Which Giants' Free-agent Signing Has Best Chance of Outproducing His Contract?

Giants might have gotten a steal in the secondary

Safety Jevon Holland (8) warms up before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The New York Giants have spent over $215 million on free agents this offseason, the fourth-most in the NFL. The bar will be raised when a team invests significant money in its roster.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen is under pressure since he allocated these resources, but the players themselves will incur the wrath of the fans who live in MetLife Stadium if they do not meet expectations.

New York has made multiple moves in the past few weeks that could be perceived as gambles, like signing two veteran quarterbacks (Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston), bringing back wide receiver Darius Slayton on a three-year, $36 million deal, and committing $38.5 million guaranteed to cornerback Paulson Adebo, who is coming off a broken femur suffered in October.

All those acquisitions could fulfill their intended purposes, but there is one Giants' newcomer who I specifically believe will live up to and outperform his contract: safety Jevon Holland. 

Holland is coming off the worst year of his career and thus saw his free-agent market lukewarm. The Giants capitalized by signing him to a three-year, $45 million deal one year after letting homegrown safety Xavier McKinney walk out the door.

When analyzing Holland's signing, it is crucial to do so through its own lens, as the former Dolphins defender is loaded with promise.

Jevon Holland has the potential to transform the Giants' secondary

Safety Jevon Holland (8) runs onto the field before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The No. 36 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft can become a top-three safety in the league, but the $30.3 million guaranteed he will receive from the Giants ranks only eighth among the position group. When paired with second-year safety Tyler Nubin, Holland could ignite New York's secondary.

According to Pro Football Focus, Holland finished with a 90.4 defensive grade and 89.9 coverage grade during the 2023-24 campaign, both career highs, before seeing those marks plummet to 63.0 and 57.1, respectively, last season. If those lackluster figures are an omen of what might still come, the Giants badly whiffed on this signing.

A resurgence could be in order. Holland suffered an MCL sprain in both knees in November of 2023 and suffered a broken bone in his hand last October.

Injuries do not entirely explain the sharp decline in production, but it is more than reasonable to show faith in a young player who has performed at a high level in the past.

Holland recorded five interceptions, five sacks, 219 solo tackles, and 25 pass breakups in 60 games with the Dolphins. Joining a formidable defense that includes defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, CB Paulson Adebo, and fellow safety Tyler Nubin could magnify his ample talents.

Watching Xavier McKinney post an All-Pro campaign with the Green Bay Packers was devastating for Giants fans, but Holland's future impact should lessen the blow of that departure. 

If Holland can remain healthy, there is no reason to think he won’t revert to his 2023 form and surpass the number on his paycheck with his play.

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