Entering Week 14 of the regular season, New York Giants rookie DeAndre Baker is one of the lowest-ranked and lowest-graded cornerbacks in the league, at times owning a share of the very bottom spot.
Recently, Baker was even called out by his teammates for a lack of hustle, which highlighted what has otherwise been a concerning and forgettable rookie campaign.
However, despite his struggles, Baker maintains a positive attitude and vows to become an elite lock-down corner in 2020.
“I know it,” Baker told NJ Advance Media. “I know what I can do.”
“Just to be one of the top corners. That’s all. Next year, I’m just trying to have way more good games than bad.”
The problem with Baker looking ahead is that he still has four games remaining in his rookie season, and now that he’s sharing time with Sam Beal, he’ll need to start turning a corner sooner rather than later.
“I’m going to show them that for the rest of these games, too, and next year,” he said.
While Baker admits that he’s not content in his rookie performance, he also claims he’s not disappointed in it, either. That’s a far cry from his critics and fans, but he simply tunes them out — something that is easier for him to do since he doesn’t use social media.
“I’m not content,” he said of his rookie season. “There’s things I could’ve done better. But I ain’t disappointed at all. It’s kind of like: All right, this is what I need to do.
“I don’t ever see criticism or nothing like that, so I can’t really talk about it. I don’t be on Twitter, so I wouldn’t know what they’re saying. That’s probably a good thing.”
It is a good thing for Baker, who has taken more heat than any other Giant this season — and rightfully so.
[lawrence-related id=634612,634547,634596]