It’s a tough pill to swallow in New York. In ESPN’s 2025 ranking of the top ten safeties in the NFL, two former New York Giants made the cut. Xavier McKinney was featured at No. 3, and Julian Love placed tenth.
Both were drafted by the Giants. Both are now thriving elsewhere. And both exits fall squarely on Joe Schoen’s ledger.
It is not the most glowing indictment of the team’s offseason strategy, but fortunately for New York, another one of their safeties has built a silver lining.
Jevon Holland earns respect from NFL insiders and front-office members
After signing a three-year $45 million deal this offseason, expectations are high for Jevon Holland to replace McKinney.
While the G-Men lost two of the league’s better ball hawks, their current safety tandem is still one of the more promising in the league. While Tyler Nubin induced promise for a strong rookie campaign, it is Holland who is getting recognized in league circles.
The 25-year-old one of five honorable mentions in the positional rankings, which polled over 70 NFL executives, coaches, and scouts. That sort of recognition doesn’t come lightly.
This is also on the heels of a career-worst season. 62 tackles and zero interceptions were both career lows, but a change of scenery should benefit the ex-Oregon standout.
"I still love the skill set, but he drastically regressed last year, which was shocking to see from a young player in a contract year," said an NFL personnel director.
That regression now looks more like an outlier. Through mandatory minicamp, Holland appears to be settling in as the dependable playmaker New York hoped for — a player capable of leading Shane Bowen’s new-look secondary alongside fellow free agent signee Paulson Adebo.
Joe Schoen might’ve caught heat for letting McKinney and Love walk — and deservedly so. But if Holland can bounce back and return to playing like the budding star he was in 2022, the Giants will have struck gold.