When the New York Giants selected Darnay Holmes in the fourth round of this year’s draft, he immediately received a lot more hype than mid-rounders usually receive.

Holmes was widely considered a steal for the Giants, and his workload may have already grown given the legal troubles cornerback DeAndre Baker is facing.

A few weeks back, Sports Illustrated’s Bucky Brooks raved about the Giants’ fourth round selection, and now several Pro Football Hall of Famers have shared their thought and high expectations on the UCLA product.

Unlike most rookies, Holmes has a few contacts that may have prepped him for his adjustment to the NFL. Holmes’ father was a running back in the NFL in the mid-to-late 90s.

The Giants’ rookie has a few mentors who are members of Canton’s elite — Rod Woodson, Aeneas Williams and Deion Sanders have all mentored Holmes in his path to the NFL. Holmes was the recipient of the DB MVP at Sanders’ Prime21 camp in 2015.

“He might be the sleeper [defensive back] in the draft,” Woodson told ESPN. “I know he was taken in the fourth round. But I like his mindset. No coach can measure one’s heart and one’s mind until you start playing. I think when I’ve seen him playing and talked to Carnell and his son, just the way he moves and how fluid he is and has that recall during the games when people are doing stuff to him that makes you kind of excited to watch a player like that.”

But the admiration for Holmes didn’t end there as Sanders also had some high praise when he referred to the cornerback’s combine performance as both “flawless” and “unbelievable.”

As for his relationship with Aeneas Williams, Holmes was coached by Williams in 2016 for “Nike’s The Opening” and at the Senior Bowl in 2020.

“I was thinking in the back of my mind, a team is going to get a steal, I didn’t know when or where he was going to go, but I know he has a lot more value than where he was drafted. I can tell you that,” Williams said.

Depending on how the legal situation plays out with DeAndre Baker, the Giants may need Holmes to be more pro-ready than they anticipated when they drafted him in April. And although he’s unlikely to start on the outside, some nickel guys may be forced to step up in Baker’s potential absence, thrusting Holmes into a larger role.

Regardless of what his rookie season may entail, it seems that the Giants may have gotten serious value when they took Holmes in the fourth round.