Giants' Position Battles To Watch During Camp

When the Giants' training camp opens Saturday in Albany, several roster spots are on the line. Today, we review five hot position battles that will shape the Giants' depth chart:

THIRD RECEIVER
CONTENDERS: Sinorice Moss, Steve Smith, David Tyree

Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer will resume their roles as the Giants' starters. But after backup Tim Carter left as a free agent, quarterback Eli Manning needs a third option to emerge, preferably a receiver with the speed necessary to line up in the slot and turn short passes into big gains.

When the Giants drafted Moss in the second round last year, they thought they had identified their slot receiver, but Moss was a big disappointment as a rookie. A quadriceps injury hampered him for much of the season, and when he played he was practically invisible. He finished his rookie season with five catches for 25 yards.

Enter Smith, whom the Giants drafted in the second round this year. Smith had a very good college career at Southern California, catching 71 passes for 1,083 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior. Smith runs good routes, has good hands, and has a reputation as a smart player who will put in the necessary time studying film to learn the mental side of the NFL game. The one downside is that Smith doesn't have as much straight-line speed as Moss, and the fastest NFL defensive backs will be able to catch him from behind.

Tyree must find it frustrating that the Giants spent two straight second-round picks on wide receivers, since those youngsters keep pushing him down the depth chart. But while Tyree caught a career-high 19 passes last season, his skills as a receiver are limited, and he's mostly on the roster for his contributions on special teams.

VERDICT: Smith will beat out Moss and Tyree to get the bulk of the playing time in the slot.

RUNNING BACK
CONTENDERS: Reuben Droughns, Brandon Jacobs

The retirement of Tiki Barber appeared to open the door for Jacobs, who scored 16 touchdowns as Barber's backup the last two years, to become the Giants' featured back. At 6 feet 4 inches and 264 pounds, Jacobs is one of the biggest backs in NFL history, and he's outstanding in short-yardage situations. But he has never logged more than 11 carries in any NFL game, which raises the question of whether his big body will wear down if the Giants ask him to run the ball 20 or 25 times a week.

Droughns, who signed as a free agent this off-season, has a wealth of experience as a starter, both with the Denver Broncos and the Cleveland Browns, and has twice rushed for more than 1,200 yards in a season. Last year, his production declined dramatically, though, and he finished the year with just 220 carries for 758 yards, an average of just 3.4 yards a carry.

VERDICT: Jacobs will be the starter, but Droughns will get enough playing time that Jacobs won't come close to Barber's output last 385 times.

LEFT TACKLE
CONTENDERS: David Diehl, Guy Whimper

The Giants released last year's starter, Luke Petitgout, leaving a big hole at the position responsible for protecting Eli Manning's blind side. The most likely replacement is Diehl, who would move from his customary left guard spot to left tackle. Diehl is a solid run blocker who has started every game of his four-year career, but he has trouble with speedy defensive ends rushing to his outside, and that's not a weakness any team wants its starting left tackle to have.

The other option for the Giants is Whimper, their 2006 fourth-round draft pick, who played in eight games last year but started none. Whimper isn't as good a blocker as Diehl, but he might be a bit quicker out of his stance when facing edge rushers, and playing him at tackle would allow Diehl to remain at guard, which is his more natural position.

VERDICT: Whimper hasn't done enough to show that he's ready to be an NFL starter, so Diehl will get the nod, even if it weakens the Giants at guard.

WEAKSIDE LINEBACKER
CONTENDERS: Kawika Mitchell, Gerris Wilkinson

New defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo wants the Giants' linebackers to pressure opposing quarterbacks this year, but neither Mitchell nor Wilkinson is a pass-rushing specialist. Still, Wilkinson showed as a rookie last year that he has real talent and good instincts as a defender, and the Giants like his potential.

Mitchell, however, is more prepared to contribute immediately. A free-agent acquisition from the Chiefs, Mitchell led the Chiefs in tackles last year and has the kind of lateral speed needed to make plays all over the field.

VERDICT: Wilkinson will be a starter some day, but this year, Mitchell is likely to be the one to win the job.

CORNERBACK
CONTENDERS: Sam Madison, Aaron Ross

The Giants haven't been thrilled with the play of Corey Webster, but he has done enough to ensure that he'll earn one of the starting cornerback jobs. The other starting spot is an intriguing battle between this year's first-round draft pick, Ross, and the 11-year veteran Madison.

Based on experience, Madison is the favorite. He started 12 games in his first season with the Giants last year, and he has had a long and distinguishedcareer, makingthree Pro Bowls in his nine seasons with the Miami Dolphins. Ross has a knack for making plays, but it will take him some time to learn that in the NFL, taking big chances often leads to big mistakes.

VERDICT: Madison will win the training camp battle and start week one, but Ross will have his job by December, as the Giants start looking toward the future.

Mr. Smith is a contributing editor for FootballOutsiders.com.