3. CB James Bradberry
With the amount of money the NY Giants shelled out on James Bradberry, you better believe the organization is expecting him to play at a Pro Bowl level. The smartest part about this signing is it involved a young, very talented player that is clearly ascending.
Before this offseason, it’d be fair to bet that most NFL fans didn’t even know who James Bradberry was as he was playing in the obscurity that is the Carolina Panthers franchise. However, he took steps forwards each and every year of his four-year NFL career before finally playing at an elite level in 2019, causing the Giants to pounce with a monster deal.
The NY Giants are paying Bradberry as a top-three cornerback in the NFL, and as long as he keeps moving in the right direction he’s not too far off.
One thing to worry about when it comes to Bradberry’s potential success is the Big Blue pass rush. While the group is a quality committee overall, it lacks star power and proven commodities. How Patrick Graham chooses to try to generate that pass rush – and how successful it is – will have a huge effect on Bradberry’s play.
Over the past two seasons, Bradberry has allowed completion percentages of just 44% and 59%; his quarterback ratings allowed were 82.5 and 70.1 — more than respectable.
The former small-school prospect will slide right in as the NY Giants’ top cornerback and he appears ready for the challenge. At 6’1, 210 pounds he can match up with the bigger receivers around the NFL which is a huge win for Big Blue.
Bradberry snatched a career-high 3 interceptions last year, and if he can build on that number he very well may see his name called for a Pro Bowl selection for the first time.
Chances it happens: 30%