One of the biggest needs for the NY Giants heading into the 2024 season is secondary help. Not only did star safety Xavier McKinney leave for the Packers, but as time goes on, it becomes more clear that Adoree' Jackson will also not be returning. This leaves two big holes at safety and corner.
However, with the 2024 NFL Draft right around the corner, the Giants are going to have tons of options in the secondary throughout the entire class. This year's draft is stacked in the secondary and it makes sense that we see Joe Schoen capitalize on this whether it be trading back into the first, or using their mid-round picks for DBs.
These five players have the best chance to be starters for the Giants once Week 1 rolls around. Will the G-Men bring any of them in?
5. Notre Dame CB Cam Hart
If the Giants don't wish to address the secondary in the first round, Cam Hart could be their guy on Day 2. He's a big-body, athletic corner who uses his physicality to dominate opposing wide receivers in man coverage. Hart isn't an elite playmaker, only grabbing two interceptions in his time at Notre Dame. However, there are too many positive traits in Hart's game to not be interested.
Alongside his size and athleticism, Hart is also incredibly fluid and a great press-man corner. Not to mention, Hart matched up against Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2023, the best receiver prospect in the class, and held him to three receptions on seven targets for 32 yards.
Hart has some concerns, most notably, his catch-up speed, or lack thereof. However, if playing under the right system, the Giants and Shane Bowen can minimize this problem. Regardless, Hart's size, experience, and abilities in a man-coverage scheme make him a great fit for New York and he could easily start on Day 1 if he has a good preseason.
4. Georgia S Javon Bullard
During his time with the Giants, McKinney was one of the best coverage safeties in the NFL. Given his departure, it makes sense that Schoen and company could target another coverage specialist in the second round of the draft. If they decide to go this route, Javon Bullard should absolutely be their guy.
He may not have the most ideal size, but Bullard's production at Georgia is hard to ignore. Last season, Bullard allowed just 14 receptions on 26 targets for 119 yards and zero touchdowns. Alongside this, he also snagged two interceptions, broke up five passes, and earned a coverage grade of 88.4.
In addition to this, Bullard played a fair amount of snaps in the nickel, adding some interesting versatility to his game. The biggest thing that will hold Bullard back is his size (5-11, 195) and athleticism. Unlike a guy like Hart, Bullard is very average in both of these aspects and at the NFL level, this could limit him from becoming a star.
However, Bullard has too many positive traits in terms of his intangibles that can't always be taught, so bringing him in to be coached by a safety guru in Bowen could have massive benefits for the former Bulldog.
3. Washington State S Jaden Hicks
As mentioned before, the Giants have a pretty big hole at safety following the McKinney loss. This means they need to address this gap before the start of the season, and they could do this by drafting Washington State's Jaden Hicks on Day 2.
Hicks is a great all-around threat at safety - not only has he consistently been a great run defender in college, but his abilities in coverage are very solid as well. Last season, he racked up 81 combined tackles while allowing 20 receptions on 31 targets for 170 yards, and two touchdowns, earning a PFF coverage grade of 83.0.
Due to his size (6-3, 210) and athletic traits, Hicks looks to be a strong candidate to start Week 1 if drafted by the Giants. He's very much a high-floor candidate and if he can work on his fluidity and hip rotations, there's no telling how great Hicks could become.
2. Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell
Many have argued that Quinyon Mitchell is the best corner in this year's draft class and it's easy to see why. While this would make it so the Giants would likely have to trade down in the first in order to draft him, investing in a player of Mitchell's skill could very well be worth it.
Mitchell is an incredible all-around prospect with elite athleticism and ball skills. NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein said it best when he stated the following:
"Mitchell possesses a gumbo of traits, with size, strength and speed filling up the pot. He’s built like a running back, tackles like a safety and has the ball skills of a cornerback."Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
Last season at Toledo, Mitchell allowed just 27 receptions on 62 targets for 290 yards and zero touchdowns while racking up an interception and 14 pass breakups. His fluidity in zone coverage would make him a great fit in New York as well as his elite ball skills. Mitchell's man coverage could use a little work, but with the right coach, he'll catch on quickly.
1. Iowa CB Cooper Dejean
Cooper DeJean remains one of, if not the best defensive back prospect in the draft. His supreme athleticism and ball skills make him a prime candidate to be a starting corner or safety in the NFL immediately regardless of where he is drafted.
The biggest knock against DeJean right now is that he suffered a broken fibula at the end of the 2023 season, so his athletic traits were unable to be tested at the NFL Combine. Despite this, his skill is very evident on film and if the injury doesn't have any long-term effects, there's almost nothing stopping DeJean from becoming a star in the NFL.
In the 10 games we saw out of DeJean last season, he allowed 20 receptions on 46 targets for 194 yards and zero touchdowns. He also managed to snag two interceptions and break up four passes in the process.
DeJean may not have much experience at safety, but his skill set and traits make it easy to see him playing the position in the NFL. This makes it even easier to imagine the Giants potentially trading back and landing him in the middle of the first round.