It wouldn't be outrageous to say that the New York Giants are a couple of good breaks away from being one of the more competitive teams in the NFL as we draw closer to Week 1 kickoff.
The pass rush has all the talent in the world to be one of, if not the most dangerous, groups in the league. The weapons around franchise quarterback hopeful Jaxson Dart have been significantly upgraded. Even the middle linebacker puzzle looks to be finally solved with the position being fully overhauled this offseason.
However, there are still some glaring weaknesses. The interior offensive line still has some Riddler-sized question marks -- I'm looking at you, Jon Runyan and John Michael Schmitz. The same can be said about the defensive interior sans Dexter Lawrence, who is now with the Bengals following a contract dispute.
And while we shouldn't cast those concerns aside, there's an even more glaring weakness staring the G-Men in the face, and it starts with their $54 million man in the secondary: Paulson Adebo.
Paulson Adebo already has Giants fans holding their breath at training camp
The G-Men made Adebo their priority free-agent signing last offseason, giving him a three-year, $54 million deal. It was a steep price to pay for a corner who had never made the Pro Bowl and was coming off a brutal season-ending leg injury that caused him to miss the final 10 games of the year.
His first year in North Jersey was pretty forgettable. His 58.4 overall PFF grade placed him 74th among 114 eligible corners, and his coverage grade (57.9) was even worse (76th). Some of that can be attributed to him getting back up to speed after a horrific leg injury. Some of it can be attributed to his new role as the opponents' top receiving threat's shadow -- following them all around the field instead of just playing on the left side as he did previously with the Saints.
But he just never looked right. And for anyone hoping Year 2 would look any different, it's pearl-clutching time, because the early signs out of camp aren’t exactly encouraging.
The Athletic's Dan Duggan sounded the alarm on the 27-year-old corner in his training camp takeaways from Day 1, saying:
"Adebo endured a rough day in coverage, getting turned around by Slayton on a deep out on one completion.
Adebo and Greg Newsome entered camp as the top two corners, but the door is open for Banks and rookie Colton Hood to push for a starting job."
It’s not exactly the start anyone was hoping for. After struggling to do much of anything last season, it's already not looking great entering Round 2.
Adebo was signed for $18 million per season to be the team's CB1. They don't realistically have anyone on the roster who can push him for the top spot, which means if he doesn't step up, all of the offseason excitement starts looking a little premature.
It's a terrible look, especially since New York's cornerback room is held together with a lot of crossed fingers. There's a lot of wishing and hoping that this group figures it out.
Adebo is hoping for a comeback season. Greg Newsome is wishing for a career resurgence on his one-year flier. Deonte Banks is dreaming of salvaging his once-promising career. And rookie Colton Hood is craving to prove his physical style can stabilize this lackluster room.
All the offseason excitement doesn't mean a thing if NY's secondary gets torched every week. The Giants gave Adebo $54 million to be their lockdown CB1, not to get turned inside out in the early days of camp. If he can't get back to form, Harbaugh's new era is going to hit a wall before it even starts.
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