Last year’s NFL Draft class brought a ton of new talent into the league, but only three draftees made the Pro Bowl as rookies: Nick Bosa, Josh Allen and Mecole Hardman, and Bosa and Hardman missed the game because they played in the Super Bowl.
That’s about to change for some as this class enters Year 2.
The New York Giants had several rookies ball out last year – quarterback Daniel Jones, defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and wide receiver Darius Slayton all impressed in their inaugural seasons as pros.
Other players such as cornerback DeAndre Baker also flashed. Ryan Connelly, a linebacker taken in the fifth round, earned a starting role in late September before blowing out an ACL and missing the rest of the season.
This year, other players from that class are expected to make a jump. The Giants, according to some draftniks, got a steal in Notre Dame defensive back Julian Love in the fourth round, but Love couldn’t get on the field the first three quarters of the season.
An injury to starting safety Jabrill Peppers paved the way for Love to get some playing time in the final quadrant of the year, finally giving us an idea of what he can do.
From Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report:
Maybe you didn’t watch much Notre Dame football between 2016-18, and nobody could fault you for tuning out the New York Giants last December. Under those circumstances, you might still be unfamiliar with emerging safety Julian Love, who hardly saw the field in the first 11 weeks but then impressed down the stretch.
The 2019 fourth-round pick had 34 tackles (five for a loss) while excelling inside and outside of the box as well as in coverage in the final five weeks of the regular season. He’s a polished former cornerback with strong tackling skills and the ability to hold it down in the slot, and he’s yet to turn 22.
If you check out tape on Love from late in season, it’s easy to get excited about his potential. His instincts and versatility indicate that Giants general manager Dave Gettleman might have gotten this middle-round pick right.
Peppers will be back and healthy for training camp, but the Giants other starter at safety, 35-year-old Antoine Bethea, may not be. He could be cut by the Giants this spring to make way for Love and other younger, more inexpensive options.
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