Darnay Holmes is a veteran nickel cornerback who signed with the Atlanta Falcons after stops with the Giants and Raiders; he played his college football at UCLA.
Darnay Holmes is a slot-savvy cornerback who joined Atlanta in 2026 to add depth to the secondary. A fourth-round pick by the Giants in 2020 out of UCLA, he spent four seasons in New York and two with the Raiders before signing with the Falcons. Atlanta added him on a one-year deal in April 2026.
Path to the league
Holmes played 35 games at UCLA with 33 starts, recording eight interceptions and 28 passes defensed and earning honorable mention All-Pac-12 as a senior. The Giants drafted him in the fourth round in 2020, and he settled in as a nickel option before moving to the Raiders for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Career highlights
Holmes has built a career as a reliable slot defender and special-teamer. The Falcons signed him on April 1, 2026, to a one-year deal, with reporting framing him as a depth and competition addition for Atlanta's cornerback group.
2025 season
Holmes appeared in 13 games for the Raiders in 2025, totaling 19 tackles (13 solo). He reached free agency that offseason before landing with Atlanta.
Sources
- AtlantaFalcons.com: Atlanta Falcons sign CB Darnay Holmes
- ESPN: Darnay Holmes player page
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
13 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | raiders | 13 | 19 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | raiders | 16 | 30 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2023 | giants | 16 | 18 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2022 | giants | 15 | 38 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| 2021 | giants | 11 | 29 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020 | giants | 12 | 30 | 23 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Cornerback
- Group
- defense
- College
- UCLA
- Hometown
- Pasadena, CA, USA
- Age
- 28
- Status
- active
