New York Giants Darnay Holmes' Strong Summer Showing Impresses PFF
New York Giants rookie cornerback Darnay Holmes was one of the Giants' biggest defensive playmakers during training camp this year, and his strong performance has been recognized on Pro Football Focus' list of most impressive rookies from training camp ahead of the 2020 season.
Holmes, the Giants' fourth-round pick out of UCLA, has spent time playing in the nickel and at the boundary in training camp. He is also expected to be a top contributor to the Giants' special teams as a potential return man, a role he also filled in college, even scoring a kick-off return touchdown in 2018.
The Giants' secondary has lost its fair share of impact players throughout the offseason and training camp. Holmes is projected to fill a critical role as a rookie. During training camp, he's shown plenty of evidence in camp of being able to make an impact.
According to John Schmeelk of Giants.com, Holmes “was probably the most productive player in the entire defensive backfield during training camp.” The former UCLA cornerback fell to the fourth round because of his size (5-foot-10, 195 pounds), but we liked him as one of the top slot corner options in the draft. He finished ranked 86th on PFF’s draft board despite an injury-plagued junior campaign that saw him earn only a 61.8 coverage grade.
Holmes made the most of his chances this summer, recording several interceptions and pass breakups. His playmaking ability dates back to his college career in which he recorded 17 passes defended and eight interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, in his three years at UCLA.
Leading up to the draft, analysts had Holmes projected to be one of the best nickel corner prospects in this year's class, even though he didn't play that spot much in college.
His tackling efficiency, recovery speed, and footwork at the line of scrimmage are among his best traits. If Holmes can apply those physical gifts while also achieving technical improvement, he can significantly impact the Giants' secondary.
In his junior year at UCLA in 2019, he allowed 51% of the pass targets against him to be completed for 311 yards and five touchdowns for an 86.3 passer rating allowed when targeted according to PFF's 2020 draft class stats.
Holmes has gone the extra mile over the last several months to prepare for his first NFL season. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Holmes joined fellow Giants defensive back Jabrill Peppers to train with local defensive backs trainer Brian Walker back in July.
The extra training has seemed to pay off for Holmes, as his exceptional training camp performance has resulted in the much-deserved recognition by PFF.
The next step is to see how that preparation and praise translates to real NFL action. Holmes is expected to see plenty of defensive snaps for the Giants in various roles beginning next Monday when the Giants kick off the season at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
