What do you call a secondary made up of two high-priced free agents and four premium draft picks?
On some teams, you might say that’s the “backbone of the defense.” On the Giants, you can call them “overlooked.”
With all the hype about the possibilities for the pass rush, it’s easy to forget that the Giants invested $99 million to sign safety Jevon Holland and cornerback Paulson Adebo as the finishing pieces to join safety Tyler Nubin (2024 second-rounder), and cornerbacks Deonte Banks (2023 first-rounder), Dru Phillips (2024 third-rounder) and Cor’Dale Flott (2022 third-rounder).
“We’re cool, man,” Nubin said. “We know what we’ve got, so we don’t need too many people talking about us.”
The basic assignment is to cover receivers long enough to allow Abdul Carter, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence to harass quarterbacks.
That requires around-the-horn communication, though it might not be on display Saturday if starters sit out against the Bills.
“It just takes time around people,” Phillips said, “but a lot of times now we’re just flowing, and we know what to call.”
The more complex ask is disrupting games — Holland and Adebo have 15 combined interceptions over their matching four-year careers — after the Giants set the NFL record by going 11 straight games without a pick last season.
The starting defense has intercepted quarterback Russell Wilson six times during training camp.
“I think we need more. I always think we need more,” defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said. “But you see the emphasis on being able to punch the ball out [for fumbles]. Whether we pick them or not, we’ve gotten our hands on a lot of passes. Big area we need to improve on this upcoming season.”
The best view of the new-look secondary might belong to the receivers who have faced it in 13 training-camp practices.
“It starts with Holland and Nubin,” Darius Slayton said. “Nubes is a pit bull. He’s physical, but he’s also rangy. Holland has added a good dimension of range to our defense. He’s also a willing tackler, but it’s stood out his ability to cover sideline to sideline, and also track and catch the deep ball. It’s something that he’s flashed a lot.”
Banks has pulled ahead of the injured Flott in the race to be the No. 2 starting cornerback, but Flott’s versatility should allow him to be the top backup on the outside and inside (for Phillips). Flott led the Giants in pass break-ups from spring workouts through the early part of camp, in Bowen’s estimation.
“Tae has taken a step and raised his level a bit from previous years,” Slayton said. “Flott is a good football player, too, and has grown himself. Adebo has shown himself to be a good pickup for us. I think when he plays his best ball, he plays at the line [of scrimmage].”
Is there an identity forming?
“I see a bunch of guys that are hungry and guys that want it,” Nubin said. “Whatever you think that’s going to turn into.”
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