The priority for the New York Giants this off-season was to resolve the issues in their secondary finally. After Janoris Jenkins made public remarks that resulted in his release, the Giants knew they had to attack a new cornerback in free agency. They ended up with James Bradberry, who stated himself that he didn’t expect the Giants to come out of the woodwork and offer him a reasonable deal. Nonetheless, the former Panther is now wearing blue and headed to New York.
The improvement of the secondary didn’t stop there, as general manager Dave Gettleman spent his second-round pick on Xavier McKinney out of Alabama. McKinney is a stellar athlete who recorded seven turnovers in 2019. He can act as a ball hawk but also move up to the line of scrimmage and rush the passer on delayed blitzes. He fits perfectly in Patrick Graham’s defensive scheme, which relies heavily on man coverage and safety activity.
While the secondary might not be elite, they have the potential to improve significantly in 2020. Considering the average age, we should be excited about the talent currently on the roster and what they’re capable of in a more diverse scheme.
Here is a look at how young the New York Giants secondary really is:
1.) James Bradberry (26)
2.) DeAndre Baker (22)
3.) Julian Love (22)
4.) Jabrill Peppers (24)
5.) Xavier McKinney (21)
6.) Darnay Holmes (21)
The average age of all these players is 22.6, making them one of the youngest secondaries in the NFL by a large margin. Bradberry, who is still in his prime, is the oldest of the bunch. I factored in Darnay Holmes as a starter considering his coverage abilities and the lack of talent behind him. I also included Julian Love in this group, as I believe Graham will utilize three safety looks frequently next season. These are the six players I believe will earn the most playing time, so calculating the average age gives us a solid idea of where they stand and their experience as a unit.
It is important to note that being young can also be a problematic factor in the NFL. A lack of experience and physical development could hurt the unit in 2020, but they also have leadership and extreme athleticism to work with. Baker, Peppers, McKinney, and Holmes are all considered above-average athletes, relevant to NFL secondary players.
There’s a lot to like with this group, as McKinney and Peppers posted a combined 11 turnovers in 2019. While McKinney did feature in college, he has impeccable tackling technique and has the making of a star at the next level. Bradberry is a reliable corner that can follow No. 1 receivers from the boundary into the slot. The addition of two premium players should result in improvement across-the-board, but the increase in experience for Baker, Love, and Peppers should only add more production to the defense.