Former Giants CB Darnay Holmes Lands with Raiders

While the New York Giants have been busy scouring the waiver market for any players that could predominantly fill needs in their secondary, one of the names that they released from their 90-man roster has already found a new home on the other side of the country. 

On Wednesday, the Las Vegas Raiders signed former New York defensive back Darnay Holmes.  

The 26-year-old, who recorded seven tackles during the preseason, was believed to have a strong shot at making the roster for his fifth straight season with his versatility as a slot cornerback and special teams upside, but the Giants decided to go in a different direction. 

The move allows Holmes to rejoin forces with former Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who is now entering his third season at the helm of the Raiders defense. Graham had made Holmes an integral part of his unit during his two-year stint with the Giants back in 2020 and 2021, a relationship that likely made the Raiders comfortable with bringing him into the fold to boost the experience of their secondary. 

In his first two NFL seasons, Holmes, a UCLA product with All-Pac-12 honorable mentions on his resume, appeared in 724 snaps, including 501 in coverage and 601 from the slot corner spot. He would also amass some outside work and take a few snaps as an underneath defender while registering 59 tackles, seven pass deflections, three quarterback hits, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and a half sack. 

Holmes’ efforts surged during the 2022 season when he played in 572 snaps in 15 games and had his highest tackling performance with 38 takedowns and a tackling grade of 74.4. 

However, he struggled to match the numbers against the run and was highly targeted in coverage, posting his second-highest missed tackle rate of 11.1 percent and accumulating a career-high 66 targets for 456 yards allowed. 

Last season, Holmes fell victim to a more loaded secondary and was kept around mostly as a special teams ace. While he appeared in 16 games for the Giants, he only earned 123 snaps on the defensive side but posted two pickoffs and another forced fumble in the process. He was an active member of kickoff and punt coverage with 194 snaps and five tackles added to his annual statline. 

Holmes will join a Raiders group that, like the Giants, is currently very thin and relatively young. They are only carrying six cornerbacks and one player over the age of 26, so perhaps his veteran experience and intangibles can steal him an increased role with his new franchise that will be competing against some of the league’s premier wide receivers in the AFC.