Giants’ James Bradberry, Blake Martinez named among NFL’s most valuable additions
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The New York Giants hit several home runs in free agency last year, including the additions of both cornerback James Bradberry and linebacker Blake Martinez.
Bradberry became an immediate lockdown No. 1 corner for the Giants, ultimately earning a spot on the 2020-2021 Pro Bowl roster. Martinez, meanwhile, was named a defensive captain by his teammates and finished the season among the league-leaders in tackles.
Behind both Bradberry and Martinez, as well as some others, the Giants’ defense performed well above expectations and kept them in most games.
Unsurprisingly, that has led Pro Football Focus to list the duo among the NFL’s most valuable additions.
LB: BLAKE MARTINEZ, NEW YORK GIANTS, 0.34 WAR
Martinez was a tackling machine with the Packers and did not miss a step once he joined the G Men. He posted a poor 57.9 grade in 2019 but bounced back with a 75.9 grade this year, seventh among linebackers. Though many second-level defenders were eaten alive by the onslaught of passing games, Martinez held his own by allowing zero touchdowns across 573 coverage snaps and 63 targets.
In terms of WAR, Bradberry was even more valuable to the Giants than Martinez.
CB: JAMES BRADBERRY, NEW YORK GIANTS, 0.87 WAR
Joining teammate Martinez on the list, Bradberry put together a career year in his first season in New York, grading at 79.8 overall, good for seventh-best in the league during the regular season. He allowed the ninth-lowest passer rating into his coverage (70.1) and played over 1,000 snaps, making him one of just eight cornerbacks to do so. While there were other solid free agent and rookie performances at cornerback, none were as dominant as Bradberry’s.
Of those listed by PFF, only Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady had a higher WAR (4.19) than Bradberry. The next closest was Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs (0.84).
