The New York Giants brought back an undrafted free agent from OTAs after sending a reserve defensive lineman to injured reserve.
The New York Giants made a roster move on Saturday, bringing back OTA attendee Mike Jones, an undrafted cornerback out of Temple. The cornerback takes the roster spot of defensive lineman Kristjan Sokoli to injured reserve.
Jones began his football career at North Carolina Central, where he earned All-MEAC honors. As a senior transfer last season, he started all 13 games, including a 28-3 win over Florida International where he tallied six tackles. He ended the year with 44 stops, seven pass deflections, and one interception.
He was signed by the Giants on May 14, but was released on June 6.
Sokoli, 26, tore his ACL during Thursday’s preseason opener against Cleveland. Entering the league as a sixth-round selection of Seattle in 2015, and became the first Albanian-born player to partake in an NFL regular season game. He has been with the Giants since December 2017, joining the practice squad before signing a reserve/future contract with the Giants on Jan. 1, 2018.
The signing of Jones marks the second pass defender the Giants have added this week. Mike Basile, a Monmouth alum, was signed on Thursday. Basile did not play in Thursday’s opener, nor did Donte Deayon, William Gay, or Curtis Riley, all of whom were held out due to injuries.
While at NCCU, Jones also displayed prowess as a punt returner, as his 21.0 average return set a new school record. The Giants had just 11 yards on three punt returns in Thursday’s game, a 20-10 loss to the Browns.
The Giants return to preseason action on Friday, taking on the Detroit Lions on the road (7:00 p.m. ET, WNBC).
