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It’s hard to think of a fourth-round draft pick in recent memory who has carried such lofty expectations from his fan base quite like New York Giants rookie Darnay Holmes. However, a quick overview of his inaugural training camp performance and it’s easy to see why Giants faithful are so giddy over the former UCLA star.
With just 11 days until the team takes the field for Week 1 of the regular season versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, Big Blue held their third and final intrasquad scrimmage on Thursday. Very much like the way Holmes started his summer, he ended it with a bang.
Per usual, the cornerback was all over the field on Thursday, making plays on the football left and right, highlighted by not one, but two touchdown-saving pass breakups in the endzone.
Holmes’ dominant play not only capped off a brilliant training camp for the rookie, but also earned him top seeding in Giants.com Dan Salomone’s Scrimmage Standouts column.
“The rookie started training camp on this list, and he will end it that way,” Salomone said. “Holmes has been one of the biggest standouts of the summer, which was especially important in a young Giants secondary.”
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What Will Holmes’ Role Be?
Just one week ago it appeared that the Giants would have no choice but to have Holmes line up on the boundary opposite free-agent addition James Bradberry come Septemeber 14. However, the addition of four defensive backs in a six-day span has drastically altered the look of New York’s secondary, allowing the team to rethink their approach on how to use the talented rookie.
Am I saying Holmes can’t be an outside corner? While his 5-foot-10-inch frame may shed some doubt on the prospect, I certainly wouldn’t bet against it, especially with the way he’s performed throughout camp. As a matter of fact, Holmes spent the majority of his UCLA career locking down PAC-12 receivers while playing on the outside.
Yet, while Holmes would more than likely be able to hold his own on the boundary, he has the makings of a potential gamechanger working out of the slot.
If either Corey Ballentine or the recently acquired Isaac Yiadom, who checks in at a prototypical 6-foot-1-inches, can prove to be a viable option on the outside, the Giants not only improve in the slot with the insertion of Holmes, but a slew of other positions.
Holmes manning the slot would allow the Giants to use Julian Love in a hybrid safety role and likely starter in place of the injured Xavier McKinney. It would also permit the newly-signed Logan Ryan to tap into his desire of being used as a swiss-army knife, in the mold of a Tyrann Mathieu, rather than a slot-only corner that so many pegged the veteran throughout the offseason.
For all the flack the Giants’ secondary has received this offseason, mostly for reasons out of their control, the team has put together quite the intriguing unit, and none more so than the rookie Holmes.
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