The New York Giants desperately need to piece together their secondary in 2020, and it starts with finding a No. 1 cornerback. Free agency will be their primary allocation regarding the defensive secondary, as they spent three draft picks on injecting youth into the unit last offseason.
With about $80 million in free agency, the Giants and GM Dave Gettleman will need to allocate at least $35 million to overhaul the unit with veteran experience and quality. Gettleman is keen on carrying $20 million over into the season for draft picks and in-season acquisitions. However, the upcoming class of free agents is strong in positions the Giants desperately need to invest in.
Here are three players the New York Giants should be looking into:
1.) Byron Jones
The first is clear-cut, as the Giants cannot go in 2020 with DeAndre Baker featuring as their No. 1 corner — he’s simply not prepared to take on a full seasons workload against top wide receivers. Allowing him to continue his development in a secondary role will be beneficial down the road, but creating a great tandem with Jones and Baker would be an ideal scenario for a secondary who hasn’t had an intimidating presence in years.
Jones is expecting to land about $17 million in free agency, which is a significant but worthwhile number. His lack of statistical output can correlate directly toward the lack of attention he gets from opposing quarterbacks. While he’s not the type of player who will rack up interceptions, he’s a skilled ball-swatter and has fluid hips in coverage. He limited star wideout for the Saints, Michael Thomas, to zero receptions in 2019.
2.) Devin McCourty
Inserting a veteran and familiar presence for new HC Joe Judge is why signing Devin McCourty makes a lot of sense. While he’s aging at 32-years-old, McCourty had another productive season in 2019, racking up five interceptions and 58 combined tackles. The Patriots had one of the best defenses in the NFL last season, and his knowledge is vital to the growth of the Giants’ unit, who are all mostly below the age of 23.
I anticipate the Giants can grab him on a two-year, $20 million deal with high guarantees. This is an ideal stop-gap for a few seasons, while the Giants collect assets to invest in a younger option down the road.
3.) Brian Poole
One intriguing prospect at the slot corner position is free agent Brian Poole, who featured on the Jets in 2019. Poole had a stellar campaign last year, posting a 62.5% completion percentage, up slightly from 57.1% in 2018. His statistical output attests to his quality, and the Giants are missing a quality starter at slot corner.
However, Julian Love could be the expected starter at the position moving forward — I don’t believe he’s ready for an everyday starting role, considering his 9.8% missed tackle rate. He did post a 65.5% completion percentage over 29 targets, but Poole beats him at the category having dealt with 64 targets and a 62.5% completion rate. I expect Poole to land anywhere from $6-8 million per season.
Overall, these three players would account for about $33 million in cap space but would overhaul the unit entirely.