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These Two Giants Moves Named Favorite and Least Favorite in New Analysis

The Giants have made a baker's dozen free agency moves so far, but a new analysis finds two that are on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Kambui Bomani

Oct 27, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland (8) enters the field before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium.
Oct 27, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland (8) enters the field before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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The New York Giants added 13 new players to their roster during the initial free-agency rush, with a heavy focus on the defensive line, defensive secondary, and offensive line depth.

And of the moves made by the Giants, two, in particular, stand out as far as Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus is concerned–but for different reasons; one is a favorite, and the other is not.

According to Cameron’s research using PFF’s data, the best move was the signing of safety Jevon Holland, a move deemed the Giants’ most impactful free agency signing of the cycle so far. 

The former Miami Dolphins player agreed to a three-year $45.3 million contract with New York, which pales in comparison to the projected contract PFF had him for (4 years, $82 million).

While the four-year pro is coming off the lowest PFF defensive grades of his career, Holland’s addition to the Giants was applauded by Cameron as a positive step in the right direction to shore up the backend of its secondary after the team went through last season having lost safety Xavier McKinney to the Packers in free agency.

Cameron believes that Holland will seamlessly fit into the Giants' defense, adding, "Since Holland’s rookie season in 2021, the talented safety has ranked in the 88th percentile or above in numerous PFF stable safety metrics, including PFF coverage grade at free safety, in the slot and on passes without pressure."

Holland's versatility on the defensive backend is undeniable. The former Oregon Duck standout played 700+ snaps at box safety, 2,200+ snaps as a free safety, and 400+ snaps in the slot for his career.

He’s posted a PFF career run defense grade of 76.4 and a career coverage defense grade of 74.6. Both numbers highlight his ability to be a factor in the run game while being a playmaker on the backend as the last line of secondary defense. 

Considering he’s providing positional production that the team lacked last year, the Giants' brass's signing of Holland may be the best move of this offseason. 

offensive tackle James Hudson III
Cleveland Browns offensive tackle James Hudson III (66) walks off the field after getting banged up on a play during the first half of an NFL preseason football game at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

As for the least favorite move, Cameron pointed to offensive tackle James Hudson III. Hudson is a former offensive lineman of the Cleveland Browns who posted a negative PFF WAR while accumulating an overall 50.3 PFF offensive grade. 

Throughout Hudson’s career, he’s been pigeonholed as the Browns' backup offensive line option. He played just eight games of over 40 snaps in 2023 and allowed 28 pressures and four sacks during that span.

Injuries wrecked his chances of getting more opportunities in 2024, but he still allowed 15 pressures, eight hurries, and seven quarterback hits during his four-game sample size as a starter. 

New York signed Hudson for a two-year $11 million to compete for the team’s swing tackle role, which, combined with Hudson’s pedestrian career thus far, is likely dampening Cameron’s enthusiasm for the signing.  

“It’s difficult to find many moments where Hudson has truly shined at the tackle position,” Cameron wrote. “He’s particularly shaky in pass protection, having earned sub-50.0 PFF pass-blocking grades in the past three seasons. An injury cut short his 2024 campaign, but it’s hard to envision him standing out in New York.”

The point Cameron misses is that Hudson wasn’t brought in to start this year but rather to provide depth at a position where the Giants struggled to find capable players last year when injuries hit the offensive line, particularly Andrew Thomas. 

And based solely on the objective, there doesn’t appear to be anything glaring about Hudson's signing to compete for that swing tackle role. 

The Giants have not finished reshaping their roster, as they still have next month’s draft. It will be interesting to see how they combine the young talent they’ll acquire with the new and returning veterans already on the roster.

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Kambui Bomani
KAMBUI BOMANI

Kambui Bomani is a Jackson State and Syracuse University alum who has covered various NFL news and topics. He’s provided NFL postgame coverage and article analysis on teams, players, and matchups. Before joining New York Giants On SI, Bomani served as the Associate Editor for Pro Football Focus from 2021 to 2022. Previously, he freelanced as an NFL List Writer for GiveMeSport.Com in 2024 and was The Daily Memphian’s General Assignment Reporter from 2023 to 2024.

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