New York Giants 2022 Training Camp Roster Preview: CB Darnay Holmes

Before his season-ending ribs injury, cornerback Darnay Holmes was a solid contributor. But will there still be a place for him moving forward?

Author:
Brandon Olsen
Publish date:
Jun 23, 2022 8:00 AM EDT

In this story:

New York Giants

It seems as if since birth, Darnay Holmes was destined to play in the National Football League. Holmes is a second-generation professional football player whose father, Darick, played in the NFL from 1995 to 1999.

Coming out of Calabasas High School, the younger Holmes was a five-star recruit that was the 22nd-ranked player in the nation. Holmes was at UCLA from 2017 to 2019, where he was an instant impact player that started 33 of his 35 career games. After his college career, Holmes would play in the 2020 Senior Bowl before entering the NFL Draft.

As a rookie, the Giants' fourth-round pick in 2020 saw time in 12 games, with five starts. Holmes would play 11 games with four starts in his second season in 2021. Unfortunately, a ribs injury ended his sophomore campaign prematurely, and the Giants used that roster spot to sign quarterback Jake Fromm to reinforce the quarterback depth in the wake of the Daniel Jones injury.

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What He Offers

Nov 8, 2020; Landover, Maryland, USA; New York Giants cornerback Darnay Holmes (30) smiles while leaving the field after the Giants' game against the Washington Football Team at FedExField. — Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Holmes is on the shorter side for a cornerback, but he makes up for it with an aggressive mindset and physical play style. With his size and skillset, Holmes is best-suited to work in the slot. In his NFL career, Holmes has played 601 of his 724 (83 percent) defensive snaps from the slot corner alignment.

In coverage, Holmes has been fairly inconsistent thus far, allowing 62 receptions on 82 targets for 626 yards. He hasn’t allowed a touchdown yet in his career, has intercepted two passes, and has allowed a passer rating of 86.7.

One of the reasons that Holmes is consistently projected to remain working as a slot defender is his willingness and ability as a tackler. In nine games in 2021, Holmes missed just two tackles with 25 total tackles and five stops for a gain of three yards or less.

Holmes has contributed to special teams on both kick and punt coverage and return teams. In college, Holmes would be used as a returner and found success there.

His Contract

Cornerback Darnay Holmes, Giants Training Camp 2020 — Giants.com

After being the 110th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Holmes signed a contract with the Giants worth $4,086,888 over four years. He was guaranteed $791,888 with his contract.

In 2022, Holmes will account for .53 percent of the Giants salary cap. Should the Giants decide to release Holmes at this time, they would clear up $697,028 in cap space while taking a dead cap penalty of $395,944.

Holmes is currently set to be the 25th highest-paid Giant in 2022 and the fifth highest-paid defensive back on the roster.

Roster Projection/Expectations

Feb 28, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; UCLA defensive back Darnay Holmes (DB17) speaks to the media during the 2020 NFL Combine in the Indianapolis Convention Center. — Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Holmes should be on the Giants roster and at the top of the depth chart at nickel in 2022. The future could get somewhat murky depending on what else happens in the Giants secondary, with players like Cor’Dale Flott, Aaron Robinson, and Julian Love capable of contributing in the nickel spot.

With his mentality and skillset, Holmes projects to be a great fit in this aggressive Wink Martindale defense. Holmes could be in the biggest year of his career.

The biggest question for Holmes in 2022 is if he could stay on the field for all 17 games. If injuries continue to pile up for Holmes, he could find himself on the outside looking in for the Giants in 2023.