Getty New York Giants defensive back Gervarrius Owens wraps up a tackle in 2023.
Training camp is always an intriguing time to be a fan with so many different prospects and veterans vying for a place on the 53-man roster. And that’s definitely the case for the New York Giants in 2024.
The NYG front office has brought in a ton of competition this year and that means roster spots won’t come easy. Players will have to earn their keep — and that includes recent draft picks.
In fact, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan recently predicted that 2023 seventh rounder Gervarrius Owens would miss the final roster cut with veteran Jalen Mills filling the fourth and final safety role in his place.
“Mills got the edge over Owens for the final spot because it would make sense to have a versatile veteran as a backup with this young group,” Duggan reasoned on June 17. “It would have been easier to keep Owens if he showed anything as a rookie to suggest he’ll be a core special teamer.”
Unfortunately, the DB out of Houston did not show much at all during year one, and practically redshirted the season.
According to Pro Football Reference, Owens only logged 37 snaps on special teams as a rookie, with one total tackle and one fumble recovery. During the regular season, the 24-year-old did not register any snaps with the Giants defense.
Giants Could Have Very Young Secondary in 2024
Duggan makes a good point. Without Mills, where is the veteran presence in the secondary?
The most likely candidates to start at cornerback and safety in 2024 are Deonte Banks (23 years old), Cor’Dale Flott (22), Jason Pinnock (24), either Tyler Nubin (23) or Dane Belton (23) and either Dru Phillips (22) or Nick McCloud (25) in the slot.
McCloud is the veteran of that group, and he’s a journeyman UDFA who first entered the league in 2021. Or Pinnock, who was drafted by the New York Jets the same year.
Either way, the experience is limited without Mills or another veteran newcomer like Tre Herndon or David Long making the team. So, predicting that one of those three will remain with the franchise is not a stretch — and Mills signed for the most guaranteed money of the trio.
That doesn’t leave much room for Owens. Last year, the late-round selection stuck around as an extra defensive back, but it feels like there’s less space in 2024.
Owens is going to have to give the Giants a reason to keep him in training camp or the preseason. If not, they could subject him to waivers in an attempt to sneak him onto the practice squad.
Giants Media Member Dan Duggan Bets on Darnay Holmes Beating out Tre Herndon & David Long at CB
Sticking with the secondary, Duggan also predicted that Darnay Holmes would win a role on the 53-man roster this summer. Beating out Herndon and Long at cornerback.
“As it stands, Holmes got the nod for the last corner spot (and 53rd spot in this projection),” the reporter stated. “He has versatility, as he worked on the outside during the spring, and showed value on special teams last season.”
Holmes is a rare holdover from the Dave Gettleman regime who has earned an opportunity with Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen. A fourth-round selection in 2020, the 5-foot-10 DB has appeared in 56 total games with the G-Men, starting 13 of them.
He has also logged over 1,400 snaps on defense with another 260 on special teams.
Holmes has shown an ability to impact the game during his tenure. He has four career interceptions, two forced fumbles and 18 passes defended, not to mention three tackles for a loss and a half-sack.
Along with Banks, Flott, Phillips and McCloud, 2023 sixth rounder Tre Hawkins rounds out the room with Holmes in this scenario.