The New York Giants continue to attempt to find solutions at cornerback this summer after the loss of potential starters DeAndre Baker (commissioner’s exempt list) and Sam Beal (opt out).
They signed former Carolina Panther James Bradberry in free agency to take the role of the ‘veteran’ voice in the cornerback room and were hoping one of their recent high draft picks — Baker, Beal or Darnay Holmes — would emerge as the other starter.
That competition is now down to Holmes, who sizes up more as slot corner, Corey Ballentine, Chris Williamson and free agent Montre Hartage. Depending on how that goes, the Giants might be prepared to give safety Jabrill Peppers comes reps there this year.
The Giants conducted a padded practice on Monday and head coach Joe Judge may have topped his hand a bit on who he likes in the group.
Joe Judge on rookie CB Darnay Holmes: “I don’t think Darnay is backing off from any challenge.”
— Paul Schwartz (@NYPost_Schwartz) August 17, 2020
Holmes, the Giants’ fourth-round pick out of UCLA in this year’s NFL Draft, spent his summer working out with Peppers and the club is excited about Holmes’ prospects. But is he an outside corner or another slot corner, where they already have Grant Haley and Ballentine?
“We’re cross-training him right now, outside and inside, as all our players are doing right now,” Giants defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson said last week. “He’s doing a good job in camp, but he has a long, long way to go. We haven’t even gotten to the pads yet to really see. That’ll be when you can really see what you have in those guys, is when we put the pads on and it’s a little more competitive, it’s real and he’s going against guys.
“Right now, we’ve just been in shorts. He’s been positive, doing some positive things. He has some growing to do. But we’ll see what he is when we put the pads on and actually compete against each other.”
Apparently Holmes is showing what he can do to get a compliment from the head coach.
