IRVING, Texas -- The New York Giants’ formula for success has been to stockpile the defensive line and make life miserable for the opposing quarterback.

When they had Michael Strahan, they drafted Osi Umenyiora. When they had Strahan and Umenyiora, they drafted Justin Tuck. When they had Umenyiora and Tuck, they drafted Jason Pierre-Paul. They have sprinkled in free agent help along the way.

The philosophy has helped lead the Giants to two Super Bowl wins in the last five years.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is taking a similar view with his team’s secondary, which is why he will not trade cornerback Mike Jenkins.

In last year’s season opener against the New York Jets, the Cowboys were playing with Bryan McCann and Barry Church as their Nos. 2 and 3 cornerbacks because of injuries. For a few weeks they were banking on Alan Ball and Frank Walker as the Nos. 3 and 4 corners.

With Jenkins, Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne and Orlando Scandrick, Jones feels the cornerback spot has never been as secure for the Cowboys.

“We’re not going to be long in numbers in my view with the way we plan on using these corners,” Jones said. “We’re going to need them. I can’t think of a any way to help our football team any better than … to have Jenkins come out there and play lights out along with the other corners and have a great secondary, and have a concept that’s written about the way they do the defensive line of the Giants.”

So the Giants can look at it this way: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.