Projecting the New York Giants’ secondary for the 2020 season

The New York Giants’ defense has been shaken up this off-season due to legal issues and draft capital spent to improve the talent pool. Securing Xavier McKinney in the second round of the NFL draft provides another option at safety after the Giants featured Antoine Bethea in the defensive backfield in 2019. Ultimately, the unit needed upgrades across-the-board, finishing as the 30th ranked defense in the NFL.

With the Giants hosting seven rookies starters in 2019, a year of experience under their belt should provide an elevation in production and efficiency. However, names on paper and practice film don’t equate to winning on the football field. Without a preseason to utilize, the Giants will undoubtedly have hiccups along the way during the 2020 season.

The Giants have been proactive in the secondary:

The secondary has been a focal point for general manager Dave Gettleman, as he drafted a bevy of young players in 2019. Ranging from Corey Ballantine to DeAndre Baker, the secondary was completely different, aside from Janoris Jenkins, who was the seasoned veteran of the group. Gettleman then traded Odell Beckham Jr. away to the Cleveland Browns, in which the Giants received Jabrill Peppers and draft capital in return.

With the injection of new talent in the secondary, the unit is unpredictable and unestablished.

Projecting the New York Giants’ secondary:

CB1: James Bradberry

The Giants signed Bradberry to a three-year deal this off-season, passing over Byron Jones for the second-best option on the market. Last year, Bradberry tallied 65 combined tackles, 12 passes defended, three interceptions, a 59.8% completion rate against, and allowed just one score. He’s an above-average covered corner who can hold his own on the boundary and in the slot. He will shadow the opposing team’s No.1 receivers.

CB2: Darnay Holmes

The Giants attempted to sign Ross Cockrell over the weekend, but the deal fell through. Subsequently, the Giants went out and signed undrafted free agent Prince Smith instead. He does not hold the same immediate starting value that Cockrell does, so we have to imagine the Giants will look to their youth to supplement the CB2 spot.

I believe fourth-round pick Darnay Holmes holds the talent to compete and win the job, as it contains a similar frame to Janoris Jenkins. Holmes has elite athleticism and a worker’s mentality, which should allow him to adapt quickly to the NFL, but again, starting a mid-round rookie at an important position is never an ideal scenario.

FS: Xavier McKinney

Last year, Antoine Bethea was a liability in coverage. While he played well against the run, he fit more of a strong safety role, rather than playing in the backfield. Drafting Xavier McKinney should allow the Giants to utilize cover-1 more effectively and feel confident contesting deep passes.

McKinney has some of the best game speed at the position entering the NFL. He racked up seven turnovers with Alabama last year.

SS: Jabrill Peppers

Jabrill Peppers missed five games last season after going down with a season-ending hip injury on a punt return. In 2019, Peppers made the transition to strong safety from free safety. He had remarkably similar stats in five fewer games compared to the 2018 season. His 76 combined tackles, three forced fumbles, and one interception promote his evolution on defense.

If he can continue his development, peppers can be a staple on the Giants defense.

Slot CB: Julian Love

While Holmes was projected as a nickel corner in the NFL, the New York Giants desperately need to fill the CB2 position. Love enjoyed playing time at multiple positions on defense in his rookie season, including slot corner.

While he doesn’t have that quick-twitch ability, he is a highly intelligent player who can hold his own in coverage. Having played cornerback at Notre Dame, he has the experience to fill in if need be in the slot. He also played well against the run at strong safety after Peppers went down in 2019. I prefer Love fill the spot over Grant Haley, who is more of a run-stopping corner then a coverage option.