Giants draft targets to help bolster secondary
The New York Giants lost a key component of their defense this offseason as starting S Julian Love signed with the Seattle Seahawks. The Giants are now thin in the secondary and may look to replace Love during the 2023 NFL Draft.
Jordan Battle - Safety, Alabama
Of the safety prospects in this year's draft class, one player stands out for his connection to a member of the Giants' defense. Alabama S Jordan Battle described Giants S Xavier McKinney as a "great mentor" and expressed interest in reuniting with his college teammate at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
"Just growing up alongside X, he helped me understand the playbook faster," Battle said. "I had to get on the field early as a freshman when I got to 'Bama. I started about four games my freshman year. Just knowing that I didn't have that pressure on me because I was so prepared, X was a big part of that."
Battle has a second-round value, according to Keith Sanchez of The Draft Network. Sanchez describes the versatile safety as a prospect who "should be able to step in and instantly fill a strong safety position role for an NFL team, and also be able to contribute at other positions on the field."
At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, Battle has the frame to align close to the line of scrimmage as a box safety. During his final season at Alabama, Battle totaled 71 tackles and one interception for the Crimson Tide. The Giants could draft Battle to start at strong safety opposite of McKinney.
Antonio Johnson - Safety, Texas A&M
The Giants' kryptonite on defense last season was their inability to stop the run. New York let up 144.2 rushing yards per game during the regular season (27th in the NFL) and surrendered 268 yards on the ground in their season-ending defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles during the postseason.
Antonio Johnson out of Texas A&M is a day-two safety prospect that help solve this problem for Big Blue. Johnson is a physical 6-foot-2, 198-pound safety that can "play the run from a variety of alignments," as described by Joe Marino of The Draft Network.
Johnson is a dynamic, hybrid safety that frequently aligns in the slot as a nickel cornerback, another position of need for the Giants. He recorded 71 total tackles, five tackles for loss, three passes defended, and one sack for the Aggies as a senior in 2022.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com describes Johnson as a "big, athletic safety with versatility to line up over the slot or inside the box for additional run support." With McKinney playing the single-high free safety role in the middle of the Giants' defense, Johnson could perfectly fit in as a box safety.
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