The New York Giants made a series of roster moves on Tuesday, most significantly signing edge defender Benton Whitley to their 53-man roster. Whitley, a rookie from Holy Cross, had been on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. The Giants terminated the practice squad contract of running back Hassan Hall and added running back Deon Jackson and offensive tackle Joshua Miles, waived from the 53-man roster on Monday, to their 16-man practice squad.
Whitley, out of Holy Cross, is 6-foot-3, 260 pounds. He spent time in 2022 with the practice squads of the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings. He has been on the Vikings practice squad the entire season and was elevated for one game, playing one defensive snap and six special teams snaps. I asked Christopher Gates of SB Nation’s Daily Norseman for some insight into Whitley. Here is what he said:
“Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot that I can tell you about him. He got elevated from the practice squad to the active roster for the season opener against Tampa Bay and only played one snap on defense. I will say that one snap was noteworthy … in a bad way … because he had a free run at Baker Mayfield and had him dead to rites and then just whiffed on him.
“The Vikings signed Whitley off of the Chiefs’ practice squad in mid-2022 during their bye week and deactivated him for all three games he was mandated to be on the active roster for. He then signed back with the practice squad and wasn’t elevated again the rest of the season and was brought back to the practice squad after Training Camp this year. I don’t remember anything standing out about him from the preseason games or anything like that.
“Whitley seems like the sort of player that could, potentially, develop into something more than what he currently is. He’s still relatively young and didn’t play college ball in a power conference or anything (he went to Holy Cross), so maybe the Giants can find some potential in him that the Vikings couldn’t quite tap. ”After waiving Jackson and Miles on Monday, the Giants still have one open spot on their 53-man roster.
