While New York Giants rookie passer Daniel Jones has progressed well this offseason, there are several other new faces that have shined equally as bright.
Tight end CJ Conrad has been fantastic, WR Darius Slayton has ramped up his production, and outside linebacker, Oshane Ximines has provided optimism to the coaching staff. However, cornerback DeAndre Baker has been the most impressive thus far in camp.
What does DeAndre Baker bring to the New York Giants:
His aggressiveness at the point of attack and elite speed has shown that he can compete as the No. 2 corner opposite veteran, Janoris Jenkins. Baker’s over-confidence was on display as he adapted to the NFL process, but he has backed it up with impressive play since his inception.
His competition with second-year player Sam Beal, but essentially a rookie due to his should injury that kept him out for the entire season, was building heat early on -Â since then Baker has taken the No. 2 spot and hasn’t looked back. Beal missed several practices due to personal reasons which set him back significantly in the position battle.
With Beal being a theoretical rookie, missing crucial practice time to leave his mark hurt his stock. There’s still plenty of time to climb back into the race, but at the moment it’s a daunting task.
Baker, though, has great tangible skills in coverage. While he hasn’t been able to engage in press-coverage off the line of scrimmage, he has man-marked receivers to perfection. Having a top corner in the No. 2 spot opposite Jenkins will fill a much-needed hole the Giants have struggled with in recent years.
Last season, they had B.W. Webb filling the second-spot, and while he held his ground, it was clear opposing team were picking on him. If Baker can reach his potential, we could see the secondary turn into one of the team’s better units.