With their eighth pick (No. 238 overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select South Carolina LB T.J. Brunson.
Bruson represents the third consecutive linebacker taken by the Giants in the draft, coming on the heels of sixth-round pick Cam Brown and seventh-round pick Carter Coughlin.
Here is what The Draft Network had to say about Brunson:
PROS: Decent athlete with solid range. Doesn’t back down from blockers despite lack of great size. Physical mentality that needs further cultivation. Could be a potential third down matchup piece depending how he tests. Tenacious blitzer.
CONS: Exceptionally slow processor who doesn’t trust his keys or play downhill. Not an explosive mover. Takes several steps to get to top speed. Can’t work off of blocks. N.C. State’s outside zone scheme had him lost. Consistently stuck at the second level and reached easily by blockers.
Blew two coverages (Missouri and N.C. State) due to falling dramatically for play fakes. Chases backfield motion and easily manipulated out of position. Needs to wrap up better. Overpursues in space and misses stops as a result. Smaller linebacker, not sure he has the frame to add a lot more weight.
At 6-foot-1 and 229 pounds, Brunson is on the smaller side and clearly needs a lot of development at the NFL level.
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