With all the issues the New York Giants had with their pass defense last season, there’s a real possibility the team carries seven corners on the roster in 2019.
Big Blue ranked No. 23 against the pass in 2018, and as bad as the run defense was, somehow the pass defense was able to overshadow it. That has got to change if the Giants hope to be successful in what has become a passing league.
Beyond Janoris Jenkins, there are plenty of question marks in this young secondary. The Giants need to figure out who will line up across from their No. 1 corner, as well as who will man the slot in the nickel.
As bad as things were last season in the secondary, general manager Dave Gettleman has done what he can to give himself as many options as possible. In fact, it looks like the G-Men could have some solid depth coming out of training camp.
How that depth situates remains to be seen, though.
Janoris Jenkins
After starting off his Giants career on fire, Jenkins has cooled off considerably in recent years. Whether it was injuries in 2017 or poor play throughout 2018, Jenkins has not been the No. 1 corner the team envisioned when it signed him to a five-year, $62.5 million deal.
Now that the Giants have attempted to change the culture in the locker room, the hope is Jenkins will rebound and return to form. Not to mention, talk about his decline should only add to the motivation for him to play better in 2019.
With Big Blue sporting a young secondary this upcoming season, Jenkins will be the veteran of the bunch and the Giants will need his leadership if this team’s defense is going to get back on track.
Deandre Baker
It isn’t clear who will be the Giants’ No. 2 corner in 2019, but Deandre Baker is certainly one of the candidates to earn that spot. The first-round pick (No. 30 overall) had a consistent and impressive career in Georgia, earning himself several honors in the process, including the Jim Thorpe award as the nation’s best defensive back.
One concern for Baker is size and how he will matchup with bigger receivers on the outside. The hope will be that he can at least bulk up a bit to help alleviate that issue.
Baker’s specialty is man-to-man coverage, which is something he excelled at in college. He could very well be the answer the Giants have been looking for as a solid No. 2 across from Jenkins.
Sam Beal
Picked up by the Giants in the 2018 NFL Supplemental Draft, Beal didn’t play a snap with the team last season. Instead, he was ruled out for the year with a shoulder injury last July.
Beal started off the spring looking great, but there’s no question that missing practices for personal reasons hurt his momentum. In that time, Baker shined and may have taken the lead in the race for the No. 2 corner.
Along with Baker, the Giants will have a stiff competition for the right to line up across from Jenkins. Unfortunately for Beal, a lost first season doesn’t help him in the on-field experience department. Regardless, a good camp for both Beal and Baker would indicate the G-Men actually have some serious depth at the position.
Tony Lippett
Tony Lippett was a fifth-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins back in 2015 and started in 13 games for them in 2016. Lippett then suffered a torn achilles in 2017, and was cut by the Dolphins the following year.
Before that, Lippett showed some flashes for the Dolphins in his second season, making 13 starts and totaling 68 combined tackles, four interceptions and 10 pass defended. The Giants scooped him up in October of last season, just two days after trading Eli Apple.
Lippett got into three games for Big Blue in 2018 and has been impressive this spring, only aiding the idea that he has a real shot at the 53-man roster. There is certainly some upside in the 27-year-old and he’ll serve as more depth at the cornerback position.
Julian Love
A fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Love didn’t do much to stand out this spring. It was clear he didn’t have the top-end speed necessary to cover faster receivers, which led to him struggling on the outside.
He could find a home at safety at some point, but the Giants have the kind of talent at the position that will make it tough for him to break through right away. Instead, Love’s best bet to be a starter will be as a nickel corner for the 2019 season.
Love proved to be solid against both the pass and run in college, and he does have the ball skills and intelligence to be a solid corner despite his lack of speed. Look for Love to compete in an uphill battle for the nickel in camp, and perhaps play some safety.
Grant Haley
After working his way onto the Giants’ 53-man roster, Grant Haley started in nine games for Big Blue in 2018, compiling 33 combined tackles (three for loss) and two passes defended.
While he’ll likely make the team out of training camp, Haley will have competition from Love, who is the Giants’ other candidate to man the slot. The undrafted free agent out of Penn State took first-team reps at nickel this spring and consistently made plays.
If we’re going to pick a front-runner in this looming camp battle, the edge definitely goes to Haley. He’s been impressive this offseason, and his experience gives him yet another notch in his belt to being named a starter once again in 2019.
Corey Ballentine
To say Corey Ballentine has been through a lot this offseason would be an understatement. Not only was he shot shortly after being drafted, but his friend, Dwane Simmons, tragically lost his life in the incident.
Ballentine is thankfully OK physically now, and was able to return to the practice field in a limited fashion this spring.
The sixth-round pick should make the roster out of camp, with the expectation that he’ll serve as a backup in what has become a crowded field of cornerbacks. We also expect to see him contribute on special teams.
Other players
Behind Jenkins and his puppies are Antonio Hamilton, Ronald Zamort and Henre’ Toliver, all of whom seem unlikely to make the 53-man roster, but could be battling for a spot on the practice squad or elsewhere.
Hamilton entered the league as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Oakland Raiders in 2016, joining the Giants last year and appearing in 13 games. He recorded just six tackles and played primarily on special teams.
Zamort, unsurprisingly, spent the first two years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals, including one year under James Bettcher. He has not appeared in a regular season game and signed with the Giants on a reserve/futures contract in December.
Finally, Toliver, who appeared in 48 games for the Arkansas Razorbacks, went undrafted in 2018 and spent times in the now defunct AAF. What he brings the Giants is a load of versatility, having spent time at strong safety, free safety, cornerback and in the box.
