Giants Country

This Defensive Back Would Be a Good Fit for Giants

The New York Giants are still a bit thin at safety. PFF's Brad Spielberger has a suggestion to help remedy that.

Patricia Traina

Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon (32), Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023
Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon (32), Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023 / Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY
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The New York Giants have added players in free agency and lost a few, but many believe the team might want to add more at safety.

Although the Giants, who already have Jason Pinnock and Dane Belton at the position, signed veteran Jalen Mills to shore up the depth, Pro Football Focus’s Brad Speilberger believes former Colts safety Julian Blackmon would be another good free-agent addition the Giants, who lost Xavier McKinney in free agency.

Spielberger notes that Blackmon, like Mills, is versatile enough to play corner and safety. “Blackmon started for two seasons in college at cornerback and has logged more than 350 slot snaps since 2022.

“In Gus Bradley's Cover 3-heavy scheme, Blackmon spent plenty of time as a single-high safety. Almost half of his snaps were down in the box in 2023. Blackmon appears to be a better fit near the line of scrimmage due to his average recovery speed, but his plus lateral movement and solid ball skills from his days as a cornerback show up more often when closer to the line of scrimmage.
Blackmon's 30 defensive stops in 2023 were more than his career total before this season, and he missed a career-low 7.4% of tackle opportunities."

The Giants might feel otherwise regarding safety depth, but one position on defense they've been actively looking to fill is cornerback. They have an opening at CB2 after Adoree' Jackson's contract was voided.

The Giants hosted former Bills defender Tre'Davious White for a visit last week. He ended up signing with the Rams, leaving the Giants searching for a viable CB2 option opposite Deonte Banks. Fortunately, the draft class is loaded with corners, albeit mainly slot corners. However, between the draft and the younger talent they have on the roster, the hope is that the Giants will find the right option to start on their defense this season.

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Patricia Traina

PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for over three decades for various media outlets. She is the host of the Locked On Giants podcast and the author of "The Big 50: New York Giants: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants" (Triumph Books, September 2020). View Patricia's full bio.