Logan Ryan flourishing in his new position of safety for Giants defense

Logan Ryan loved his role in the defense during his two-season tenure with the Titans.

"In Tennessee we had three good corners in Malcolm Butler, Adoree' Jackson and myself," he said. "I played 100 percent of the snaps. I played on the perimeter, I played outside, I played inside. I matched up on tight ends, I matched up on running backs, I matched up on whoever [defensive coordinator] Dean Pees told me to match up. I was a versatile piece for our defense and a key part of it."

The only thing he disliked about it? What his position was called.

"I got labeled as a slot corner," he said.

This offseason he changed that. As a free agent without a team, Ryan decided to become a safety. Just like that. After a full and fulfilling career as a cornerback that included large responsibilities on teams that went deep into the postseason and even won a Super Bowl, he tore up his on-field identity and created a new one.

The Giants are the beneficiary of that.

They have seen Ryan develop into one of their top defensive players, as his interception that sealed last week’s win over Washington illustrated. He also forced a fumble on the first play of that game, bracketing the win with turnovers. He is second on the team to Blake Martinez with 52 tackles (40 solo) and second to James Bradberry with seven passes defensed.

And he’s been doing the job for about a month and a half.

Ryan started the season with the Giants as a nebulous defensive back who played all over the field, but in the last five games, as Julian Love’s playing time has dwindled and Adrian Colbert injured his shoulder, he’s become a full-fledged starting safety. The transition that began in the offseason was made complete.

They are the only five starts of his career at the position, but they have been enough to give him high expectations for himself.

"I think I can be the best safety in football," he said on Thursday. "I’m developing my own style of how to do it but ultimately I think my toughness, my work ethic, being fundamentally sound and my ability to go get the ball is what can make me the best safety in football."

He has plenty of role models in his life. He said two of his best friends are All-Pro safeties Kevin Byard and Devin McCourty, former teammates in Tennessee and New England. He watches them all of the time. He also pays attention to teammates with the Giants, particularly Jabrill Peppers, who plays there as his natural position.

"I’ve called myself a safety but I’ve never really done it to this extent," Ryan said. "It is my first year at the position full time, it’s my first year back there in the post, it’s my first year doing the things I do. And I didn’t have the reps in training camp, I didn’t have the reps in OTAs, but I was working behind the scenes … The more reps I get, every single game, I am getting more comfortable at the position."

Can he develop into the best in the league at it? That’s a tough one considering he is a 29-year-old veteran on a one-year contract with the Giants. But Ryan does consider himself to be part of a new wave of defensive players in the NFL.

"I just think the future of football is having more versatile players out there," he said. "I feel like my future was to go to the safety position because I am able to match up these Evan Engrams, these versatile tight ends, these really good running backs out of the backfield. I’m able to blitz which is something I worked on. I’m able to ultimately play against the quarterback. I think my mind and my communication are my two biggest strengths. I think that bodes well for a safety. I think my best opportunity to be the best in the league is at safety."

As for his old job title — slot corner — Ryan seemed to feel the term is almost derogatory toward those who actually line up there.

"I don’t think we label Keenan Allen as a slot receiver," he said. "He’s getting paid as a number one receiver. I don’t think we label Michael Thomas, who runs 90 percent of his routes out of the slot, as a slot receiver. Let’s pay him five million bucks? No, I think he’s getting 20 million dollars because he is one of the best receivers in football. DeAndre Hopkins lines up in the slot a lot more. Therefore, some of your better defenders have to go in there more. James Bradberry has to go line up in the slot and match some of these guys a little bit more. He’s not a slot corner by any means."

Now, neither is Ryan.

"I had a lot of fun playing perimeter corner, won Super Bowls at it," he said. "I had a lot of fun playing in the slot predominately. Now I play all over.

"You can call me what you want to call me," he added. "I just want to be a really good defender."

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.