NFL free agency: ‘Dependable’ Michael Davis the CB2 answer for the Giants?

Julian Love might be able to handle starting cornerback duties for the New York Giants, at least in some matchups. Isaac Yiadom could handle others, especially in zone-heavy game plans. Sam Beal and even Ryan Lewis, if he is brought back, could fill the role of playing opposite James Bradberry at times.

That’s largely how the Giants got by at the second cornerback spot a year ago. The upcoming NFL Draft and the looming free agency period, though, offer the Giants a chance to try and do more than get by at their second boundary cornerback spot.

Michael Davis, a rising but not incredibly well-known cornerback who spent the last four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, might be a free agent possibility. Let’s find out more about Davis.

The basics

Age: 26
Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 196
Position: Cornerback
Experience: 4 seasons
2020 stats: 16 games (14 starts) | Interceptions: 3 | Passes defensed: 14 | tackles: 64 (48 solo) | Passer rating against: 79.2

The skinny

Three questions about Davis with Michael Peterson of SB Nation’s Chargers website, Bolts From The Blue:

Ed: What is the likelihood that Davis hits free agency? Seems like a lot of chatter that the Chargers want to bring him back.

Michael: The chance Davis hits free agency is going to be rather small. The Chargers cornerback group is led by two players over 30 who both struggled in 2020. If the new staff wants to breathe some life into the group going forward, retaining Davis is a must, on top of selecting another promising corner in this year’s draft.

Ed: Is he really a player who could be signed at a reasonable cost, if he hits the market?

Michael: As a former UDFA who hasn’t set the league on fire, I think his price tag will be rather convenient for wherever he signs. He does play an important position in today’s NFL, so you could see some minor inflation in what you’d expect a player of his caliber to be inked for. I think his final price won’t be “reasonable” for every team in pursuit of him, but if it’s a big enough need, he’ll be well within the range you’re willing to spend.

Ed: Why don’t we know more about this guy nationally? How good a player is he?

Michael: Like I noted above, Davis was a former undrafted free agent from BYU back in 2017. He was fast and athletic, but his production was lacking as he picked off just one interception in college. He seems to have broken out of that mold after recording five INTs the past two seasons, including a team-high three in 2020. At a time where there’s plenty of other corners with brand name talent playing for much more successful teams, it’s no surprise Davis is a bit out of the spotlight. But depending on who you ask, they’ll tell you he’s one of the more underrated players at his position.

The Athletic has Davis ranked No. 48 on its list of the top 50 free agents, saying he will likely be looked at as a No. 2 corner whose “best days could be ahead of him.”

NFL.com lists Davis No. 62 on its list of the top 101 free agents available, calling him a “solid starting cornerback.”

How much might Davis cost on the open market? That’s uncertain, but in a post where he called Davis “a dependable No. 2 corner with room to grow,” Daniel Popper of The Athletic estimated a three-year, $28 million deal for Davis.

Could the Giants do that? Maybe? Should they do it? What do you think, Giants fans?