The New York Giants have an obvious problem, and it looks worse in training camp.
The New York Giants officially opened training camp this week, and while all eyes were on wide receiver Malik Nabers (who looked terrific in his first practice, by the way), we can't overlook what happened elsewhere.
Yes, Jaxson Dart looked terrific. Andrew Thomas appears healthy. Cam Skattebo was working with the first team. Those are all great things.
But the Giants' secondary did nothing to assuage any of the major doubts about the position group heading into 2026.
While so many are focused on New York's defensive tackle room, which is now without Dexter Lawrence following an offseason trade, it's the defensive backfield that is actually more of an issue for the club.
That was on full display during the first practice of camp, and Dan Duggan of The Athletic outlined exactly what went wrong.
"[Isaiah] Likely made a deep catch over the middle from Dart in a 7-on-7 drill in front of cornerback Paulson Adebo, who appeared to be in position to make a play on the ball," Duggan wrote. "Adebo endured a rough day in coverage, getting turned around by Slayton on a deep out on one completion."
So, a couple of dud plays from Adebo, who signed a three-year, $54 million contract with New York in March 2025 and struggled during his debut campaign with the team.
Now, what about safety Jevon Holland, the Giants' other big-money secondary addition from the 2025 offseason?
New York Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images."Safety Jevon Holland dropped an overthrown pass from Dart over the middle in a 7-on-7 drill," Duggan noted.
Cool. How about cornerback Deonte Banks, the former first-round bust who was evidently making significant strides during the early stages of New York's offseason program?
"Cornerback Deonte Banks dropped an interception when backup quarterback Jameis Winston and [Malachi] Fields weren’t on the same page on a pass along the sideline," Duggan wrote.
To be fair, Duggan added that Banks did display some tight coverage to force an incompletion on another throw, but overall, this was not a great start for the Giants' defensive backs.
Obviously, it's just one session. New York will have plenty of more practices plus preseason games to get things right. But considering that Big Blue's secondary was a huge concern heading into camp, this subpar first day was more than notable.
The Giants' cornerback room is full of question marks. Adebo is supposed to be the No. 1, but he looks nothing like the player we saw in New Orleans his first four NFL seasons. New York signed Greg Newsome II to replace the departed Cor'Dale Flott, a clear downgrade. Banks played in 44 percent of defensive snaps in 2025. Colton Hood is a rookie.
Couple that with the fact that Holland has barely even resembled the star safety we saw during his Miami Dolphins days and with Tyler Nubin not looking like a legitimate NFL starter thus far, and there are absolutely many reasons to be worried.
Hopefully, the Giants' defensive backs can get their act together as we proceed deeper into the summer. Otherwise, they could spoil what should be a very impressive front seven in the Big Apple this fall.
