James Bradberry confident in Giants’ young cornerbacks
The New York Giants hit it big last season with free agent cornerback James Bradberry. He blossomed into a Pro Bowl talent and is now considered one of the best cover corners in the league.
But the Giants had a hole on the other side of the field that they needed to fill and they believe they did when they inked Adoree’ Jackson, a former first-round pick of the Tennessee Titans.
List
Giants vs. Patriots: 5 things to watch
Jackson should compliment Bradberry very well this season and beyond but will not play this in this Sunday’s dress rehearsal versus New England due to a sprained ankle he sustained in practice this week.
That opens up an opportunity for one the corners to climb up the depth chart right before the final roster cuts are due next Tuesday.
“I’m confident in whoever they put out there,” Bradberry told reporters on Friday. “I was confident last year in whoever they put out there, so I’m going to be confident this year. My job is to play well, but also help the guy that I’m playing beside whether he’s a young guy or a veteran. I’m going to try to help whoever they put out there.”
One of those players the Giants will put out there is Sam Beal, a former third-round pick (supplemental draft) that is more known for his absences than his play.
“He’s making improvements every day and that’s all you can ask of a young guy in the league, make improvements every day, get better with every rep,” said Bradberry. ‘”I think he’s doing a good job of doing that. (He’s) continually learning and just stacking those days up.”
Another player the Giants want to see on defense is Keion Crossen, who the Giants traded for this month to bolster their special teams.
“Speed,” Bradberry said when asked what he knew so far about Crossen. “I was watching him on kickoff the other day, he’s got a lot of speed.”
Perhaps the player the Giants and their fans are most interested in seeing on Sunday is rookie Rodarius Williams, known for his risk-taking and splashy play.
“He’s got a lot of ability. He’s got some good instincts,” said head coach Joe Judge. “I think for any young player, it’s about just getting into games and learning from the experiences. We’ve seen improvement the entire way through with him. There’s things you just have stay on and correct with every player – the techniques, situational awareness. But he’s definitely a guy we’ve seen improvement from along the way. He’s a hard worker. He’s got a good competitiveness to him.
“He’s a guy that we have confidence in because you know he’s going to go out there and give it 100 percent. He’s a young player, that’s our job as coaches to put him in the right position and keep coaching and correcting him. But he’s done enough this training camp to show that he has that ability to develop in that position.”
Naturally the Giants would love to have their third-round pick, Aaron Robinson, ready for this game, but he is still on the PUP list with a core muscle strain. But he could be close to returning.
Of course, the Giants will use Jackson in that spot once he is healthy again (which should be by the season opener in two weeks) but you can never have enough corners in this league. This game will provide the Giants with some clarity on just how much depth they have at the position.
