Signing Jevon Holland was one piece of the New York Giants‘ multi-pronged plan to rebuild the secondary this offseason, and the veteran safety is already raving about his defensive backfield-mate.
A handful of practices into training camp, Holland is already impressed by what he’s seen from second-year safety and potential breakout star, Tyler Nubin.
“Tyler’s a great communicator,” Holland told reporters. “He’s a great player. He’s fiery. Heâs got all the attitude, all the spunk. I love playing next to Tyler. He does a great job.”
New York is betting on Nubin, chosen by the Giants in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, making big strides and building on a solid rookie campaign in which he posted 98 total tackles, one pass breakup, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
A big piece of solid safety play is communication on the back-end of the defense, which Holland lauds the former Minnesota standout for, and is already seeing in early practices together.
“If he sees something,” Holland explains. “He’ll communicate with me. I see some reminders before the play, any adjustments that we have to make, just reminding each other what it is, trying to take it one play at a time so you’re not just adding a bunch of comments and it’s filling your head. (Weâre) trying to simplify the game as much as possible so that it’s streamlined and everybody’s on the same page.”
Holland’s arrival, and Nubin taking the next step in his development in his second season, the Giants hope, play major roles in a passing defense that finished 10th in the league last season becoming more stingier and a bigger piece of a turnaround this season.
Giant’s Jevon Holland Embracing Leadership Role
Ishika Samant | GettyNew York Giants head coach Brian Daboll can already see veteran safety Jevon Holland adopting a leadership role on defense.
In addition to the impact the Giants are hoping Holland makes on the field on Sundays, head coach Brian Daboll is already seeing the 25-year-old veteran’s leadership abilities shining through.
“He’s smart and he has good vision and instincts for the game,” Daboll told reporters. “If you can’t communicate back there playing that spot, itâs usually tough to do. The safeties that I’ve been around â the Micah Hydes, Jordan Poyers, Lawyer Milloys, Rodney Harrisons, Tebucky Jones’ — are all very, very good communicators, not to mention good football players, but Iâm glad we’ve got Holland.”
Holland arrives in East Rutherford, after signing a three-year deal worth $45.3 million this offseason, and the Giants are banking on his veteran presence steadying and elevating a young secondary.
Last season, Holland posted 62 total tackles and one sack with the Miami Dolphins, but says that it is his wealth of experience in a number of different schemes that gives him the ability to step out both as a vocal leader and playmaker when the defense needs him most.
“Bank reps,” Hold told reporters is his biggest key to consistency. “Obviously, at first, this is my fifth defensive coordinator so after a while, every year, Iâm like relearning a defense every year, getting to know a defensive coordinator every year. Iâve been through this type of phase of like, âHey, itâs early, somethingâs messed up my mind,â but weâve still got X amount of practices, X amount of camp days to get it done. And then itâs just simple reminders and whatnot.”
Carmen Mandato | GettyJevon Holland has the potential to be a difference-maker in the New York Giants’ secondary.
Along with veteran cornerback Paulson Adebo, Holland is part of a two-offseason makeover of the secondary, and one top NFL executive believes his signing is going to pay big dividends.
âHeâll help from the get go,â an NFC personnel executive tells Heavy, of Holland, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about a player on another team. âI like him a lot as a player. He can cover, he can tackle in open space, heâs a talented guy.â
For the Giants, there is a very legitimate chance that New York is buying into the beginning of the prime of Holland’s career, and that his best football is in front of him. If Holland continues on this trajectory, his contract might wind up being a bargain, especially if the Giants’ makeover on defense leads to that side of the ball powering a franchise turnaround in the years ahead.
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