The New York Giants needed to take a big swing this offseason to rebuild a largely unproven secondary, and according to at least one NFL executive, general manager Joe Schoen may have hit a home run.
After fielding a young secondary that was besieged by injuries by season’s end, Schoen and the Giants inked veteran safety Jevon Holland to a three-year deal worth $45.3 million, including $30.3 million guaranteed to provide leadership and the big-play ability that had previously been missing.
“He’ll help from the get go,” an NFC personnel executive tells Heavy, of Holland, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about a player on another team. “I like him a lot as a player. He can cover, he can tackle in open space, he’s a talented guy.”
Holland, 25, was originally chosen by the Miami Dolphins with the No. 36 overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, where he spent the first four seasons of his career.
Landing in East Rutherford after posting 62 total tackles with one sack, one forced fumble, and four pass breakups, the Giants are hoping he elevates the likes of last year’s second-round pick Tyler Nubin, who flashed some promise and homegrown corners Deonte Banks and Dru Phillips.
Holland’s veteran presence and reliability on the back-end are desperately needed, especially against elite wide receivers such as CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, DeVonte Smith, and Deebo Samuel within the NFC East.
Jevon Holland Named New York Giants’ ‘X-Factor’ for 2025
GettyNew York Giants safety Jevon Holland could be one of the most important pieces of a revamped defense in 2025.
Over at Pro Football Focus, analysts Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman put together a list of each team’s ‘X-Factor’ for the upcoming season, including Holland getting the nod for the Giants.
“The Giants added multiple veterans to their secondary in free agency,” Wasserman and Chadwick point out for PFF. “And ex-Dolphin Jevon Holland was the headliner. He recorded a career-low 57.1 PFF coverage grade last season, but since he was drafted in 2021, he is tied for fifth among qualified safeties with a 91.3 PFF coverage grade. A return to that form would give the Giants the free safety they were lacking last season after losing Xavier McKinney in free agency.”
While there is plenty of room to question Schoen and the Giants not committing to McKinney, who was a homegrown former second-round draft choice who went on to become an All-Pro for the first time in his career last season, after signing with the Green Bay Packers, Holland is a fascinating consolation prize for a defense looking to take big steps in 2025.
Even though Holland’s production dipped a bit last season, he has something to prove after quarterbacks posted a 111.3 passer rating throwing his way, according to Pro Football Focus.
“They’re going to fit in like my attributes of being a long, rangy safety,” Holland told reporters on April 21, of how he envisions his role taking shape. “That can come down and cover man-to-man. You know, the things that the general public knows absolutely, but in terms of the specifics, we haven’t even gotten to that point yet.”
In a make-or-break season for Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll’s regime, Holland could prove to be the difference between another rebuild and a defensive resurgence.
Brian Daboll Offers Injury Update on Veteran CB Paulson Adebo
Getty Paulson Adebo aims to make a major impact on the New York Giants’ secondary after suffering a broken femur in 2024.
Paulson Adebo was another marquee signing by the Giants, with sights set on upgrading the overall level of play at cornerback.
Adebo, 25, intercepted three passes last season for the New Orleans Saints, coming one shy of tying a career-high, while posting 52 total tackles.
However, Adebo is working his way through a broken femur that ended his season after just seven games. As the Giants get back onto the field with OTAs, Daboll is encouraged by what he’s seen from the veteran.
“Yeah,” Daboll told reporters, when asked on May 28 if he expects Adebo to take part in these voluntary practices. “Moving well. Looks good out here in shorts and t-shirts, but he has done a nice job in the things that we’ve done in phase two.”
If Adebo can stay on track physically, he could be a steadying force in a secondary that’s banking on experience to lead the turnaround.
