New York Giants Training Camp Preview: CB Nick McCloud

Will cornerback Nick McCloud earn a heavier defensive role from the New York Giants in 2024?

Jan 7, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) catches the ball as New York Giants cornerback Nick McCloud (44) pursues during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The early years of New York Giants cornerback Nick McCloud’s NFL journey have been a battle to make an active roster and prove he can provide a real impact on the defense. Entering his third season in East Rutherford, he’ll have another chance at the former and the possibility of doing more of the latter for the team’s secondary. 

A fourth-year player undrafted out of Notre Dame, McCloud’s first full season was spent hopping on and off practice squads in Buffalo and Cincinnati. He was waived twice by the Bills during roster cuts in August 2021 and 2022 and spent limited time on the field with the Bengals in between those two stints, earning just 14 snaps in coverage. 

McCloud finally broke the trend at the end of the 2022 preseason when he was claimed off waivers by the Giants. Appearing in 14 games during the 2023 campaign, the 25-year-old became an important piece to the deep field, playing in 537 snaps as both an outside and slot corner and tallying 43 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and seven pass deflections. 

McCloud played in 295 coverage snaps, the fourth-most among his fellow cornerbacks, and gave up an opposing reception percentage of 61.9 percent, which was good for the third-lowest average in the position group. He allowed just 92 yards after contact and helped keep the secondary intact with a 3.7% missed tackle rate.

In addition to defense. McCloud supplemented his responsibilities with some work in the special teams department returning and covering for kickoffs and punts, developing into one of the team’s best punt gunners. That would be the only area his role grew in the following season and that’s something he should look to change in the season ahead. 

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NICK MCCLOUD, CB

Height: 6-1
Weight: 193 lbs.
Experience.: 4 Years
College: Notre Dame
How Acquired: FA-22

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2023 in Review

The ironic part about Nick McCloud’s performance in 2023 was that he improved in certain defensive statistics but actually took a dip in the amount of work he received in that phase of the game. 

While he was active in all 17 games for the Giants, McCloud finished fifth among cornerbacks on the leaderboard with 28 total tackles, three forced fumbles and one interception in 312 total snaps. 

His opponent reception percentage went up to 68.2 percent, but he cut his targets in half and limited opponents to just one touchdown allowed. 

McCould finished as the fifth-highest player on the Giants in terms of defense in overall coverage grade, but his status on the depth chart fell behind guys like veteran  Adoree’ Jackson and Cor’Dale Flott who took a bigger share of the snaps as inside slot corners while Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins III held down the outside positions. McCloud was relegated more to special teams work for all three phases—kick, punt and field goal blocking—where he earned the third-highest snap count on the team.

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Contract/Cap Info

McCloud signed an RFA tender worth $2.985 million that carries no guaranteed money. 

As such, McCloud will make the entirety of his tender if he makes the 53-man roster at the end of camp and remains for the regular season. If the Giants cut him, his entire APY will be credited back to the team’s cap.  

2024 Preview

The Giants have been no stranger to dealing with injury problems in their secondary over the past few seasons. Each year, the team has found themselves looking for increased production out of their No. 4 or 5 cornerbacks on the depth chart, a possibility that could see McCloud step into the ring to prove himself once again as a capable defender at this level. 

Yet even with the departure of Jackson in free agency and the questions surrounding the young talent on the roster, the Giants still made some new additions to create heavy competition once training camp starts in August. 

They signed a couple veterans in David Long, Jr. and Tre Herndon to compete for an outside spot, and re-signed Darnay Holmes to compete with rookie Dru Phillips in the slot.

McCloud’s most likely role, however, will be on special teams, where, again, he was one of it not the best the Giants had on that unit. What helps McCloud’s case for a roster spot is not only can he give them quality snaps on special teams, he can also give them snaps on defense in a variety of ways as a spot reliever.  

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