Getty Dravon Askew-Henry, former New York Guardians (XFL) breaks up a pass
Darnay Holmes has been the most-hyped new addition in the New York Giants secondary during training camp. However, the former UCLA standout is far from the only cornerback making a lasting first impression on the coaching staff.
Dravon Askew-Henry spent the early part of 2020 locking down opposing wideouts for the XFL’s New York Guardians. Starting in September he may very well be taking meaningful snaps for the Giants’ defense.
Askew-Henry Shines in Scrimmage
Askew-Henry will likely never live up to the high standards his seven-time Pro Bowl cousin, Darrelle Revis, put on display during his illustrious 11-year NFL career. However, the two-time All-Big 12 Honorable Mention finally appears to be making a name for himself with the Giants this summer.
Askew-Henry has continued to make plays on the football throughout Giants training camp, something that carried over into Big Blue’s hour-long scrimmage on Friday morning. The cornerback broke up two passes on his way to earning honorable mentions in Giants.com’s Scrimmage Standouts column.
His play also helped lead to NJ Advance Media’s Matt Lombardo highlighting the 24-year-old on his list of Sleepers to Emerge from First Scrimmage.
Askew-Henry jumped the route along the sideline and swatted an Alex Tanney pass intended for wide receiver Tony Brown to the ground. Two plays later, Tanney tried to fit the ball into a tight window to Brown, and Askew-Henry swatted that away, too.
Given the Giants’ lack of quality depth at cornerback, there is an opportunity for Askew-Henry to push for a roster spot and playing time.
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Could Askew-Henry be a Surprise Starter?
With DeAndre Baker’s playing status this season in great doubt, the Giants are in desperate need of an answer opposite James Bradberry. The aforementioned Darnay Holmes appears to have the early lead in the clubhouse. However, Askew-Henry’s superior size and length could make for an intriguing positional battle as we quickly approach the regular season.
Askew-Henry certainly looks the part of an outside starting cornerback in the league. The 6-foot-tall, 203-pound Askew-Henry has a six-plus inch wingspan advantage over the 5-foot-10-inch Holmes.
In college, Askew-Henry starred with the West Virginia Mountaineers, operating as both a cornerback and a safety. Over his four-year run in Morgantown, the defensive back started 51 career games, a school record. He finished his collegiate career with 215 total tackles, six interceptions, and 10 pass breakups.
Askew-Henry has made his fair share of pitstops during his short NFL career. As an undrafted free-agent in 2019, the Aliquippa, Pennsylvania native spent time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots prior to being selected by the New York Guardians with the No. 31 overall selection in the 2020 XFL Draft.
Askew-Henry collected 12 tackles (10 solo) and six pass breakups in four games with the Guardians prior to the season being terminated due to the pandemic.
The under-the-radar addition of Askew-Henry this offseason received little fanfare, yet may prove to pay some of the most dividends for a Giants defense desperate for help on the backend.
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