Film Review | What Can Cornerback James Bradberry Bring to the Giants Defense?

Leadership to a young defensive backfield? Yes. But former Carolina cornerback James Bradberry, who will sign a three-year contract with the Giants once free agency officially begins Wednesday, also gives the Giants a physical cornerback capable of playing man coverage, a likely staple in defensive coordinator Patrick Graham's new Giants defense.

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The Giants made their first big splash in free agency by adding a Dave Gettleman Panthers draft selection in 6-foot 1, 212-pound cornerback James Bradberry, a second-round pick in 2016 out of Samford University.

Bradberry possesses incredible length with 33⅜” arms and regularly showcases above-average athletic ability that is highlighted by his lower body explosiveness and short-area quickness. His hips are good enough to play the outside boundary corner, which is his primary position.

According to Pro Football Focus, Bradberry faced 81 targets and allowed 48 receptions (59.3%), while surrendering two touchdowns on 647 yards, along with recording three interceptions and nine passes defensed in 2019. Yet he didn't have favorable grades, as he was ranked 103rd among cornerbacks in overall defense and 72nd in coverage.

I feel there is more to be encouraged about when looking at the tape. In four seasons, Bradberry has eight career interceptions, and below you can see the three from 2019: 1 in week one against the Rams, and two at Tampa Bay against Jameis Winston.

The first pick comes off a curl flat combo to the boundary side. The Panthers are in Cover-3, and Bradberry does a good job opening outside towards the flat route, which gives the illusion of an open curl route behind the linebacker, albeit middle linebacker Luke Kuechly is right there. 

One of Bradberry’s best qualities is his football IQ, and his ability to see through assignments, read the quarterback and understand route combinations. Bradberry opens outside while reading Winston’s eyes and seeing the curl. He then uses his short-area quickness to explode through the catch point and make the interception. Bradberry excels at the catch point with physicality and good ball skills.

The second interception is at the top of the screen, on one of the last plays of the game. Bradberry reads through the vertical route to eye down Winston and tracks the ball with ease. 

Another positive aspect of Bradberry’s game is his discipline and patience in space. This pick is an easy "wait, jump, high point, and secure" interception, to ensure that his team gets the win. 

The third interception comes in off-man coverage on a dig route by Robert Woods. Bradberry is well off the receiver, playing with ample space, and waits for Woods to commit, while keeping the play in front of him. 

Once Woods goes inside, Bradberry cuts through the inside hip of Woods, showcasing his lower body explosiveness and short-area quickness, to earn the interception.

Another quality part of Bradberry’s game is his ability to click and close on underneath routes, which helps him out in off man and zone situations. The ability to click and close is a product of decisiveness, positioning, and good athletic traits. 

Above, you see Bradberry come off his route and show high mental processing and awareness to close width downhill hard and deliver a disruptive hit at the catch point, with good timing. 

These types of plays often happened on his film and are evident in his game. He has the closing burst to explode through the catch point, and when he is square and coming downhill, he can really be a nuisance to receivers.

The video above shows his closing burst too; Bradberry passes routes off, reads through assignments, and follows the quarterback's eyes to his destination. 

This should help the Giants on two route combinations that are so prevalent in the NFL, but that would really be maximized if the Giants had a pass rush. Without a pass rush, it could be exposed, which shows up sometimes on film due to Bradberry’s propensity to be aggressive when he trusts his eyes. 

You can also see Bradberry’s willingness to come downhill and hit players hard in space right after they catch the football. 

I have my reservations about Bradberry’s tackling ability. I feel he’s a willing tackler, who is rarely out of position, but he lacks strength in this area. He looks to be more of a wrap and hold or "throw his body at ball carrier" type of tackler than a "wrap and drive" defender. Either way, he doesn’t shy away from contact, which is something us Giants’ fans have seen in recent years.

Bradberry has been tasked with defending the No. 1 receivers in the NFC South, which means seeing Michael Thomas (Saints), Julio Jones (Falcons), and Mike Evans (Bucs) two times a year.

Bradberry has solid speed for the position, but he’s not a burner by any means. If his aggression works against him, he may not have the recovery speed to combat that mistake against faster receivers, which we see in the first clip above against Julio Jones. 

Luckily for Bradberry, this was a bad overthrow by Matt Ryan. But Bradberry, whose hips are above average, got duped by Jones and his lack of top-end speed was exposed, along with Bradberry’s struggles with balance when he gets too high. 

On a better note, the second clip is Bradberry staying in phase on an inside route by Mike Evans; he stays in the hip pocket of the talented receiver. In the third clip, he follows Evans up the numbers to the redline and towards the sideline, while being patient with the route in front of him.

(Clips via NFL Game Pass.)