By Michael J Basile, @MikeyFresh04
The NFL season kicks off in 6 weeks. It’s crazy that we are right around the corner. Now that the draft and free agency have been completed, we have gotten a sneak peek into what every team has done to tweak their rosters heading into 2021. For the NY Giants, the defense was far better than the offense in 2020 as they finished in the top third of the league in both yards allowed (12th) and points per game allowed (9th). The offense on the other hand was near the bottom of the league, only better than the New York Jets. That’s right, there were 30 franchises ahead of the Gmen in yards and points scored.
Now that the Gmen get ready to enter year two of the Joe Judge era, Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham has the pieces to have another strong defensive showing. The one unit that stands out above the rest is the secondary.
The Defensive Back Field:
- James Bradberry was a lockdown corner in year one with the Giants and will continue to be a top player at his position. I believe he’s in the top two or three cornerbacks right now and still has room to grow in Grahams system.
- Adoree Jackson, the high profile free agent signing; The thought of him opposite Bradberry is exciting. He has the potential to be a lockdown corner, especially covering number two wide receivers. If he is healthy, he will make plays.
- Darnay Holmes, a scrappy player the team thinks can improve in year two as the slot corner or even in a dime package. Holmes is s tencious player who has proven he can play in this league.
- Isaac Yiadom who had his moments, but as a depth player can give you quality snaps during the course of a game.
- Aaron Robinson, is hard nose player with good speed that isn’t afraid to mix it up. He has the skill set to contribute as a rookie on special teams and potentially push Yiadom for a spot in the dime package.
Safeties:
- Jabrill Peppers – hard hitting, sure tackler and one of the defensive capatains
- Logan Ryan – solified the unit as a leader who puts everything into his craft. Major impact as soon as he arrived.
- Xavier McKinney – high hopes for this ball hawk
- Julian Love – swiss army knife.
Talk about depth . . . Top-end talent. And ascending players combined with veteran leaders. It’s a perfect mix, that’s why I’ll give them a nickname.
The Big Blue “Glue” crew.
Maybe the name sticks but either way, I know this unit will stick every receiver they line up against.