9 Giants Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s NFL Roster Deadline

CB David Long Jr.

The summer addition of David Long Jr had a two-fold purpose—bring some veteran presence into a very young secondary and potentially secure an experienced candidate to play alongside Deonte Banks on the outside. Since then, he has only played in one preseason game, where he performed well, and the Giants don’t feel like they know enough about his fit in the secondary. 

In the preseason opener against Detroit, Long Jr. played in 23 snaps with 16 of them in coverage and seven against the run, making three tackles and allowing one reception for five yards. He finished with a coverage grade of 77.3 on PFF and provides the Giants with a pure outside cornerback that they lack, but at a time when they might need something more in terms of flexibility. 

While the Giants may retain long with another cornerback on the bubble because of their need for depth, I don’t think he remains the man who gets to be the No. 2 guy with Banks. That role will likely go towards Nick McCloud until Cor’Dale Flott returns from a quad ailment, and Long Jr. will have to take his services elsewhere in the NFL. 

Prior to joining the Giants, Long Jr. played his first six seasons with the Rams, Raiders, and Panthers. In 63 career games, he holds 97 tackles, one interception, and eight pass deflections and won a Super Bowl ring with the Rams in 2022. If he can stay healthy; he has the intangibles to play meaningful reps for another franchise. 

Meanwhile, the Giants will likely go with Darnay Holmes to round out the cornerback room, given his flexibility to be an inside-outside guy and his value as a special teams ace.