The defender is the first member of the New York Guardians to be picked up by an NFL squad after their season ended early.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2FnIFboyNc
Dravon Askew-Henry has found a new team, but the next step of his football journey will require little, if any, packing.
The cornerback became the first member of the XFL’s New York Guardians to get a call from the NFL. According to a report of Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Askew-Henry was picked up by the New York Giants, the Guardians’ MetLife Stadium co-tenants.
Another XFL player making the jump to the NFL: DB Dravon Askew-Henry has agreed to a 2-year deal with the #Giants, source said. Expect the cousin of @Revis24, who played for the New York Guardians, to compete for the nickel role.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 24, 2020
The Guardians partook in the abbreviated debut season of the rebooted XFL, which began in February. They finished in a three-way tie for first place in the XFL’s East Division with a 3-2 record. New York won both of their games in East Rutherford and was coached by former Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.
Askew-Henry partook in four games with the Guardians, earning 12 tackles. The Guardians chose him in the fourth round of the defensive back portion of the 2020 XFL Draft. He mostly filled in as a slot cornerback and can also play in the nickel set.
The defender made a bit of infamous XFL history during the Guardians win over Los Angeles on February 29. After Askew-Henry was called for a penalty, he caught the flag thrown by the nearby official. In disbelief and frustration, he threw the flag back at him, earning an additional 15-yeard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
An alum of West Virginia, Askew-Henry earned six interceptions over four seasons in Morgantown. He notably earned two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, in a 2014 win over Oklahoma State in his freshman season. Askew-Henry appeared in 51 games for the Mountaineers, a program record.
This will mark Askew-Henry’s second endeavor in the NFL. He went undrafted in the 2019 selection proceedings, but partook in four preseason games with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He would tally eight tackles and one pass defense in that summer span.
In another New York football connection, Askew-Henry is the cousin of renowned former New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.
The XFL suspended play on March 12 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and officially ended its season last week. Players have been allowed to sign with NFL and CFL squads since Monday morning and Askew-Henry is one of several notable names to be scooped up. The league’s top quarterback, PJ Walker of the undefeated Houston Roughnecks, was added by the Carolina Panthers. Fellow thrower Jordan Ta’amu of the St. Louis BattleHawks was signed by the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags