Giants 2021 roster profile: DB Joshua Kalu

Special teams could be his ticket

The New York Giants spent the offseason collecting role players who have extensive special teams experience. One of those is defensive back Joshua Kalu. Let’s take a closer look at Kalu’s chance to make the 53-man roster as we continue player-by-player profiles of the 90-man roster the Giants will bring to training camp.

The basics

Height: 6-foot
Weight: 203
Age: 26 when regular season begins
Position: Defensive back
Experience: 3
Contract: One-year, $920,000 | Guaranteed: $0 | 2021 cap hit: $920,000

Career to date

Kalu spent three seasons as a backup defensive back with the Tennessee Titans, originally making the roster in 2018. He has played sparingly on defense at both cornerback and safety, totaling just 130 defensive snaps.

The attraction for the Giants, though, is likely his work on special teams. Kalu played 463 special teams snaps over three seasons in Tennessee. In 2020, Kalu played 63 percent of the Titans’ special teams snaps.

2021 outlook

The Giants’ secondary is a crowded place, and it’s not easy to figure out which players will earn backup roles. It’s not out of the question that Kalu’s versatility as a defensive back and his ability to fill a variety of roles, including punt gunner, on the different special teams units could earn a spot on the roster.