The New York Giants made a somewhat surprising move last week in selecting CB Sam Beal out of Western Michigan in the third round of the supplemental draft. Beal signed his rookie contract yesterday, less than a week after being drafted.
He was available in the supplemental draft due to academic ineligibility for next year; Beal is only the third player ever selected by the Giants in the supplemental draft and the first player since Tito Wooten in 1994.
Was Beal worth a third-round pick from the New York Giants?
The Western Michigan product is a highly touted prospect and was projected to be one of the top corners in next year’s draft, so sacrificing 2019’s third round pick can prove to be an absolute steal.
Beal is known to be an excellent cover corner with great foot work and ball skills. He may struggle initially against speedy receivers and needs to get physically stronger to help against the run, but he brings an immediate upgrade to the position.
With a strong summer and into the early season, he should compete with Eli Apple and William Gay for significant playing time, if not starting, and secure the opposite side of the field from Janoris Jenkins. This will free up Big Blue’s safeties, allowing Landon Collins to be more aggressive in the box while Thomas and/or Thompson can drop back into coverage.
From a talent perspective, this was a lock, and a move the Giants had to pull the trigger on. The biggest question regarding Beal is bringing a guy in the locker room who was only available because his academic eligibility was in question for next year. Should this be a big deal?
Time will tell but with the right coaches and players to mentor him along, Sam Beal is poised to be a strong contributor to a secondary that desperately needed depth. If nothing else, the Giants just got a 10-month head start to get a player in the door and can start molding him into an NFL-caliber player.