The decision to not re-sign Julian Love was a little surprising considering how much he got from the Seattle Seahawks. Regardless, the Giants now have an opening at one of the safety positions along side of Xavier McKinney. GM Joe Schoen drafted Dane Belton in the 2022 draft and Gervarrius Owens in the 2023 draft. Schoen also signed Bobby McCain in free agency and picked up Jason Pinnock off waivers last season. These are the top 4 candidates that will be competing once training camp begins. Which player has the edge? Let’s see what each one brings to the table.
- Bobby McCain: McCain has some versatility in his game as he has played a total of 40 games at cornerback during his early years in the NFL, but it appears he will see most of his snaps at safety. McCain has the most experience among the four competing, but that won’t guarantee more playing time under Wink Martindale. With that said, it appears that McCain is penciled as one to beat at this point.
- Dane Belton: Belton had an up and down rookie season in 2022 season as he displayed solid effort against the run, but struggled in coverage, especially against tight ends. Belton needs to come to camp ready and prepared as his margin for error will be limited. At this point, I see Belton giving McCain a tough battle and whoever performs better during the pre-season game should get the nod to start at safety.
- Gervarrius Owens: Owens was a late Day 3 selection in the 2023 draft and has shown some promise during the OTA’s thus far. A lot would have to go Owens way for him to earn a starting spot in the Giants secondary. In the end barring injuries, I believe Owens best chance to make the Giants roster is on special teams and even that could be a long shot.
- Jason Pinnock: Pinnock saw a lot of playing time in 2022 for the Giants after the injury to McKinney and perhaps he could be the sleeper to un-seed both McCain and Belton for the starting safety position. However; he still has a lot of work ahead of him to make that happen and like Owens, a lot of breaks need to fall in his favor.
The safety position isn’t talked about by Giant fans and the media as a position to keep an eye on in training camp. However, it should be noted as a position that could offer the most entertainment during training camp.
With only three pre-season games, each player will need to have their “A” game for each one as the margin for error is slim to none. Also keep in mind that Wink Martindale could use multiple players in certain packages and lastly Schoen could look towards the waiver wire throughout training camp if a certain safety is available that fits the team’s budget and culture.