The New York Giants might have made some questionable decisions in the first round in drafting quarterback Daniel Jones and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence but in the later rounds general manager Dave Gettleman and co. knocked it out of the park.
One of the more underrated selections was cornerback Julian Love of Notre Dame, a top corner in the draft that managed to slip to the fourth round.
What does Julian Love bring to the New York Giants?
What made Love a stellar addition to the secondary is his dynamic style of the play and versatility. He can play on the boundary but also in the interior as a slot corner. He primary played on the outside blanketing wideouts with the Irish, but he could move inside to play in nickel situations. One of the primary reasons Notre Dame coaches trusted Love so much at the line of scrimmage was due to his great tackling efficiency.
If that ain’t the most BPA pick ever, I don’t know what is.
Julian Love to the #NYGiants pic.twitter.com/0Qyf5zvUJR
— Fair Shake Football (@FairshakeFB) April 27, 2019
He’s on the smaller side though, which likely indicates this move to the inside with the Giants.
Head coach Pat Shurmur discussed the acquisition of Love and stated how lucky the Giants were to have grabbed him where they did. Gettleman said that Love “stuck out like a sore thumb” on their draft board and it was an easy selection to make.
“Julian Love is a really, really good football player. He can play in the slot. He can play high. He’s got that tweener kind of corner safety ability, which makes him a unique player for us,” said Shurmur.
After moving up into the first round from the 37th overall pick, the Giants grabbed Georgia standout corner, Deandre Baker. Pairing Baker with Love to compliment Janoris Jenkins should change the negative narrate plaguing the Giants’ defense.
Now, the unit is composed of Baker, Love, Jenkins, Sam Beal, and Grant Haley, an impressive young group that has a ton of potential heading into 2019.