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NY Giants’ Draft: 3 best draft picks of the Dave Gettleman era

By Stephen Samra

Saquon Barkley of Penn State poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked #2 overall by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Saquon Barkley of Penn State poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked #2 overall by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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Darnay Holmes #30 of the New York Giants  (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Darnay Holmes #30 of the New York Giants  (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

2) Darnay Holmes, 2020

Gettleman had more misses than hits on defensive backs in the draft, but UCLA’s Darnay Holmes has already proved to be a valuable piece of the team’s defense. Drafted in the fourth round in 2020, Holmes outplayed his draft position immensely – anchoring the team’s slot corner position to the tune of 30 tackles, one interception.

He also paced the league’s rookies in one huge stat – the most targets (52) without allowing a touchdown.

The former UCLA standout will have to fine-tune some areas of his play – including limiting penalties, but the potential is obvious. With off-season addition Adoree’ Jackson joining Holmes in a secondary that already features James Bradberry and Logan Ryan, there’s no shortage of crafty, successful veterans for the Giants’ second-year corner to learn from.

An early graduate at UCLA and an avid-chess player, Holmes‘ smarts were as valuable to the Giants as his play. His intelligence helped him learn a complicated Giants’ defense and thrive – all done in the middle of a pandemic forced virtual off-season.

Holmes’ growth should only continue for the Giants – becoming a key cog in their talented secondary. For an unheralded fourth round pick, that’s something Gettleman deserves credit for.

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