The New York Giants are rather thin at the safety position entering training camp in a few days; Darian Thomspon and Andrew Adams will be facing off to earn the starting free safety job, but the former Boise State ball-hawk will have an up-hill battle in the coming weeks.
After having a porous 2017 campaign plagued with missed tackles and blown coverages, Thompson will be looking to carry over his experience and make a significant improvement in 2018. After playing in only two games in 2016, Thompson’s de-facto rookie season was last year – a year in which the defense ranked 28th in points allows (24.2) and 31st in passing yards allowed (252.4).
How bad was Thompson for the Giants last season?
The ball-hawk safety failed to show his true potential, recording 13 missed tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. He had just one interception and six passes defended in 16 games started.
He will be in competition with Adams, Curtis Riley, and former Miami Dolphin, Michael Thomas. While they aren’t particularly top-notch safeties, they present enough of a battle for Thompson this offseason. We could see a mix of the four safeties come the regular season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see defensive coordinator James Bettcher, play the hot hand on any given day.
Thompson has the ability to locate the ball and make big plays, while Adams is more conservative in his play-style and can tackle more efficiently. Riley is a converted cornerback that could surprise us, and Thomas is a Pro Bowl level special teams player, something the Giants need and might not be willing to risk by starting Thomas regularly.