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Practice may have looked a bit different for the New York Giants on Friday morning when compared to the rest of training camp, but the star of the show remained the same.
Big Blue got their first taste of near-real game action in an hour-long scrimmage at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, and just as he has all camp, rookie fourth-rounder Darnay Holmes shined.
Darnay Holmes Continues to Make Plays
Holmes’ eye-popping interception wasn’t his first of training camp, but it was certainly the most memorable, and helped him cement a spot on Giants.com’s Scrimmage Standouts.
The rookie made the play of the day (and camp so far), going full-extension for an interception on a deep ball down the left side. Parallel to the ground, Holmes corralled the pass and maintained possession as he hit the grass. Who says defensive backs can’t catch? It was another step in the right direction for the fourth-round pick out of UCLA who already had a few picks under his belt this summer.
With Giants fans clamoring for Holmes to stake claim to the CB2 gig opposite big-ticket free-agent James Bradberry, a tall-task for any mid-round rookie, defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson has been notably wary of feeding into the Holmes hype. Henderson recently noted to media that Holmes “has a long, long way to go,” as well as “some growing to do.”
Speaking of growing, Holmes appears to be growing right in front of our eyes, seemingly improving on a daily basis. His scrimmage performance even earned praise from a somewhat unlikely culprit, head coach Joe Judge, one not known for handing out compliments with regularity.
He’s a real competitive guy that comes to work every day with a full head of steam. He’s very attentive. I’m not surprised to see him improve day by day. I was pleased with the way he played today. I’m sure there are things that he has to clean up. I have a couple of things off of the top of my mind right now, as I do with every player on the team. But I was pleased with the way he came out and competed today.
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Holmes Destined to Nail Down Starting Job?
Holmes isn’t the only cornerback making noise in camp, second-year defensive back Corey Ballentine has flashed at times, while Dravon Askew-Henry broke up two passes during the scrimmage.
It’s easy to get enamored with the length of the latter two, especially when compared to the 5-foot-10-inch Holmes. However, when it comes down to it, the Giants are looking to get the 11-best defenders they possibly can, and if recent events are any indication, Holmes is certainly one of them.
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