With New York Giants training camp beginning in late July, BigBlueInteractive.com (BBI) breaks down each of the team’s positional groups until the players report at Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
FIND A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL BREAKDOWNS HERE
POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN: Defensive Backs
2024 YEAR IN REVIEW: A year ago at this time, the New York Giants were breaking in a new defensive coordinator. Shane Bowen was coming from a Tennessee Titans team that employed more zone coverage than Wink Martindale’s heavy man schemes. The Giants had promoted defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, who was also interviewed for the defensive coordinator spot, to defensive passing game coordinator. The team had re-signed cornerbacks Nick McCloud, Darnay Holmes, and Adoree’Jackson in free agency, although the team did not seem to show much interest in Jackson until a week before the regular-season started and that was probably the result of neither McCloud or Cor’Dale Flott seizing the position opposite of 2023 1st-round Tae Banks. At safety, the Giants had lost Xavier McKinney in free agency and replaced him with 2nd-rounder Tyler Nubin. The Giants also drafted nickel corner Andru Phillips in the 3rd round.
When the dust settled, the results were not good. Banks was thrust into the role of the team’s #1 corner and did not seem as comfortable in the zone schemes. It was not so much that he was getting burned in coverage, but he failed to turn his head and make plays on the ball. Worse, he clearly took some plays off and was briefly benched. He started 14 games. No one really took command of the other outside corner spot. McCloud started five games, but was surprisingly cut in early November. Cor’Dale Flott started ten games and Adoree’ Jackson five games. When injuries mounted, even Tre Hawkins and Greg Stroman started games at corner. While Tyler Nubin improved and showed promise, he was no Xavier McKinney, who had his best season (First-Team All-Pro) in Green Bay. Fellow starting safety Jason Pinnock regressed. A bright spot was Andru Phillips, who earned the nickel job as a rookie with his physical, no-nonsense play.
Reserve safety Dane Belton saw more playing time in 2024, playing in all 17 games with six starts. Others who saw their playing time vary were corners Art Green and Dee Williams, as well as safeties Anthony Johnson and Raheem Layne.
While the team was tied for 8th in passing defense (210.6 yards allowed per game), the Giants only intercepted five passes all year (four by defensive backs). Poor run support and tackling also contributed to the team’s pathetic run defense. When the season was over, the Giants fired Jerome Henderson and his assistant Mike Treier.
ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS: No area of the team has changed more this offseason than the secondary. Jerome Henderson and Mike Treier were replaced by Secondary Coach/Defensive Pass Game Coordinator Marquand Manuel and Cornerbacks Coach Jeff Burris. Manuel comes over from the Jets while most of Burris’ coaching experience is at the collegiate level. Both played for a bunch of NFL teams as players.
Adoree’ Jackson and Jason Pinnock signed with the Eagles and 49ers, respectively. Greg Stroman remains unsigned.
The biggest splashes the team made in free agency were the signings of CB Paulson Adebo (3-Years, $54 million) and S Jevon Holland (3-Years, $45.3 million). The Giants also signed CB Nic Jones, who had been on the Practice Squad of the Chiefs, in January. The team drafted CB Korie Black in the 7th round and signed CB O’Donnell Fortune, CB T.J. Moore, and S Makari Paige as undrafted rookie free agents. Two other UDFAs, CB R.J. Delancy and S Tommy McCormick, have already been cut.
TRAINING CAMP STORY LINES: It’s my sense that the major additions in the defensive backfield – Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland – are not being talked about enough. If everything goes as it should, these two will completely revamp what was a disappointing unit in 2024. Both are play-makers, and both are physical players who will play the run and tackle. The 26-year old Adebo is now the #1 corner on the team and the 25-year old Holland is now the leader of the defensive backfield.
When you factor in two promising second-year players – nickel back Andru Phillips and safety Tyler Nubin – the fan and media attention rightfully focuses on Tae Banks, who is coming off a terrible year. Disappointing play and effort, too many penalties and missed tackles. By all accounts so far, Banks has been working hard this offseason and has impressed his teammates. It is important to note however that Cor’Dale Flott has been splitting time with Banks with the first unit in the spring. Banks has the tools. He looks the part of a stud corner. But he has to make plays. It’s the one spot on this defense that makes people a bit nervous.
Depth at corner and safety bears watching too, especially after Flott and Belton. There are a lot of bodies, but is there talent?
ON THE BUBBLE: There are 11 corners on the roster. At most, the Giants will likely keep six with Paulson Adebo, Tae Banks, Andru Phillips, and Cor’Dale Flott having four of those spots pretty much locked up. At safety, where there are six on the roster, the Giants will probably keep four with Jevon Holland, Tyler Nubin, and Dane Belton being three. In other words, barring injury, there are probably three open spots for the other 10 players.
FROM THE COACHES: Head Coach Brian Daboll on the competition at cornerback: “I would say that we’ll find out who the starters are at the end of training camp… We think a lot of Deonte, we think a lot of Flott. They both produced for us in a number of different ways and they both deserve an opportunity to compete.”
Brian Daboll on Paulson Adebo: “He’s been a good addition to our defense. Big, long corner, can run, can cover, makes plays on the ball, has a number of pass breakups, good in the room for the young guys. He’s been a good addition.”
Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen on the defensive backfield: “Obviously adding Adebo helps. Got a proven corner in this league. Obviously he’s coming off the leg, but he’s been great in terms of that. So just gives us another piece, right? So between him, between Tae, between Flott, between Dru, those other guys that are battling it out. Obviously safety, Dane has been really good for us here early. Like he’s had a really good spring. Finding ways to get him on the field, what he can do for us to help us. But really encouraged about that group. I think (Marquand Manuel) and Jeff (Burris) have done a really good job with them,.. They’ve done a really good job working with those guys and I’m encouraged about where we are at right now.”
Bowen on Paulson Adebo: “Great, pro, comes to work every day, practices hard, makes plays on the football, he’s long. We’ve seen that more than a few times out here, whether it’s picking a pass off, whether it’s getting a PBU, not afraid to challenge. I think just for that room, a relatively younger room, I think he’s been an asset in there as well, just the experience, the knowledge. Again, like coming in we have high expectations for him and part of that was the leadership role. Like we’re expecting you to come in here and take on that role and thrive in that role and hopefully continue to help us to develop some of these younger guys.”
Bowen on Tae Banks: “He’s come in, he goes to work every day. Like he’s locked in in meetings. He locked in out here. Jeff (Burris) is doing a really good job with him, spending time with him, talking to him, teaching him the game, just the approach. Like the approach, the professionalism, being locked into what we’re asking him to do. You notice him asking questions, wanting to know more, wanting to be a little bit more detailed with what we’re asking him to do. So I’m encouraged about the progress he’s made from when he got back here to where we are right now. Hopefully we can continue that trajectory throughout the rest of the spring and as we get into training camp.”
Secondary Coach/Defensive Pass Game Coordinator Marquand Manuel on Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland: “You have leadership first. Let’s start there. Guys who have done it at a real high level. So that has been really, really good. Both in the classroom and on the field, and in the locker room. What a lot of people fail to realize is that voice that echoes the coaches. Those guys have seen a lot of football – the good and the bad – and how to get where we want to get to. Those are two great tools to have.”
Marquand Manuel on Tae Banks: “He’s been focused. Coming in, that was the main thing. He’s been focused, working on his craft. Understanding right now that it is a competition, how to get better. All those small things, like leaning on Adebo and those guys to really see how to do it… He’s been locked in.”
Marquand Manuel on Jevon Holland and Tyler Nubin: “We can be interchangeable… Now we can put ourselves in position where we can disguise a little bit more.”
Cornerbacks Coach Jeff Burris on Tae Banks: “His mindset has been a little different this year. We sit in the meeting room, he’s asking questions. He’s also presented to the group as well. The small details, those are the things he needs to be challenged on… His approach has been different… He is athletically gifted. The tools are there. His approach, he just needs to be detailed about what he is doing… His focus has been there… Now is the time to make that next step. He’s done an amazing job just learning what we are trying to do.”
FINAL THOUGHTS: Understandably, much attention has been focused on the the New York Giants defensive front, especially with the additions of Abdul Carter, Chauncey Golston, Darius Alexander, and Roy-Robertson Harris. But do not underestimate the impact that Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo will have on the defense, not only in coverage, but also in run defense. Indeed, on paper, the New York Giants defense looks stacked at all three levels. But there is usually one caveat thrown in there – how well Tae Banks rebounds. One wonders what the tipping point was that cause Jerome Henderson and Mike Treier to get fired? Just a year ago, Henderson was up for the DC job. As a consolation prize, he was promoted. A few months later, he’s fired. It reeks of internal turmoil between Shane Bowen and the defensive back coaches he did not choose. Was Banks’ disappointing play involved in all of this as well?
Speaking of coaching, I still worry if Bowen is adaptable enough to make it all work. His two top corners right now are best at man coverage. Will Bowen adjust to his players’ strengths? The good news is has two interchangeable safeties, who can play up or back. That will make it easier for Bowen to disguise coverages. Also keep in mind that Dane Belton is a pretty darn good back-up behind these two. With a dynamic pass rush, a year under the belts of Phillips and Nubin, and the additions Adebo and Holland, interceptions should dramatically increase. If they don’t, something is wrong.
Barring injury, it’s pretty easy to predict four of the corners and three of the safeties who will make this team. It’s those final spots at corner and safety that are tough. Art Green had a good spring. He and Tre Hawkins were working with the second unit. Both have the size teams crave. So does Korie Black, who has the added benefit of being a very good special teams player. Many were surprised rookie UDFA O’Donnell Fortune was not drafted and he has a shot as well. That said, it’s anyone’s guess who the final two corners and last safety will be. They could be still scanning the waiver wire too.
FINAL DEPTH CHART: Paulson Adebo, Tae Banks, Andru Phillips, Cor’Dale Flott, Art Green, Korie Black, Jevon Holland, Tyler Nubin, Dane Belton, Raheem Layne