New York Giants: Chris Harris Jr A Player To Target in Free Agency

The 2020 offseason will see a multitude of elite players hit the open market. A long list of talented quarterbacks will be available: Drew Brees, Tom Brady, and Ryan Tannehill to name a few. This year’s group of free-agent pass-rushers is also strong as 2019’s sack leader Shaquil Barrett is about to hit the open market. The New York Giants will definitely dip their toes in that water, whether they pursue Barrett, Clowney, or Ngakoue. But the Giants should distribute their money in the secondary, too.

Currently, the New York Giants have $69 million in cap space. After they make their roster cuts, they should have upwards of $80 million. This gives New York the ability to spend whatever they want on whoever they want. They will need to pursue the younger talent in order to acquire some building blocks to keep around long-term. But there are talented veteran options for the Giants to consider as well. Chris Harris Jr. is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. Despite him being 30-years old with nine years of experience, Harris Jr. should be near the top of the Giants’ list of free-agent targets.

Chris Harris Jr. Stats and Highlights

Chris Harris Jr. has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL over the years. He has spent all nine of his NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos and has only missed 5 games in his career. Chris Harris has been to four Pro Bowls and was a First-Team All-Pro in 2016.

The reason Chris Harris Jr. is such a great fit for the Giants is that he is a slot cornerback. The Giants’ slot cornerbacks over the past few seasons have struggled intensely. Grant Haley was benched in 2019 for Corey Ballentine who did not look impressive either. Signing Chris Harris Jr. would take that position of weakness and instantly turn it into one of the team’s strongest positions with Harris, one of the position’s most talented players.

Chris Harris Jr. did seem to take a step back in 2019. He was not the same elite player he always has been. But this was his first season playing primarily as an outside cornerback. Harris is good enough outside, but he is exceptional in the slot. He has the coverage ability to plays both man and zone coverage from the slot. He is a truly versatile player that can transform a defense and take an opponent’s receiver out of the game.

When lined up inside, he has allowed a 61.5% completion rate, 6.2 yards per target and a passer rating of 71.6 on over 300 targets. – Pro Football Focus