New York Giants Training Camp Report: The Secret Behind Darnay Holmes’ Rapid Progression

Giants rookie cornerback Darnay Holmes stands 5’10”, 195 pounds. While those measurements don’t’ exactly make him the smallest and lightest cornerback in the NFL, Holmes has found a mindset that has allowed him to overcome a lack of height that many teams prefer to have in their perimeter cornerbacks.

“It’s not a battle of flesh and blood, but it's really a battle between your ears, which is your mental state,” Holmes said during a video conference call. “You know, I go up there with the utmost confidence and a focused approach about tasks at hand.”

So far, the fourth-round pick out of UCLA’s approach has been working. Whereas some rookies might be blown away by the speed and intensity of the game, Holmes has, at times, looked like a seasoned veteran who is not afraid to mix it up with players who are bigger than him or more experienced.

A good example of his success thus far came in Friday’s scrimmage when he picked off a pass by Daniel Jones intended for Golden Tate by reading the play and then jumping the route.

“It was pretty much was just a man (coverage) type of situation, and I had disciplined eyes and disciplined technique,” said Holmes, who ended up losing the ball when offensive tackle Andrew Thomas stripped him of it on the return.

Holmes, who is among the young Giants cornerbacks competing to start opposite of veteran James Bradberry, credits his veteran teammates for helping him acclimate to the speed of the game and learn the intricacies necessary to find success.

“I've always been a person who seeks knowledge and by seeking knowledge, you're able to use that and store it and have it around you so you're able to maneuver accordingly,” he said.

So far, that knowledge bank that Holmes has been building has paid off, according to head coach Joe Judge.

“I think Darnay has done a good job of really learning the speed of the game and adjusting fast. He's a smart guy, he prepares very well, he learns, and he's a guy that kind of can apply lessons, not only from his own mistakes but from watching other people.

“So, you know, he's a guy that comes out every day, really has a purpose and a plan of what he's doing. I'd say that I'm very pleased with the progress he's making right now.”

The Consequences of Brawling

Notably absent from Giants practices so far has been the full-blown battles that seem to happen at least once per camp when tempers flare in the heat of the day and a workout.

But don’t expect the Giants to have any full-scale brawls—not unless the players are prepared to face a steep price.

“It's really simple. You fight in the game, you're ejected, you're fined and it’s a penalty for the team, so we're not going to practice anything that we're not going to do in a game,” Judge said.

“You have the opportunity to play as hard as you want between the whistles, and that's what we're going to do. We're not looking for cheap shots. We're going to play nasty, but we're not going to play dirty—there’s a difference.

“We understand that we can't do anything that's going to put ourselves behind, you know, like penalties and turnovers.”

Giants Staff Hit with False-Positive COVID Tests

The Giants were among those teams whose daily COVID-19 tests from Saturday produced a false-positive.

On Sunday morning, the league acknowledged that several teams, including the Giants, Jets, Patriots, Bills, Browns, Lions, Bears, Vikings Packers and Steelers whose COVID-19tests were processed by a lab in New Jersey received several positive COVID-19 readings which turned out to be false-positives.

According to Albert Breer, the Giants players all took rapid tests this morning and were cleared to practice. The staff members who produced a false-positive were told to stay home today and will need to produce two negative tests in the coming days before being allowed back inside the Giants’ semi-bubble at MetLife Stadium.

Judge declined to comment about what was going on around the league with other teams but reiterated that he has confidence with the testing and safety protocols the league and the Giants own medical team as led by Vice President of Medical Services Ronnie Barnes have in place.

“We're following them internally every day,” Judge said. “You know, we social distance within the building. We obviously test on a daily basis. So I can't speak on what's going on around the league and other clubs, but we're able to come out today—everyone was out here.”

Ryan Connelly Sidelined Again

Giants inside linebacker Ryan Connelly was sidelined for a second practice in a row, raising a bit of a concern.

Connelly was initially part of a group Friday who, along with receiver Corey Coleman and safety Xavier McKinney, was held out of practice after their GPS tracking devices suggested they required a rest.

But whereas both McKinney and Coleman, the latter of whom like Connelly is returning from a torn ACL suffered last year, were back on the field after a day off Saturday for Sunday’s walkthrough practice, Connelly was not.

“I'm not going to go into any specific injuries really at any time,” Judge said when asked about Connelly.

“But I'll say this. We had several players that we kind of managed a little bit differently today. We came off a long, hard week, a hard scrimmage. The other day we gave him a day off; today was really a day to mentally take a step forward and physically get our bodies right.”

Connelly is trying to regain his pre-injury form—and the starting job he had been on his way to winning last year before the injury wiped out his season.

“We're gonna hit the field against tomorrow, and we'll see where everyone's at tonight after a couple of days off, and we'll approach practice tomorrow accordingly for everyone individually,” Judge added.

In addition to Connelly, fullback Eli Penny and cornerback Prince Smith were sidelined Sunday.

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