Rod Woodson thinks the NY Giants got a sleeper in Darnay Holmes
NY Giants rookie cornerback Darnay Holmes is coming into the league with a lot more expectations than your usual fourth-round pick, and for good reason.
Initially, when the NY Giants selected cornerback Darnay Holmes out of UCLA with their fourth-round draft pick there were many groans and complaints from the fanbase. The main reason for those gripes is that most felt the team had more pressing needs and had already invested a ton into the cornerback room in recent drafts.
Fast forward a couple of months and you could make the argument that Holmes could be the most important cornerback on the roster for Big Blue. That is because we know what we’re going to get out of James Bradberry, but after that, everything’s up for grabs.
Holmes starred right out of the gates as a freshman at UCLA and never looked back, amassing a successful college career before turning pro after his junior year.
NFL legendary safety, Rod Woodson, is one of Holmes’ biggest supporters and mentors, and the former star thinks Holmes might be the biggest steal in the entire draft.
"“He might be the sleeper [defensive back] in the draft,” Woodson said recently in a telephone interview with ESPN. “I know he was taken in the fourth round. But I like his mindset. No coach can measure one’s heart and one’s mind until you start playing. I think when I’ve seen him playing and talked to Carnell and his son, just the way he moves and how fluid he is and has that recall during the games when people are doing stuff to him that makes you kind of excited to watch a player like that.”"
Williams spent time coaching Holmes out of high school and says his mental makeup and coachability are equal to his immense talent, which is quite a compliment.
Holmes also has former NFL greats Deion Sanders and Aneas Williams in his corner as he spent time learning from both of them, and they also have nothing but glowing things to say about the incoming rookie.
It’s safe to say the NY Giants may have gotten a real steal in a deep cornerback draft.
Where does he fit with the NY Giants in 2020?
After DeAndre Baker’s arrest, Holmes is almost assuredly going to be pushed right out of the gates to compete for and win a starting job. Standing at only 5’9, most project Holmes to be the perfect slot corner due to his quick feet and mobile hips, and it just so happens the NY Giants have a need for one of those.
However, I’m not counting out Holmes from the race for the #2 outside cornerback spot, either. That’s where he played and starred during his run at UCLA and we’ve seen plenty of corners at his size flourish in the NFL when they have the quickness and recovery speed to make up for the height.
After James Bradberry, the cornerback depth chart is wide open with youngsters Sam Beal, Julian Love, and Corey Ballentine competing for spots should Baker be forced to miss any time.
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Given his pedigree and the lofty words bestowed upon him by NFL legends that have nothing to do with him other than they coached him at a couple of camps, I give Holmes a terrific shot to land a starting gig in 2020 with Big Blue.
The only question will it be on the outside on the inside?