Giants UDFA expected to cut veteran from 53-man roster

The New York Giants signed experienced defensive lineman Jordan Phillips in early April to make up for the loss of A'Shawn Robinson in free agent trading.

Still, he's a rookie who came in after the draft and has done a good job in training camp so far, according to Big Blue View reporter Ed Valentine. When predicting the 53-man roster on Aug. 8, Valentine provided an update on the defensive line.

“Maybe this change is related to the heart and not the head, but I can't ignore what I see time and time again when I watch training sessions,” argued the NYG media member. “I keep seeing Phillips, the veteran signed in the offseason, working with the third team. At the same time, I keep seeing [Elijah] Chatman, the 6-foot-3, 280-pound undrafted free agent, pushes the offensive linemen back.”

“First team, second team, third team. It didn't matter,” Valentine continued. “Chatman has done well and even managed a couple of sacks in recent practices.”

Dan Duggan of The Athletic also noted that Chatman will “unexpectedly push for a roster spot” on August 8.

Chatman was signed as an undrafted prospect after impressing at rookie minicamp. His strength earned him the No. 58 spot on Bruce Feldman's 2023 Freaks List and he made 60 college appearances over five seasons at SMU.

Valentine added that he could see the Giants adding another late player to the defensive line if Phillips continues to slide in the rankings and the coaching staff feels the UDFA is not ready for the Week 1 roster.

Giants rookie Elijah Chatman listed as player with “biggest gain” in season opener

On August 8, Duggan published an article highlighting the 10 Giants players who “have the most to gain” in the season opener against the Detroit Lions. Not surprisingly, Chatman was on the list.

“Chatman is an outsider who is fighting for a spot on the roster,” the reporter wrote. “Chatman was signed after a tryout at rookie minicamp and has surprisingly played for the first team.”

Duggan reported that the rookie “has used his speed to get into the backfield in practice,” but added that “the preseason is a huge opportunity for Chatman to be in the open battle for a role behind veteran defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence and Rakeem Nunez-Roches.”

It will also be interesting to see if Phillips, DJ Davidson, 2022 fifth-round pick Timmy Horne or 2024 UDFA Casey Rogers make progress to reverse their predicted fate. Valentine currently has the Giants cutting all four at the end of the preseason – Chatman, 2023 seventh-round pick Jordon Riley and keeping former UDFA Ryder Anderson alongside Lawrence and Nunez-Roches.

Giants' Ryder Anderson could take over A'Shawn Robinson's starting position in 2024

Chatman could end up being the player to take Robinson's spot on the roster, but Valentine has earmarked Anderson for the starting position.

The 6'6″ Anderson was converted from edge rusher and has developed in the Giants' system since 2022. After appearing in seven games as a rookie – and recording 2.0 sacks and 2 tackles for loss – the 25-year-old spent the 2023 season on the practice squad.

Anderson has flashed some potential sacks in training camp, but his emergence as a potential starter is somewhat unexpected. However, the third DL spot is far from secure.

Like Chatman and the rest of this unit, Anderson will likely have to prove his legitimacy during the preseason, with his first test coming on August 8 against the Lions.

Michael Obermuller covers the NFL and NHL for Heavy.com, where he began writing in 2021. His focus includes the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins, as well as the New York Rangers and New York Islanders. He is a native of the New York City area and a graduate of Quinnipiac University. His previous writing includes FanDuels The Duel, King Fantasy Sports and Pro Football Mania. More about Michael Obermuller