After losing safety Julian Love in free agency, the New York Giants went on a hunt for his replacement. But despite signing Bobby McClain, general manager Joe Schoen sought to add more at the position.
With pick No. 254 overall in Round 7 of the 2023 NFL draft — their final pick — the Giants selected Houston safety Gervarrius Owens.
Owens is a cornerback convert who NFL Network draft analyst Lance Zielein says makes too many mistakes. However, he does provide some upside.
Owens has the physical ingredients to play safety. The mistakes he put on tape should be a concern, though. His cornerback background shows with the way he matches route breaks from man coverage, but he lacks the field vision and instincts to become a consistent playmaker from man or zone. Owens is a willing and physical hitter, but he takes suspect angles to the football and has too many missed tackles after the catch and in run support. He has draftable traits, but the issues might be a difficult fix.
Owens is clearly a work in progress who needs to be aggressively coached, but he was given a fourth-round grade so that’s good value for the Giants in Round 7.
The 6-foot, 195-pound Owens joins a safety rotation that includes Xavier McKinney, Jason Pinnock, Terrell Burgess, Trenton Thompson, and the aforementioned McCain.
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