The New York Giants have been readjusting their defensive backfield this summer. A few key departures spurred some offseason acquisitions that gave a new look to the secondary. However, there is still one hole in the lineup that seems to be plaguing the back end of the Giants’ defense.
The Giants have a “major issue” at cornerback
The Giants kicked off their joint practices with the New York Jets on Wednesday as both teams prepare to face each other on Saturday evening in the final week of the preseason. The Jets’ offense clearly got the better of the G-Men on day one of practice with QB Aaron Rodgers connecting on several big plays through the air.
Highlighted by the Jets’ success during practice is a clear weakness in the Giants’ secondary. Deonte Banks is the team’s starting No. 1 cornerback. But opposite Banks, a position battle has taken shape for the CB2 job this summer, but no one has been able to definitively earn the job just yet.
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The lack of a clear-cut starter was never more apparent than on Wednesday as the Jets’ wide receivers ran free. Connor Hughes of SNY was in attendance at practice and highlighted the Giants’ “major issue” at cornerback as his primary takeaway:
“The Giants desperately need to figure out what they are going to do at corner opposite Deonte Banks because that is a major issue right now,” Hughes said following practice. “Cor’Dale Flott, he didn’t look good, didn’t practice against the Jets, but didn’t look good in training camp up to this point. We had Nick McCloud filling in for Flott. He struggled mightily against Garrett Wilson who caught two touchdowns against him.”
McCloud’s struggles against the Jets in the teams’ first joint practice highlight a concerning trend of the summer. The Giants’ cornerbacks (outside of Banks) have struggled to cover nearly every top wide receiver they have faced.
Flott and McCloud have just 24 career starts combined to their names (11 for Flott, 13 for McCloud). Big Blue’s secondary is young, inexperienced, and in desperate need of a breakout performer. However, that bonafide starter has yet to emerge this summer. It’s becoming a major concern for this team with one preseason game left to be played.
