Giants safety Jevón Holland calls young, new-look secondary a 'recipe for excellence'

The Giants unveiled some of their new free agent signings on Thursday, even as they prepared to host a key free agent quarterback soon after.

Russell Wilson left Cleveland for his scheduled visit with the Giants Friday. Aaron Rodgers, recently spotted on a beach, still has teams waiting on him.

But the Giants have other holes to fill, especially on defense. Adding cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevón Holland was to help make the secondary less of a liability.

Defensive end Chauncey Golston also joined with a three-year deal like Adebo and Holland. Holland was eager to get comfortable with what he saw as a young, promising secondary.

Both Holland and Adebo are 25 years old entering their fifth seasons. Safety Tyler Nubin and cornerback Dru Phillips just finished their rookie seasons. Cornerback Deonte Banks, despite his struggles, has two more years left on his rookie deal.

“That's a recipe for excellence,” Holland said Thursday. “It's a group of guys that are going to be able to build with each other, create a community amongst each other, and rely on each other when we're out there on the field. Communication makes the defense flow smoothly.”

It’s also gives hope to Giants fans that watched their defense go an NFL-record 11 straight games without an interception. They were 28th in the league with 15 total takeaways thanks to just five interceptions.

Adebo had three last season before a broken femur sidelined him on Oct. 17 after seven games with the Saints. He also reassured his rehab was progressing to him running and sprinting, just as he showed in a video he posted this month to social media.

Adebo added he should be available for the Giants’ offseason workouts this spring. As for creating turnovers, it’s a skill the team was impressed with when they sold him on joining the team.

“To be able to give the offense the ball back, it’s something that I definitely pride myself on,” said Adebo, who has 10 career interceptions, “Something I really practice as far as getting my head around, even catching (the jug machine) in practice, trying to catch as many balls as possible.

“I just know how impactful that can be for a team to help the team with.”

Holland and Adebo knew each other from being former Pac-12 opponents -- Holland at Oregon and Adebo at Stanford -- but they didn’t try to sell each other during their recruitment. Adebo had enough intel coming from linebacker and former Stanford teammate Bobby Okereke.

Holland also had a college teammate recruiting him in linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux. He also reached out to Xavier McKinney, the former Giants safety who left in free agency last year and became an All-Pro selection with the Packers.

Both share the same agent, David Mulugheta, and McKinney assured Holland the Giants were a great place to play.

“He had nothing but positive things to say,” Holland said. “He said I was going to love it and the place itself; it breeds football and the fan base is great. He just added to the excitement and reassured me that I made the right choice.”

Golston, who went 8-0 against the Giants while on the Cowboys, was equally thrilled to play alongside Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence and Thibodeaux on the defensive line. He recalled a moment last season when he realized how massive Lawrence was at 6-4, 340-pounds.

“I was on the sideline and I was looking at him on the Jumbotron, I was like there's no way that guy is that big, like what the hell,” Golston said. “I’m excited – I'm excited to work with him and pick his brain.”

It reminds the Giants had more needs to fill than just quarterback. Wilson’s visit and the wait on Aaron Rodgers obviously show how important their decisions to the team.

But the Giants’ defense needed to get better. Even though they added young veterans, they’re proven and hope to raise a standard for a side of the ball that was disappointing in 2024.

“I think that's the added bonus of me being young but also a vet and going into my fifth year, helping put direction into a young DB room,” said Holland, a former Dolphins captain. “I think that's what they were looking for, and I feel like I check those boxes.”

By Evan Barnes

evan.barnes@newsday.comevan_b

Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.