New York Giants rookie defensive back Darnay Holmes knows he’s at a disadvantage already in his young NFL career. The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented him — and all there rookies — from hitting the practice field and launching the next chapter in his life.
The restrictions not only have Holmes champing at the bit, the Giant coaches and fans are also interested in seeing what the former UCLA star can so.
In an interview on the Giants’ website, Holmes told Madelyn Burke what’s he’s been doing to get ready for training camp, which begins in a little less than two weeks.
“I’m pretty much sharpening my mind,” Holmes said. “At the end of the day, everyone is at the same skill set. Everybody is on the same playing field. Now it’s like, ‘How am I going to separate myself?’ I’m constantly placing people in my corner who have been in this realm, constantly educating myself about myself, educating myself about this game. So, once I step foot on that turf or on that grass, I’m ready to rock and I have that unwavering faith and belief in myself.”
The Giants selected Holmes in the fourth round of this year’s NFL Draft (110th overall), which was a bit of surprise considering all of the players the Giants have added to their secondary since Dave Gettleman took over the club as general manager two and an half years ago. They see him not only as a natural fit for their open nickleback spot but as a special teams asset as well.
“Darnay is definitely a guy that jumps out at you,” said head coach Joe Judge. “He’s got good speed, he’s got real good short area quickness. He’s contributed on the defensive side of the ball, he’s had impact in the kicking game. He plays with a good edge, shows some nasty. You can see he definitely plays bigger than his size. He’s a guy that jumped out at us at the Senior Bowl. His tape backed up what we saw down there. I’m really happy we were able to add him.”
Holmes is happy to be here. He’s ready to jump in and help the Giants wherever they need him.
“I see myself just playing a role in whatever they want me to play a role in,” Holmes said. “If they want me to play gunner or wherever they want me to play, I’m going to go out there and really maximize that role. If I get back there and catch a few balls, I would definitely love to do that. But if not, I’m going to be the one who’s encouraging that punt returner to make sure we have complimentary football going.”
