The New York Giants are adding some depth at safety after losing Xavier McKinney to the Green Bay Packers on Monday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Giants are signing New England Patriots free-agent safety Jalen Mills to a one-year deal.
Giants signing safety Jalen Mills
The Giants are getting a versatile, starting-level player in Mills. He can play slot cornerback, outside cornerback, and safety, which he has done for his previous two teams at a high level.
Mills, who will be 30 years old this season, began his career as a seventh-round pick for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2016 draft, primarily playing outside cornerback. He also moved around as a corner, playing on both the left and right boundary and also taking snaps as the Eagles’ nickel cornerback. Mills moved over to New England in 2021 and has started 34 games for the Patriots over the past three seasons.
In 2023, Mills primarily aligned at strong safety, making eight starts and playing 459 snaps for the Patriots’ defense. He totaled 45 combined tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass defended on the campaign. Pro Football Focus also credited him with an 84.1 run-defense grade in 2023.
Mills was considered a trade candidate for the Patriots at this past season’s deadline. Instead, he switches uniforms in the offseason, now signing with Big Blue.
The Giants desperately needed to add depth to their secondary after losing McKinney to free agency. Third-year safety Dane Belton is expected to step into a larger role while Jason Pinnock continues to start on the back end. Mills will be added to the mix as a versatile depth piece in the Giants’ new-look secondary.