3 underrated NY Giants who could have big roles this season
2. Dane Belton
After releasing Logan Ryan this offseason, the NY Giants were in need of another safety. Outside of Xavier McKinney, the only other NFL caliber safety on the roster was Julian Love, who has struggled mightily in pass coverage thus far in his career.
However, the NY Giants may have found their new stud safety in the form of Dane Belton, a fourth-round rookie out of Iowa who had a PFF pass coverage grade of 82.3 while also snagging five interceptions during his last season of college. Unlike Love, Belton is a great all-around safety who can be used both against the run and to defend the pass. This is something that could prove to be very useful.
Something that somewhat surprised people is how the Giants coaching staff has been using Belton in blitz situations, sending him after the QB multiple times throughout practices this spring. It might be worth noting that Belton had three sacks during his last season at college, which isn’t too bad for a safety.
#Giants sent safety Dane Belton on blitzes twice in a row during 11 on 11 drills and looked like he would’ve gotten a sack both times.
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) June 7, 2022
If Belton pans out like it seems he will, the safety duo of him and McKinney might make for one of the best in the division. While it is currently unknown whether Love or Belton will start to begin the season, we still believe that Belton will step up and play a big role for the Giants regardless of whether he is the starting safety opposite to McKinney or not.