The New York Giants have selected UCLA cornerback Darnay Holmes in the fourth round (No. 110 overall) of the NFL Draft.
For the fourth time in this year’s edition of the NFL Draft, the pick is in for the New York Giants.
In the fourth round (No. 110 overall), Big Blue has decided to take UCLA cornerback Darnay Holmes. The young defensive back is expected to come in, provide depth to this secondary (which you can never have too much of), and potentially compete for the starting nickel corner job.
This past year for the Bruins, Holmes racked up 33 combined tackles with two interceptions and six passes defended. He picked off eight passes through 35 total games at the collegiate level and was named an All-Pac-12 honorable mention in both 2018 and 2019 (his sophomore and junior campaigns).
At 5-foot-10, 195 pounds, Holmes sports 29.5-inch arms and 9.25-inch hands. During his time at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this year, he ran a 4.48 40-yard dash and recorded 12 reps on the bench press.
How will Holmes fit into this Giants defense?
Holmes likely won’t compete to be one of the two starting corners, as Deandre Baker and the newly acquired James Bradberry are slated to fill those spots. Nonetheless, there may be an open competition for the starting slot corner job, which could be a tight battle among a number of different athletes.
The Giants already possess Corey Ballentine and Grant Haley on the roster, who both spent time as the starting slot corner last year. And now, Julian Love may be in the mix, considering the Giants selected Alabama safety Xavier McKinney in the second round on Friday.
Therefore, you could have Ballentine, Haley, Love, and now Holmes competing for that same spot, which would be an interesting battle to pay attention to during the training camp and preseason periods (whenever they actually take place).
Holmes could also spend time as a returner. During his freshman season at UCLA, Darnay returned 33 kicks for 715 yards (21.7 yards per return). Thus, he has experience in that area of the game.
