the lead in this position battle, but Cor’Dale Flott is still in the running. Flott is a potential breakout player who could be best suited to the slot after struggling at the outside position in the offseason.

The Giants have worked with bigger players in the slot so far, including rookie Andru Phillips and converted linebacker Isaiah Simmons. He’s adapting to an interesting hybrid position, but the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Simmons may be too big to keep up with smaller, more agile wide receivers on the interior.

Simmons’ limitations in coverage were exposed by wide receiver John Metchie III as the Giants were beaten 28-10 by the Houston Texans in Week 2 of the preseason on Saturday, August 17.

There is room for a waiver wire signing at cornerback, just as there is at middle linebacker, especially after the Giants lost two more linebackers to injuries against the Texans, including last season’s starter, Micah McFadden.

At the front, the numbers are also decreasing in a similar way.

Giants need help at defensive tackle

The depth chart along the interior defensive line was further thinned when Ryder Anderson suffered a hamstring injury in Houston. As Duggan noted, “Anderson was the third DL in the base defense, alongside Dexter Lawrence and Rakeem Nunez-Roches.”

The starting lineup is depleted, but the Giants could fill that void with an undrafted free agent who impresses with his effort. Depth is the bigger issue, with late draft picks like DJ Davidson and Jordon Riley and the undrafted Casey Rogers in reserve.

What the Giants need is a proven player who is strong at multiple positions in the trenches. Former Buffalo Bills starter Jordan Phillips should fit those needs, but the Giants traded the disappointing addition to NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys in the offseason.

According to Spotrac.com, several notable names are still available as free agents, including Lawrence Guy and former Giants Super Bowl winner Linval Joseph.

The Giants can continue to monitor the market, but will likely find better options at all three positions once teams begin trimming their rosters and releasing players before the final cuts.

James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world football since 2011 and has worked for FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko