The New York Giants are still, just barely, alive in the playoff race. New York has a chance to win the division with a win over Dallas this weekend, along with a Philadelphia victory. The Giants have a record of only 5-10 but have somehow stayed in the fight through the entire season.
New York did not get in the position they are in because of their offense. Rather, the Giants are in the playoff race because of their great defense. The Giants’ defense has put together some top-tier performances this season, led by elite cornerback James Bradberry.
James Bradberry stats and highlights
The New York Giants signed James Bradberry to a lucrative, three-year, $43.5 million contract this offseason. James spent the first four years of his career with the Carolina Panthers after being drafted by Dave Gettleman in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Bradberry’s connection to the Giants through Dave Gettleman was obvious. Also obvious was Bradberry’s excellent man coverage, as he spent four years shadowing the best of the best in the NFC South’s wide receivers. Now, playing for the New York Giants, Bradberry has continued to be a great man-cover corner and has elevated his game to shutdown status.
The Giants are getting elite cornerback-play out of James Bradberry. This season, Bradberry has totaled a career-high 17 passes defended, fourth-most in the NFL. Bradberry was also selected to his first Pro Bowl of his career this year.
James Bradberry has earned a Pro Football Focus grade of 79.4 overall through 16 weeks. This makes him the fifth-highest graded cornerback in the NFL this season. According to PFF’s Austin Gayle, Bradberry is one of the leaders in yards allowed per coverage snap at outside cornerback, allowing 0.76 yards (fourth-best in the NFL).
Also according to Pro Football Focus’s tracking, James Bradberry has only allowed 1 catch for 25+ yards this season. He has been a truly elite, shutdown cornerback, never giving up big plays this year. As the Giants push through one last game before either entering the playoffs or the offseason, one thing is for certain: the Giants have a lockdown CB1 to build their defense around.