Giants' secondary a primary concern as COVID-19 hits group hard

Julian Love’s nickname is "Duct Tape" because he can be used to hold things together in so many different places when the secondary needs fixing. He can step in at safety, cornerback, nickel, even linebacker.

There aren’t many players with that kind of versatility.

It’s unfortunate for the Giants that there is only so much of the sticky silver stuff that Love gives them to go around. The Giants’ defensive backfield could be without three starters because of a rash of COVID-19 positives and close contacts that has landed seven players on the reserve list and sent the team scrambling for bodies to plug the holes in its personnel.

"We’re trying to prep and get ready to go on Sunday for a big game and it stinks that we’re all over the place right now," Love said. "It’s an interesting dynamic."

It’s almost a laughable one, too, especially because there isn’t much the Giants’ coaching staff can do about it.

Asked who will be available to play on Sunday, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said: "They’ll be wearing blue helmets, I know that, so we’ll see. It’s a little funky right now."

Secondary coach Jerome Henderson was asked what possible role J.R. Reed might play in the defensive backfield, assuming he remains cleared to play on Sunday.

"Assuming any of us make it to Sunday," Henderson said. "I hope I make it to Sunday."

Most of the players who already have tested positive probably won’t. That includes cornerbacks Aaron Robinson and Adoree’ Jackson along with receivers Kadarius Toney and John Ross and linebackers Cam Brown and Oshane Ximines. Safety Xavier McKinney is on reserve as a close contact and in isolation, but if he continues to test negative, he can be cleared on Saturday and play Sunday.

The situation could mean larger roles for inexperienced players such as Reed, Steven Parker and practice squad cornerback Jarren Williams.

"We’ll work everybody and supplement how we have to at different positions," Joe Judge said. "We’re always looking at contingency plans and emergency plans."

Cornerback seems to be the thinnest spot. Jackson, the regular starter, already was sidelined with a quadriceps injury, which led to Robinson stepping in for him the past 2 1⁄2 games. With both out, Williams, who has played mostly inside and gave up an early touchdown against the Chargers on Sunday, could be the outside starter.

The Giants like Williams’ physicality and toughness and think he can develop into a decent NFL player, but his first two weeks showed he probably is not ready to be the starting cornerback the Giants need him to be on Sunday. Certainly not against a team that has CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper and Dak Prescott throwing to them.

"He has a few things he needs to clean up," Henderson said of the University at Albany product. "There are things you coach somebody about, but until they touch that stove and feel that it’s hot, they really don’t know. I think he had a couple of those moments [against the Chargers] where he wasn’t on the details of his assignment and ‘oooh, that’s hot!’ Hopefully he learns from that."

The Giants have two more days to get ready for Dallas, and three more days of testing to determine exactly who will be on the field to execute those plans.

"Everybody needs to stay sharp and stay ready, across the entire roster," Love said. "Guys can be feeling completely fine and then test and get popped. It’s really a crazy thing we are going through."

So crazy there probably won’t be enough duct tape to hold it all together.

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.