The Giants released their first official depth chart of training camp on Wednesday, and it wasn’t kind to Odell Beckham Jr. New York’s once-star receiver is listed as a third-stringer, grouped with three other wideouts fighting for what’s left of a crowded receiver room.
Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton sit atop the depth chart as the starters. Calvin Austin III, Darnell Mooney and Jalin Hyatt occupy the second tier. Beckham lands on the third rung alongside Isaiah Hodgins, Dalen Cambre and rookie Malachi Fields. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios round out a fourth group, with Berrios doubling as the top punt returner.
It’s a lot of bodies fighting for a handful of jobs. Fourteen receivers, by one count, chasing five or six roster spots.
What the Depth Chart Says — and Doesn’t
Josh Alper of NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk flagged the disconnect between this chart and what’s been coming out of camp. “Reports from camp last week had Beckham, who did not play at all in 2025, getting reps with the first team, but it will be hard for a player who doesn’t play on special teams to make the cut from his current spot on the depth chart,” Alper wrote.
That’s the crux of it. Special teams work has become a de facto requirement for bottom-of-the-roster receivers, and Beckham, at 33, isn’t the guy teams turn to for coverage units. Berrios and Cambre both bring return value. Fields is a draft pick the coaching staff wants developed. Austin arrived with real guarantees. Beckham signed for the veteran minimum with almost nothing locked in.
Alper’s report also noted that these charts are unofficial, and teams routinely caution against reading too much into early-camp lineups. Preseason snaps will likely tell a more accurate story than a piece of paper handed out in August.
The Numbers Behind the Crowd
| Tier | Receivers |
|---|---|
| Starters | Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton |
| Second string | Calvin Austin III, Darnell Mooney, Jalin Hyatt |
| Third string | Odell Beckham Jr., Isaiah Hodgins, Dalen Cambre, Malachi Fields |
| Fourth string | JuJu Smith-Schuster, Braxton Berrios |
A Long Way From East Rutherford’s Glory Days
Beckham’s first Giants tenure, from 2014 to 2018, turned him into one of the most electric players in football — a three-time Pro Bowler known for acrobatic catches and a personality that filled highlight reels every Sunday. He left for Cleveland in 2019, bounced to the Rams, then Baltimore, then Miami, and didn’t play at all in 2025 before signing back with New York this offseason on a one-year deal.
The homecoming carries obvious nostalgia. The football case is thinner. Beckham’s last meaningful NFL action came in 2023 with the Ravens, and his most recent snaps, in 2024 with Miami, produced modest numbers over nine games.
He’ll get a chance to change the math. The Giants open the preseason Saturday against the Vikings, the first real opportunity for Beckham and everyone else on that crowded depth chart to make a case with pads on.
