New York Giants CB David Long Jr.: The Good, the Great, and the Ugly

The Giants need a veteran presence at cornerback David Long Jr. is hoping to provide

CB David Long Jr. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants have moved on from veteran cornerback Adoree Jackson, who remains unsigned. Without him on the roster, not many veteran cornerbacks are left to pair with the abundance of youth the team has acquired at the position. That makes signing five-year veteran corner David Long Jr. an important signing for this team.

Long spent his first four seasons as a pro playing in Los Angeles for the Rams, who drafted him in the third round. After a relatively inactive first season, he made ten starts over the next three seasons, nine in his final two years for the Rams, before spending the 2023 season for the Panthers, Packers, and Raiders. 

So, what is Long’s value to the Giants besides being a veteran? Is he just a special teamer and spot starter who can mentor the younger defensive backs on the team, or can he find his way into a starting spot on this team? 

Given his bouncing around to different teams in 2023, we examined Long’s final two seasons with the Rams to examine his game's good, great, and ugly aspects.  

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The Good: Pass Disruption

Over his final two seasons in LA, Long started nine games. He had five pass breakups and an interception. When he sees the ball in the air, he attacks. He has the anticipation to time his break, the speed to get him to the ball, and the aggression to play through the receiver. 

@CountryGiants
The Good: #NYGiants cornerback David Long Jr. does a good job of breaking up passes or getting his hands on the football when given the opportunity. He attacks when he sees the action coming. pic.twitter.com/CC83Md8jYl

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) May 9, 2024

He does not pick off passes much. Even going back to his two seasons playing for Michigan, he only had three interceptions, but he had 12 pass breakups. 

It could be that he's too aggressive and, therefore, is not concentrating on intercepting the ball. Instead, he's thinking about making contact with the receiver. He's a disruptive back who can be annoying for pass catchers to deal with on the perimeter. 

The Great: Tackling

Regardless of the situation, Long seems to have found a way to get ball carriers on the ground. It was not a skill that he needed to show much in college. However, in the NFL, you need to show your worth in whichever way possible, and his aggression has gone from pass coverage to tackling. 

Over his professional career, he’s proven to get a ball carrier on the ground. He has 97 tackles for his career, and 61 of them came during that final two-year stretch with the Rams. 

@CountryGiants
The Great: #NYGiants new corner David Long Jr. is excellent at tackling in the box or in the open field. He is definitely an aggressive player against the run. pic.twitter.com/Hs9zs2qZmZ

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) May 9, 2024

More impressive is that 82 of those career tackles were solo, and 53 occurred during that same two-year period. He gets so many solo tackles because he attacks the ball carrier in areas that stop the player from moving forward. 

He takes out legs or corrals ball carriers until help arrives. This has served him well on special teams and while playing corner. 

The Ugly: Inconsistency

In a league that is dying to find quality coverage, guys, it doesn't matter where you are drafted. You will work your way into a starting role if you can consistently effectively in coverage. 

@CountryGiants
The Ugly of new #NYGiants corner David Long Jr. is that he is sometimes a little late that inconsistency gives up crucial plays. pic.twitter.com/dnsNt6jnDS

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) May 9, 2024

It is telling that Long did not find a consistent job with the Rams, and no other team picked him up with the thought of making him a permanent starter. 

Heading into 2022 after a stellar postseason in which he balled out and helped the Rams collect their second Lombardi trophy, he was thought to have an inside track to a permanent role, especially considering the lack of draft picks. 

He could not hold on to that job and eventually left in the offseason. It may just be that he does not make enough splash play to make teams consider him a playmaker. 

Coach’s Counsel

This is a good signing if for no other reason than there are not many experienced cornerbacks on this Giants roster. Long has proven he can play on the outside. Is he the answer? Maybe not, but he can be a short-term solution and provide quality depth to this team.

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