NFL Draft 2021: Ranking NY Giants three biggest draft needs

The NY Giants need to keep building and improving their cornerback unit.

No NY Giants position group faced more scrutiny and more drama during the 2020 offseason than the cornerbacks. Looking back, it’s not even close.

The team expected to head into 2020 with DeAndre Baker and the newly-signed James Bradberry locking down the outside along with Sam Beal, Corey Ballentine, and a combination of other players to lock down the slot and provide depth.

Once the offseason started, everything looked different for the team’s cornerback room.

To start off, Sam Beal opted out of the 2020 season and DeAndre Baker was arrested and subsequently cut. The team traded a 7th round pick to the Broncos in return for Isaac Yiadom. The team had drafted Darnay Holmes, a primary nickelback, along with Chris Williamson from the University of Minnesota who never made the team.

The team also added Brandon Williams and Ryan Lewis, both are backup players with little experience at the position. To top it off, the team’s rookie safety, Xavier McKinney, broke his leg during training camp and missed more than half of the season. This forced the team to go out and sign a proven, veteran player in Logan Ryan. Logan had played cornerback exclusively his entire career but successfully made the transition into an impressive safety in his 8th NFL season.

In summary, it has been a CRAZY couple of months for Jerome Henderson and Pat Graham to figure out the cornerback depth chart. Ballentine started the year off starting across Bradberry only to find himself quickly benched and then cut altogether. Ryan lewis let up numerous big plays in his attempts on the field, and guys like Yiadom and Darnay Holmes have really picked up their games as the season went on.

With that said, the Giants still lack a true #2 cornerback. It is a key position that teams should always add an influx of talent and NY must do the same in this upcoming pivotal draft.