Corey Ballentine

How the New York Giants have upgraded the secondary significantly

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New York Giants cornerback, Grant Haley.

The New York Giants spent plenty of capital fixing up the secondary this offseason, bringing Jabrill Peppers, Antoine Bethea, DeAndre Baker, Julian Love, and Corey Ballentine.

Considering the unit only consisted of Janoris Jenkins, Grant Haley, and Sam Beal before the 2019 NFL Draft, it’s impressive how far the unit has come in such a short period of time. However, most of the players featured here haven’t played a snap in an NFL game, which is noted.

Aside from that fact, the talent added provides a reason for excitement. Baker is a first-round value pick, Love was a projected second-round talent that fell to the fourth, and Ballentine was projected to go in the fourth and fell to the sixth. Peppers was a former first-round selection that struggled at times with misuse in Cleveland, and Bethea is a seasoned veteran that has plenty of gas left in the tank.

As I said before, plenty of talent and reason for excitement. So far in OTAs, the secondary has completely locked down the offense, forcing Eli Manning to sail throws out of bounds and Daniel Jones to show his rookie jitters.

The Giants are very happy with Baker so far, stating:

“No one seems to get very open on DeAndre Baker,” John Schmeelk of Giants.com wrote. “The young outside cornerbacks are showing promise and ability, and their development will continue in training camp as they figure out how much contact they can get away with beyond five yards.”

Beal as well:

Shurmur stated that the third-round Supplemental Draft pick has looked good and is getting his sea legs under him. Julian Love scooped up a fumble from Elijah Penny on Tuesday and took it to the house for the virtual score.

I’m curious to see some of the position battles that will ensue between the cornerbacks this offseason.

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New York Giants top corner position battles:

There are two specific battles that I’m very excited to watch — DeAndre Baker vs Sam Beal & Julian Love vs Grant Haley.

Some might not think Baker vs Beal is much of a battle, considering where Baker was drafted and the talent he faced at Georgia. However, Beal is feisty and has shown his abilities in a small sample size so far during OTAs. The competitive nature will bring the best out of both, which is exactly what the Giants want to happen.

Between Haley and Love, I believe the former will win the job simply based on experience. Love will be close behind and would be first in line if Haley looks replaceable.

New York Giants: Rookie Corey Ballentine Will Quickly Make An Impact On Defense And Special Teams

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The New York Giants made it a point of emphasis to improve the secondary in the 2019 offseason. Big Blue drafted 3 defensive backs in the 2019 NFL Draft (4 if you count Sam Beal).

One of the talented young cornerbacks that the Giants drafted was Corey Ballentine out of Washburn. The New York Giants drafted Ballentine in the 6th round with the 180th overall pick in the draft.

Corey Ballentine missed rookie minicamp as he recovered from a bullet wound suffered in a shooting on draft night and mourned the loss of his friend and former teammate. The Giants were fully supportive of Corey Ballentine during his time away.

Ballentine is now back and practicing at OTA’s.  Corey Ballentine is possibly the Giants’ most underrated 2019 draft pick. It is rare to see a 6th round rookie make an immediate impact on a team, but here is why we should expect to see Ballentine see a solid amount of playing time:

Corey Ballentine Defensive Stats And Highlights:

The New York Giants’ secondary is now light years ahead of where it was in 2018. Big Blue went from having little to no depth in their secondary to having an abundance of quality players in just one offseason.

Corey Ballentine is one of those quality players. Ballentine played at a small, Division II school, Washburn, for four seasons. He did not receive an abundance of playing time as a freshman, but once he got his opportunities, Corey Ballentine lit it up in his final three seasons.

Ballentine earned 6 starts in 12 games as a sophomore in 2016 and played his way to honorable mention All-MIAA honors. Corey recorded 65 tackles that season with 6.5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, and 5 pass breakups.

In Corey’s junior season, MIAA coaches named him first-team all-conference as the 12-game starter posted 54 tackles and seven pass breakups on the year.

As a senior, Corey Ballentine recorded 50 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 4 pass breakups, and 3 interceptions. He was a true playmaker in Washburn’s secondary and was a first-team all-conference defender.

Corey is a speedy corner with nice size. He ran a 4.47 40-yard dash and was one of the fastest players at the Senior Bowl, clocking in at 21.6 mph. which was the second fastest on the North Team. Ballentine is 5 feet 11 inches, 196 pounds and has lanky arms which NFL scouts loved.

Corey Ballentine used his size and athleticism to be an impact player for Washburn’s defense, but it does not end there. Ballentine was a defensive phenom, but also a special teams extraordinaire.

Corey Ballentine Special Teams Stats And Highlights:

Corey Ballentine’s presence on special teams was felt instantly during his sophomore season. He recorded a team-high 10 special teams tackles that year.

In 2017, Corey’s junior year, Washburn gave him the opportunity to return kicks. This paid dividends, as Ballentine ranked fifth in Division II by averaging 30.6 yards per kick return. The Giants have not had a serious threat returning kicks in years, so they will certainly hope that Ballentine can change that.

Ballentine was not just an impactful kick returner. In his senior season, Corey was a terror on special teams, recording 3 blocked kicks in one season. Giants fans should know how important it can be to have a talented special teams player that can block kicks.

Corey Ballentine was a do-it-all player at Washburn for 4 seasons. His impact on both defense and special teams was more than enough to make the Giants draft him in 2019, despite already addressing the cornerback position earlier in the draft. Ballentine is a talented defensive back who will make an impact on defense and special teams for the Giants for years to come.

New York Giants: Daniel Jones Already Proving To Be A Leader

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The New York Giants have drafted Daniel Jones with the 6th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

The New York Giants found themselves a new quarterback recently. With the 6th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected Daniel Jones.

Much has been said about this draft selection. General manager Dave Gettleman has received a ton of criticism for drafting Daniel Jones as high as he did. Daniel Jones has also been criticized regarding his talent on the football field.

Fans and analysts can criticize Daniel’s football skills all they want, but there is one thing that is certain with Daniel Jones. Daniel Jones is a great person off the field and it is one of the reasons the Giants committed to him as their next franchise quarterback. On Monday, Jones proved he is the leader we imagined him to be.

Daniel Jones Offers Support To Corey Ballentine

Just hours after the 2019 NFL Draft, tragedy struck for one of the newest members of the Giants. The Giants’ 6th round pick Corey Ballentine was shot and injured Saturday night during a social gathering outside a residence. The gun-shot wound was considered non-life-threatening for Ballentine and he is expected to make a full recovery.

Unfortunately, Ballentine’s friend and Washburn football teammate was not blessed with the same fate as Ballentine. Corey’s teammate, Dwane Simmons, was killed in this shooting. May Dwane Simmons rest in peace.

Corey Ballentine paid his respects to his friend, Dwane Simmons, on Twitter:

Corey Ballentine and the Simmons family could use all the love and support they can get during this difficult time. The Giants’ new quarterback was quick to understand this and support his fellow teammate.

Daniel Jones reached out to Corey Ballentine to offer support on Monday. Jones said this in an interview with Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt during an interview on Sirius XM NFL Radio.

Just a really tough situation for him… Wanted to let him know I was thinking about him and I was here if he needed anything.

It shows tremendous leadership and maturity for a young player in the NFL to reach out to his teammates and offer support during a difficult time like this. The Giants are lucky to have found another leader and a great young man at the quarterback position. Giants fans fell in love with Eli Manning the person as much as Eli Manning the player. It seems like we might begin to feel the same way about Daniel Jones soon enough.