New York Giants Training Camp Position Preview: Safeties
We're taking an in-depth look at the New York Giants position groups before the start of training camp--the battles, the players, the questions, and more.
Here is our look at the safeties, our final position group of the series.
Dane Belton
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Rostered Players
Xavier McKinney, Dane Belton, Bobby McCain, Jason Pinnock, Nick McCloud, Gervarrius Owens, Alex Cook
Position Overview
The New York Giants safety position group is amid a transformative transition. Last season, the Giants' safety unit was led by Xavier McKinney and Julian Love, who established a collaborative and influential partnership for the Giants secondary to lean on. Love, who led the team in tackles (124), also had one of his best campaigns in coverage, coming away with two interceptions (a career-high) and five passes defended.
The Giants defense was pretty solid against the pass throughout the regular season due to Love and company, finishing 14th in passing yards per game (214.0) and 13th in passing yards per play (6.40). Four of the Giants' six interceptions last season came from their safeties: two from Love and two from Dane Belton.
The biggest issue this defense faced last year was slowing down the run. The Giants conceded an average of 144.2 rushing yards per game (27th in the league). And one of the Giants’ best run-stoppers last season was Love himself, who had 30 stops (13 against the run). The next best Giant defensive back in run stops was Fabian Moreau, who had just three.
With Love now playing for the Seahawks, this safety group has not only found itself with a few new faces to bolster their ranks (such as Bobby McCain) but also has decided to invest in their younger, still-developing talent.
The Giants have a handful of directions they can look at and could very well deploy a committee approach should no clear winner rise to the occasion for Love’s starting spot. The Giants safety unit has plenty to work with when improving their pass coverage. However, when it comes to stopping the run, this group faces a much bigger challenge than last year, especially without Love.
OTHER POSITION GROUPS
Running Backs | Tight Ends | Wide Receivers | Offensive Line | Quarterbacks | Defensive Line | Inside Linebacker | Outside Linebackers | Cornerbacks
Biggest Question Mark
Can they match, if not surpass, the success they achieved last season?
When you have a starter like Love, who led the charge as the lead tackler and run stopper out of the secondary, the options are you either find someone else who can deliver a similar role or find a way to make up for the missing player by rearranging the responsibilities each Giants safety has.
The greater focus of this question comes down to consistency and a position's ability to continue to develop in the right direction from season to season. The Giants went 10-8-1 in 2022 (including the postseason) and will certainly aim to be better over the 2023 campaign. To achieve that, each position must make the strides it needs so that the team can perform at its best and fulfill its potential.
For the Giants safeties, this starts with the star and leader of the group in McKinney and has to transcend to the rest of the unit. And because Love is no longer a Giant, this safety group will certainly have to prove its worth again.
Key Training Camp Battle
The key training camp battle to watch for among the Giants safety unit will be between Dane Belton and newcomer Bobby McCain, and for a few reasons.
Belton, who was a rookie last season, made the most of his reps and opportunities to grow into his potential, and the Giants certainly liked what they saw. In 15 games (5 starts), Belton came away with 31 combined tackles (24 solo), two interceptions, three passes defended, and two fumble recoveries.
Considering the inconsistency surrounding the number of reps he received, Belton illustrated plenty of upside and could very well expand upon his development this season.
On the other hand, the Giants also signed eight-year veteran McCain, who, with the Commanders these last two seasons, illustrated some really strong play out of the defensive secondary.
Over the 2022 campaign, McCain had a career-high in total tackles (76) and solo (54), highlighting his potential to fill some of the tackling void Love left behind. In 2021, McCain had a career-high four interceptions, indicating yet again that he’s only gotten better in coverage with time.
That being said, who stands the best chance to prevail in this positional battle? In this case, the starting position alongside McKinney is likely Belton’s to lose. After showing what he could do last season, Belton possesses a lot of promise and comes with a good coverage and tackling combo skill set the Giants could use out of their defensive secondary. Though neither is particularly great against the run, the difference in coverage talent sets them apart.
Last season, Belton kept his reception percentage to 69.2 and came away with two interceptions, tying Love for first on the team. Though McCain can also produce these numbers, it comes down to consistency for him, something he’s grappled with throughout his career.
McCain managed to post a subpar 78.7 reception percentage last season, but the year before, he had a 59.4 reception percentage with four interceptions. Last season against the Giants over Week 15, McCain allowed all nine of his targets to be caught for 74 yards.
Unless McCain shows he can be better in coverage, it’s unlikely the Giants will want to take a risk with him as their starter right away, particularly since he’s still learning a new defensive scheme.
Training Camp Position Grade: C+
Aside from McKinney, the Giants don’t have many guarantees they can lean on to deliver on the expectations they are after. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if the Giants resorted to a committee approach come the regular season, seeing there very well could be no clear-cut replacement to take over Love’s previous role.
The greater concern, as a whole, is the depth. McKinney went down with a costly injury last season that led him to miss eight games. And if that happens again in 2023, the Giants don’t have many viable options to turn to like they did last year with Love.
With Belton still a work in progress and McCloud new to the position, the Giants don’t have great backups to tap into should multiple injuries plague this group. Because of their lack of security and increased dependency on their best safety, rewarding this position group with anything better than a C+ is challenging.
Early 53-man Roster Projections
- Starters: Xavier McKinney, Dane Belton
- Backups: Bobby McCain, Nick McCloud, Jason Pinnock
- Practice Squad: Gervarrius Owens
- Cut: Alex Cook
Belton’s role as McKinney’s partner could fluctuate depending on how well he plays. Backups like McCain, McCloud, and Pinnock will definitely be plug-and-play pieces the Giants can use for specific designs, roles, or starters should injuries come into play.
Though Alex Cook could have a chance at competing for a spot on the practice squad, the Giants' seventh-rounder in Owens brings far more to the table with his coverage.
McCloud is a great athlete with plenty of valuable experience as a defensive back that’s not worth letting go or placing in the practice squad. It’s best if the Giants keep McCloud as a backup and bump Owens to the practice squad.
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