The NY Giants’ roster features several young players capable of breakout seasons in 2021, might Darnay Holmes become a key member of the secondary this season?
Darnay Holmes is one of the more intriguing young players in what could become one of the more dominant and stingiest secondaries in the NFL, for the NY Giants this season.
Holmes, chosen by the NY Giants in the fourth-round of the 2020 NFL Draft, made several impact plays as a rookie.
In 12 games last season, Holmes held opposing quarterbacks to a 91.2 passer rating when targeting him and receivers averaged just 9.9 yards per reception as he produced 31 total tackles and one sack.
There’s a very real chance that Holmes walks into this season atop the Giants‘ nickel cornerback depth chart on an improving defense.
Here’s a look at why Darnay Holmes has a chance to breakout and elevate his game to the next level, why he might not, and our verdict on what to expect from the NY Giants’ defensive back this season:
Why Holmes will breakout:
There were moments when Holmes looked like a lockdown cornerback as a rookie.
No cornerback in the league saw more targets than Holmes’ 52, without allowing a touchdown, which is the kind of consistency that helps elevate a secondary.
Darnay Holmes: Most targets without a TD allowed among all rookie DBs (52) pic.twitter.com/cSHbCTzHQP
— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 10, 2021
Given that the NY Giants went out this offseason and signed Adoree’ Jackson to anchor the outside cornerback position opposite James Bradberry, there’s a chance that Holmes — if he wins the nickel job, will see an even more significant workload if quarterbacks avoid the perimeter.
Holmes has the size and physicality to be an impact cornerback in this league, which could help him become a bigger piece of the NY Giants’ secondary puzzle this season.
Why Holmes won’t:
Snaps are going to be at a premium in this secondary.
The assumption here is that Jabrill Peppers, Logan Ryan, Jackson, and Bradberry have starting jobs secured, with intense competition expected for the nickel job.
While NY Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham frequently deploys three-safety sets, there’s a chance that Holmes could be vying for playing time with former second-round pick Xavier McKinney, Julian Love, and rookie Aaron Williamson in the slot.
That’s a deep position group to climb to the top of in order to get on the field, and then make an impact should he get there.
The verdict: Non-breakout
For Holmes, the talent is there, but this might be too Herculean a task for him to have a breakout second season, given the depth and breadth of talent in the NY Giants’ secondary this season.
There is a legitimate chance that Holmes opens training camp as the NY Giants’ starting nickel cornerback, but if the organization was was committed to him as his play might have merited as a rookie, it’s difficult to envision them still selecting Williamson.
Look for Homes to improve on his production from his rookie season, but it isn’t a certainty that he has what many would term a “breakout” campaign.
Matt Lombardo is FanSided’s National NFL Insider and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday. Email Matt: Matt.Lombardo@FanSided.com, Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL