After beating the odds and making the 2018 NY Giants as an undrafted free agent, Grant Haley’s chances don’t seem very high to do the same in 2020.
Many were praising NY Giants GM, Dave Gettleman, for finding a potential diamond in the rough in the 2018 undrafted free agent class when he signed slot cornerback Grant Haley.
Against tall odds, the former Penn State star not only made the NY Giants’ 53-man roster, he actually played in 39% of the team’s defenses snaps and showed flashes that he could be Big Blue’s slot corner of the future.
Although he allowed 4 touchdowns and quarterbacks had a rating of 126.1 when targeting Haley in 2018, he headed into 2019 heavily in the mix to be the team’s starting nickel corner. In fact, Pro Football Focus rated him as the fourth-best rookie cornerback in the entire NFL (mainly due to his prowess in the run game).
He ended up accomplishing that for some time in 2019 (he played 38% of the team’s total defensive snaps), but eventually, his flaws in pass defense were exposed again as quarterbacks completed a whopping 82% of their passes when targeting him — way up from the 63% he allowed as a rookie which is actually respectable for a nickel corner.
Haley did still made an impact in the run game, totaling 43 tackles (an impressive 36 of them of the solo variety), but teams are mainly concerned with a slot cornerbacks ability to defend the pass, so it’s going to be an uphill battle for Haley to make the NY Giants in 2020.
What are Grant Haley’s actual chances of making the NY Giants?
Unfortunately for Grant Haley, the team has heavily invested in the cornerback position since he was brought on in 2018. When you combined that with his shaky play, it’s a big longshot that he manages to make the 55-man roster in 2020.
The final nail in the coffin likely came when the NY Giants drafted Darnay Holmes out of UCLA in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, as most consider him a slot corner in the NFL and he should step right in on day one and be a starter.
Further, Julian Love is making the switchback the cornerback, and his main strength as a corner is in the slot department as well.
In other words, there just doesn’t appear to be a spot for Haley on the 2020 NY Giants.
Chances he makes the team: 10%