As the New York Giants continue to build their roster, there will be some surprising cuts that happen as the preseason continues. After trading one of their defensive players to the Dallas Cowboys, the next day they released defensive back Jalen Mills after signing him earlier in the offseason. Mills was on the non-football injury list since the start of training camp with a calf injury, but he's fully healthy now and should draw some interest from teams that are in need of secondary help, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Mills played for the New England Patriots in 2023, appearing in all 17 games and recording 45 tackles and a forced fumble. The defensive back was drafted in the seventh round by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016. When he became an unrestricted free agent in 2021, he agreed to a four-year deal with the Patriots.
A veteran defensive back like Mills would be good for any team, so it's quite a surprise to see him being released by the Giants, who are a young team.
The defensive backs that the Giants currently have who are starters on the unofficial depth chart are Deonte Banks, Dru Phillips, and Cor'Dale Flott. The Giants have had several injuries at secondary, and they were forced to have some of the first-team players take snaps with the third-team in practice.
Do the Giants believe in their secondary?
On Aug. 15, the Giants signed safety Jonathan Sutherland and safety Raheem Layne, after both worked out for the team. Layne suffered a torn ACL with the Los Angeles Chargers in October 2023 and has fully recovered from the injury. Sutherland previously played for the Seahawks, signing as an undrafted free agent after the 2023 NFL Draft.
With the injuries to the safety position, the Giants probably had to make space on the team, and Mills was the one that had to go.
Banks, the Giants' first-round pick in 2023, is set to be the team's best cornerback this season and will most likely be covering the opposing team's best wide receiver. In his rookie season, he allowed the third-lowest passer rating for a rookie who was targeted 50 or more times an 84.7, according to PFF.
Phillips will be coming in as a rookie, and he has the potential to a year-one impact player with his talent and skill set as a nickel corner.
The Giants will need as much help as they can get in the secondary, but the defensive line should be able to help them out a lot with the talent they have. Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux will be the leaders in the trenches for the Giants, and getting pressure up front will help the backend make plays on the ball.
There's still enough time for changes before the regular season ends and the Giants are still making moves, so there shouldn't be a surprise if there were more moves.
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