It is no secret that the New York Giants are thin at the cornerback position with DeAndre Baker on the commissioner’s exempt list and Sam Beal opting out of the 2020 season. General manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge did go out and sign former Tennessee Titan Logan Ryan, but at this stage in his career, it is believed he’s a better fit at safety.
How will the New York Giants supplement to CB2 spot?
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham could utilize a bevy of different players at CB2 throughout the season. He could put Ryan there, Corey Ballentine, and even Julian Love. I would also be remiss not to mention Darnay Holmes, who did receive some reps on the outside during camp. However, none of them are extremely motivating aside from Ryan, but he has lost a step with his age and cannot be 100% trusted at the position on an every week basis.
Then you have Ballentine, who has minimal experience under his belt and struggled in his rookie campaign coming out of Washburn University. He had an OK camp but did struggle at times, indicating he might not be the safest option.
That takes us to the waiver wire, and one former Eagles corner makes sense for the Giants. Drafted in the second round in 2017, [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”az35qf52vy” question=”Do you think he’s worth picking up?” opened=”0″]Sidney Jones started four games last year for the Eagles and played in 12[/wpdiscuz-feedback]. He racked up 23 combine tackles and posted a 51.6% completion rate against. He only allowed two touchdowns, missing 8% of his tackles. While he only played in 29% of defensive snaps, he has the talent to develop in a more friendly scheme. Defenders have stated that Patrick Graham’s system is meant to simplify everything and bring the best out of man coverage corners.
Back in 2017, PFF stated that Jones was best playing press man-coverage and has great ball skills. While he hasn’t been able to excel with the Eagles, joining Graham’s scheme could be a complete overhaul of his style of play. It would fit him better, and the Giants might be a better team for picking him up.