Giants surprisingly release Elijah Chatman as part of roster cutdown

Elijah Chatman’s two-way versatility didn’t save him from the chopping block.

Chatman was the biggest surprise among the first round of cuts made Tuesday by the Giants, who are whittling a 90-man roster down to 53 players.

Chatman made the Giants in 2024 as an undrafted undersized rookie defensive tackle and added fullback to his repertoire this preseason.

Other notable cuts included fan favorite fourth-string quarterback Tommy DeVito, tight end Greg Dulcich, cornerback Tre Hawkins, offensive guard Jake Kubas, receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey and running back Dante “Turbo” Miller, according to multiple sources.

Teams that inquired with the Giants about receiver Jalin Hyatt, tight end Daniel Bellinger and quarterback Jameis Winston were told at the time that the plan was to keep all three on the initial 53-man roster, sources told The Post.

Dulcich was tied for the NFL preseason lead with three touchdown catches.

Hawkins was a rookie camp star in 2023 who won a starting job Week 1, but never fulfilled his promise. He missed time due to injury in recent weeks.

Kubas was getting first-team reps when camp opened as a third option in the position battle between Greg Van Roten and Evan Neal but lost his footing as he struggled in preseason games.

He made last season’s team as an undrafted rookie and played in five games (three starts).

Humphrey, a six-year veteran, caught Jaxson Dart’s first unofficial touchdown pass but was squeezed off the bubble.

Miller impressed as a pass-catching running back and special-teamer but the Giants have no flexibility with their top three running backs – starter Tyrone Tracy Jr., rookie Cam Skattebo and high-paid veteran Devin Singletary.

The Giants have 16 spots on the practice squad to bring back any of their cuts who pass through waivers.

Many of the transactions were first reported by The Athletic.