Giants’ two big offseason signings have been utter disappointments

The New York Giants went on a spending spree in free agency this offseason, pouring money into their secondary.

They spent big on the signings of cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland, two players who they believed would stabilize the defensive backfield.

However, the Giants’ secondary has been a massive point of weakness this season, and the underperformance of those two key additions has been a major reason why.

The Giants need more from Paulson Adebo

Adebo was meant to step in and instantly be the Giants’ CB1 this season. After a few impressive seasons with the New Orleans Saints, the Giants figured Adebo was ready to ascend to CB1 status in 2025.

However, Adebo has struggled this season. He has appeared in only seven games as injuries have held him back. In those seven games, he has posted a 52.2 overall Pro Football Focus grade (the lowest of his career since 2022) and totaled just four pass defenses, and has yet to record an interception.

Adebo has surrendered a 63.6% completion rate in coverage and a 92.8 passer rating. Quarterbacks have not had much trouble throwing into his coverage.

Jevon Holland has not lived up to the hype

Meanwhile, Holland has also struggled on the back end of the defense. While he did record his first interception of the season in Week 12, he also committed a costly delay of game penalty in the fourth quarter that helped set up the Lions in a position to kick a game-tying field goal.

Holland has just five pass defenses and 43 combined tackles in 10 games. His 56.1 overall PFF grade is by far the lowest of his career so far.

Giants need more from their $99M investment

The Giants handed out a combined $99.3 million to Holland (three-year, $45.3 million contract) and Adebo (three-year, $54 million). They need to see a greater return on these massive investments.

Adebo was signed, in large part, due to the Giants’ inability to develop former first-round pick Deonte Banks. As Banks has continued to struggle, Adebo was meant to offset his struggles with stable play at the No. 1 cornerback spot. But injuries and inconsistent performances from Adebo have left the CB1 position a weakness this season.

Holland was meant to offset the loss of Xavier McKinney, who the Giants regrettably let walk in free agency last offseason. McKinney led the NFL in interceptions last year and was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year. Holland has not come close to replicating that level of success through his first season with Big Blue.

The Giants simply need more from Adebo and Holland. The two defensive backs are both under contract through the 2027 season. The defense is young and has potential, but these veterans need to pull their weight for that success to come to fruition long-term.