The Patriots’ 53-man roster apparently will look a little different by the time they face the New York Giants on Sunday.

New England plans to sign tackle Conor McDermott from the practice squad to the active roster, according to a Friday report from ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The 53-man roster was full as of Friday morning, so the Patriots would need to either release a player or put one on a reserve list.

In theory, Trent Brown could be a candidate for injured reserve. The monstrous left tackle missed the last game due to lingering knee and ankle injuries, which recently caused him to seek a second opinion.

McDermott was released at the end of training camp but rejoined New England’s practice squad in October. He since has been elevated to the gameday roster three times, which is the most allowed under current NFL guidelines. The veteran started each of the last two games at left tackle in place of Brown.

If the Patriots want to have McDermott active against the Giants, they must sign him to the 53-man roster. And according to Reiss, that’s exactly what they plan to do.New England will practice Friday in Foxboro, Mass, before traveling to New York on Saturday