Exploring How the Giants Might Deploy Their Cornerbacks

DeAndre Baker's legal issues aren't the only cause for concern when it comes to the Giants cornerbacks. Pat Ragazzo takes a look at the various questions facing this unit and tried to forecast how it might all play out, barring anything unexpected.

DeAndre Baker's legal issues aren't the only cause for concern regarding the Giants cornerbacks.

Other than the addition of James Bradberry, the Giants corners are still a relatively young and minimally experienced group.

Sam Beal is entering his third season but has struggled to play due to injury. Grant Haley is also entering his third season, but he's had some ups and downs in the slot.

Corey Ballentine and Julian Love are both entering Year 2 in which each was deployed in the slot for part of the year, a position that didn't suit either man's skill set.

And Darnay Holmes and Chris Williamson are both Day 3 draft picks chosen this year.

That's a lot of youth, but there is also talent among that group that the team is hoping will start to peak under a new set of coaches led by defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, himself a former NFL cornerback, and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, a coach who tends to fit the scheme around the talent he has as opposed to the other way around.

What might it all mean for the deployment of the Giants cornerbacks in 2020? Let's break it all down.

Outside Cornerback

The Giants signed Bradberry to a 3-year $45 million deal as their significant free-agent acquisition of the off-season to be one of the two starting perimeter corners.

Bradberry has great closing speed and had success covering some of the league’s top wide receivers in Michael Thomas and Mike Evans, who he played twice a year in the NFC South.

New Giants cornerback James Bradberry isn't a twitchy athlete and can get overly aggressive at times, his length and physicality show up in press coverage. He does his best work at the LOS and should be used as such. pic.twitter.com/r4xEAIizxN

— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) March 17, 2020

He also has the versatility to lineup on the outside or in the slot, which allows him to shadow the opponent's top receiver regardless of where he lines up.

Whereas last year the Giants didn't have their cornerbacks travel, the feeling is that Graham will deploy this strategy.

And speaking of Bradberry, although he's not a slot cornerback, there could be instances where he'll see time in the slot, especially if he ends up traveling with the opponent's top receiver.

Bradberry, who has been just as productive in his career as Byron Jones, the former Cowboys cornerback who signed a blockbuster deal with the Dolphins, should give the Giants defensive secondary a much-needed boost.

Assuming Baker is not available this year--and it would not be surprising if his legal issues aren't resolved in time for camp--the other perimeter cornerback spot will probably come down to a competition between Ballentine and Beal will be competing to start at this spot.

Beal, the team's third-round pick in the 2018 supplemental draft, has talent but has struggled to stay healthy. He missed his entire rookie season after undergoing shoulder surgery, and last year, he landed on injured reserve again for half the season after straining his hamstring in camp.

When he did return, Beal showed flashes of potential with increased playing time, where he batted down one pass and came up with a huge tackle for a loss for a safety against the Miami Dolphins in Week 15.

According to PFF, Beal allowed one touchdown in 20 pass targets against him, posting a 104.3 NFL rating. While a big reason for that was that Beal had no interceptions and allowed a 76.2 completion percentage, of the 130 yards he gave up in coverage, only 20 came after the catch.

Ballentine played well on the outside in preseason last year, breaking up several passes and recording an interception. Due to Grant Haley’s struggles in the regular season, the Giants coaching staff opted to give Ballentine a chance to play slot corner, a position he had never played before and one in which he struggled.

Being a young rookie cornerback transitioning to the NFL is challenging enough with expected growing pains. To be asked to play a position that one has had limited experience was a challenge for the former Washburn defender.

With Joe Judge and his new coaching staff vowing to play guys to their strengths, Ballentine will likely be moved back to his natural position on the outside, where he'll probably compete with Beal for the starting job if Baker isn't back.

Slot Cornerback

The slot cornerback position was a glaring issue for the Giants' defense last season, where Haley and Ballentine struggled mightily.

As such, the team sought to upgrade the talent, though it's unlikely that one guy will be exclusively assigned to the slot.

The primary candidates to keep an eye on for most of the snaps at this position include Julian Love, who will probably see time at safety, and Darnay Holmes, this year’s fourth-round pick out of UCLA.

Love did not see the field on defense until the final six games of the season, but once he stepped into the lineup, he did not disappoint.

He saw snaps at free safety, strong safety, and in the slot, where he allowed 19 completions for 190 yards and one touchdown. He also recorded 37 tackles, five tackles for a loss, three pass breakups, and one interception.

Love played on the outside in college at Notre Dame, and he could be part of the competition with Ballentine and Beal for the outside cornerback. Still, given Love's versatility, PFF's pick for the most underrated Giant is probably going to have multiple roles on defense.

Holmes is listed at 5”10" and 195 pounds, but this is a player who brings freakish athleticism and blistering 4.48 speed that he showed off at the combine.

Holmes has received high praise from the likes of Hall of Fame cornerbacks’ Deion Sanders and Rod Woodson, the latter of whom called the young defender “the sleeper of the draft.”

Regardless of how the starting and primary roles play out, the Giants appear to have more depth at the cornerback position that they didn't have previously--, and that includes Chris Williamson, a seventh-round pick who will compete for a roster spot as well.

Whether that depth, which again is still on the youthful side, makes a difference this year remains to be seen.