Late last night, on April 26, the New York Giants agreed to terms on a contract with Michigan defensive back Makari Paige, signing the UDFA to a deal that included $165,000 in guaranteed money.
“Michigan DB Makari Paige is signing with the Giants as an undrafted free agent,” ESPN NYG beat reporter Jordan Raanan relayed on X. “He’s getting [a] $15K signing bonus and $150K of his base salary guaranteed.”
Raanan added that “Paige has a chance to stick [on the roster] as a versatile DB with special teams ability.”
New Giants UDFA Signing Makari Paige Is a ‘High Football IQ’ Player With Big Game Experience
There’s a lot to like about Paige as a player. For starters, he appeared in a whopping 53 games during his five-year career at Michigan, helping the Wolverines win a National Championship in 2023.
That’s quality, big game experience, and Paige racked up 135 total tackles (2 for a loss), 3 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery over that period.
“Makari Paige showcases a ‘do whatever the team needs to win’ mentality and brings high football IQ, versatility, and physicality to any secondary,” The Draft Network’s Daniel Harms scouted ahead of the 2024 campaign.
For what it’s worth, Harms had Paige projected as a day two prospect at that time, although the Michigan product clearly fell a bit after his final year with the Wolverines.
“Makari Paige takes care of the back end of Michigan’s defense, where opposing offenses rarely find success throwing deep,” Harms explained. “Playing true deep safety, two-high safety, robber, in the box, and lining up in the slot, Paige does whatever’s asked of him to a high level and is rarely out of position.”
It’s worth noting that the Michigan defense changed hands from former coordinator Jesse Minter to ex-Giants DC Wink Martindale in 2024. Perhaps Paige had a difficult time with the transition.
Giants Sign 2 More DBs Post-Draft, Bringing in R.J. Delancy & Tommy McCormick
According to NorthJersey.com Giants reporter Art Stapleton, Paige isn’t the only undrafted defensive back that Big Blue signed this weekend.
The Giants also inked Wisconsin DB R.J. Delancy and Idaho DB Tommy McCormick, per Stapleton. He provided the following bits of information on each addition.
“[Delancy] was teammates with Giants third-round pick Darius Alexander at Toledo before transferring for his final season at Wisconsin,” Stapleton noted. “[He] provided depth for the Badgers and was more productive in three previous years with the Rockets.”
Delancy accumulated 14 pass defenses, 2 interceptions and 1 forced fumble with Toledo, but didn’t do much from a statistical standpoint with Wisconsin.
As for McCormick, Stapleton wrote: “Nicknamed ‘Turnover Tommy’ by his coaches for having a nose for the football, this 6-foot-1 safety finished his career with 273 total tackles – including nine tackles for loss – seven interceptions, and 24 passes defended.”
Paige, Delancy and McCormick join seventh-round selection Korie Black — a cornerback — as the G-Men add four new rookies to their secondary.
After prioritizing safety and cornerback in recent drafts, the Giants chose to address their secondary needs in free agency this offseason, signing Paulson Adebo and Jevon Holland. But it’s still a young, up-and-coming group that includes former first-round pick Deonte Banks, second rounder Tyler Nubin and third rounder Dru Phillips.
Playing behind a power-packed defensive line, Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are really hoping this DB unit takes the next step in 2025.
