The Giants selected UCLA's Darnay Holmes with the No. 110 pick in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft on April 25. Four months later, Holmes' addition has a heightened sense of urgency for the Giants.

Cornerback depth took a hit Aug. 5 when Sam Beal opted out. DeAndre Baker, the Giants' No. 30 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has been on the commissioner's exempt list since July 27 after he was arrested for his alleged armed robbery on May 13.

With the Giants in training camp for the past month, Holmes' adjustment period has ramped up. As the 2020 NFL season approaches with the Sept. 14 opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers at 7:15 p.m. from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Holmes leans on the veterans at his position.

"Just the group of guys we have around us -- it's a lot of mentors, it's a lot of veterans, and a lot of guys that have been around," he said Monday. "So there's always been a person I seek knowledge in. By seeking knowledge, you're able to use that and store it, have it around you so you're able to renew it accordingly."

The Giants return Corey Ballentine, James Bradberry and Julian Love among others at cornerback. Between learning from them and facing wide receivers such as Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate out of the slot, Holmes embraces the competition.

"Really just trusting your technique, having patience and understanding that these guys on the other side of the ball, they get paid as well," Holmes said. "So don't get too caught up in the bad that may have happened. You really have to be able to snap into clarity, line back up, have an understanding that you're supposed to be here and trust what you have going on."

With the Bruins from 2017-19, Holmes was a three-year starter, totaling 121 tackles (three for loss), eight interceptions (28 pass breakups) and two forced fumbles (two recoveries) in 35 games. His past, the good and bad, has kept him levelheaded as he comes along.

"Just really having compassion, having compassion, being a humble guy," Holmes said. "At the end of the day, I was in a lot of other peoples' shoes, coming from a broken family, coming from certain different things. So those things I went through in the past definitely strike a fire with me, but also humbled me."

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