New York Giants’ Joe Judge says it’s ‘not’ a priority to acquire a veteran CB

The New York Giants may have a dilemma at cornerback, but newly hired head coach Joe Judge is keeping his cool.

First, there was DeAndre Baker…before he landed on the commissioner’s exempt list. Then, there was Sam Beal…who opted out of the upcoming 2020 season. And finally, there was Ross Cockrell…who couldn’t come to an agreement on a contract.

The New York Giants have had numerous potential options for the starting cornerback spot opposite free-agent acquisition James Bradberry. The overall unit is on the younger side, so bringing in a veteran to help mentor the group alongside Bradberry would make sense.

Nonetheless, Joe Judge doesn’t seem to be perceiving that as a do-or-die scenario.

“Our priority is to develop the players we have on the roster and look for any talent available out on the street,” the newly hired head coach said Wednesday, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “I don’t care if it’s a first-year player or a tenth-year player. We’re looking for good players to help build this program.

“To answer the question pretty direct: Is it a priority to have a veteran [corner]? No, it’s not.”

If the Giants go with an in-house candidate for that specific role, it will be a mostly inexperienced individual, regardless of who’s chosen. Options include Julian Love (second year), Corey Ballentine (second year), Grant Haley (third year), and Darnay Holmes (rookie). The 23-year-old Montre Hartage and 24-year-old Dravon Askew-Henry may also be in the mix.

But looking even past that, the slot cornerback role will additionally play host to a widespread position battle. The aforementioned names along with rookie Chris Williamson could earn reps at that spot in training camp, but don’t expect the seventh-round pick out of Minnesota to come away with the job. He’ll likely earn special teams reps before ever seeing significant time on the defensive side of the ball.