Giants 2021 roster profile: DL R.J. McIntosh

Can 2018 fifth-round pick still make an impact?

Yes, R.J. McIntosh is still a member of the New York Giants. Remember him? Fifth-round pick out of Miami in 2018. Plays defensive tackle. The Giants hoped he would provide some interior pass rush, but it hasn’t happened.

Let’s take a closer look at McIntosh as we continue our player-by-player profiles of the 90-man roster the Giants will bring to training camp.

The basics

Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 283
Age: 25
Position: Defensive line
Experience: 3
Contract: Final year of four-year, $2.781 million rookie contract | 2021 cap hit: $1,000,368

Career to date

McIntosh has never really gotten his NFL career off the ground. He was diagnosed with a thyroid condition at the 2018 Combine, but the Giants drafted him in the fifth round. He missed spring workouts, training camp and 10 regular-season games with an undisclosed illness. He ended up playing just 65 snaps as a rookie, with five tackles and a quarterback hit.

He was an afterthought for then-defensive coordinator James Bettcher in 2019, playing only 129 snaps in 12 games. He did manage to register a pair of sacks, 13 tackles and a pair of quarterback hits.

McIntosh sank even lower on the depth chart in 2020, as he was inactive for all 16 games.

2021 outlook

Honestly, if the Giants are healthy at the beginning of the season it is difficult to see McIntosh being part of the 53-man roster. Ifeadi Odenigbo and Niko Lalos are both 270-pound edge/defensive end combo players who could play some with a hand in the ground. As I calculate the roster possibilities, it seems to me that McIntosh would have to leap frog both of those players to make the roster.

I’m not sure he can do that. Then again, I was surprised the Giants kept him around last season.