Giants coach Pat Shurmur confirmed on Friday that both OLB Olivier Vernon and ILB Tae Davis will miss the season opener on Sunday.
Vernon has been dealing with an ankle issue, while Davis has been missing practice with a hamstring injury. Vernon will be the biggest loss, though, as his 6.5 sacks were the highest total among any Giant on the roster last season.
In turn, it will be rookie OLB Lorenzo Carter and OLB Connor Barwin to split time on the field. Barwin is ready to fill the void for Vernon, and hopefully make a major impact.
"A lot of people are going to get reps, and me and (Carter) are going to play," Barwin said. "I'm excited to see what Zo does, and I'm excited to see what I can do, and we're going to help each other throughout the game."
This will be Carter's first true taste of the NFL, but he won't be feeling any nerves. Playing for Georgia in college, Carter is used to having thousands of fans cheering him on each week.
"Football is football," Carter said. "It's the same thing whether you play in a huge stadium or a parking lot, it's going to be football. I'm excited to be here, but I'm more ready to get a win than just being excited to go on the field. I don't just want to be here, I want to contribute and win.
When asked how long he thinks Vernon will be out, Shurmur would only say that he is "making great progress, so we'll have to see."