New York Giants Defensive Backs
By Joe Tufaro
We have decided to lump the Safeties and Corners together because the Giants played a few guys out of position due to the multitude of injuries suffered in this area of the defense. The actions of the Giants in the Draft and Free Agency will again rest on the shoulders of Ronnie Barnes, Dr. Warren, and their staffs, and how they evaluate the health of the players.
Prince Amukamara was the number one draft pick of the Giants last year and unfortunately missed training camp and the first 10 weeks of the season. He showed flashes of his athleticism, but like most of his colleagues was playing out of position for most of his games. “The Prince” will benefit from a full off season.
Brandon Bing was a rookie from Rutgers. He will be evaluated again this off season. Mainly a depth guy at this point, but he did turn a few heads in Mini camp this year.
The Giants have added Steve Brown a third year safety out of Michigan to compete in camp along with Will Hill from Florida. Chris Horton a 5 year veteran out of UVLA will also get a chance to compete for a safety position.
Michael Coe was among the many injured players in the secondary for the Giants. Michael possesses some great speed and could be a valuable member of this team if healthy.
Kenny Phillips looked more like the guy we drafted a few years back. His health is imperative, and hopefully he can make it through camp unscathed and continue to get back to his true form.
Antrel Rolle deserves a lot of credit for playing basically out of position since he arrived here. He should be the strong safety complimenting Kenny Phillips.
Tyler Sash was another of the rookies that contributed greatly on Special Teams and should again benefit from the off season training and preparation.
Corey Webster had a pro bowl season. He is a top corner in this league and should be even better next season as the Giants and Perry Fewell tweak their defensive system.
Terrell Thomas is a free agent coming off a second knee surgery. The Giants have met with Terrell and they say they are on the same page moving forward. Hopefully Terrell can recover fully, he is very talented, has speed, size and is a real fan favorite.
The Giants drafted Jayron Hosley from Virginia Tech. A 5’10” 178 athletic corner. He should get a very serious look in training camp.
Filling out the roster are new additions and old friends like Dante Hughes (CB), Janzen Jackson (S), Bruce Johnson(CB), Antwaun Molden(CB), Jojo Nicolas (S), Justin Tryon (CB), and Brian Witherspoon (CB).
The Giants will need to add depth to this area again. The injuries that the Giants suffered, placing 7 DB’s on IR throughout the year was devastating. Hopefully some of those guys can return, and then be complimented by others. This is another area of great competition to look for in Training Camp this year.