5 New York Giants who need to make an impact against the Jets
By Henry Buggy
No. 4 – Grant Haley
Grant Haley has had his ups and downs through two preseason outings, but overall the undrafted rookie out of Penn State has played well. He did give up a touchdown to Detroit Lions wide receiver T.J. Jones last week but was also New York’s second-highest graded defensive player against the Cleveland Browns the previous week, according to Pro Football Focus.
Through two games, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound cornerback has recorded five tackles, one tackle for a loss, and two passes defended. While Haley has shown enough to warrant a roster spot this preseason, fellow cornerbacks B.W. Webb and Leonard Johnson have proven themselves valuable assets in Big Blue’s secondary.
The Giants entered training camp with multiple question marks in their defensive backfield. New York’s coaching staff has found answers to some of those questions by the midway point of the preseason, but there’s still plenty of evaluation that needs to be done between now and the final roster cut-down date on Sept. 1.
Shurmur has liked what he has seen from Haley so far this preseason.
"“He’s a competitive guy. He’s tough, and he plays very hard. I think he’s made improvements. I think that’s what you like to see from a young man.”"
Haley, 22, has plenty of upside potential and could develop into a starting nickel cornerback in James Bettcher’s defense. The competition at the cornerback position is tight this preseason, and the Giants want to make sure they keep the right players.
Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple are the only locks at the position to make the 53-man roster. Webb and Johnson are likely next in line. Where Haley fits in the mix is unknown at this time, but that could quickly change with a strong performance Friday night.