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The men and women over at Pro Football Focus love New York Giants defensive back Julian Love (no pun intended) and have repeatedly gushed over him since dating back to last season.
That trend continued earlier this week when PFF pegged Love as the Giants’ breakout player of 2020.
Love is as versatile a secondary player as they come. He didn’t see substantial action as a rookie in 2019 until Week 12 but played well while logging over 75 snaps in the box, in the slot and at deep safety. Love produced a 70.5 PFF grade in that span, ranking 26th among qualifying safeties. This year, Love is likely to stick at safety to start for the Giants, but don’t rule him out at cornerback given the state of the unit. That’s where Love spent his three-year career at Notre Dame and was one of the best at the position.
In his last season at Notre Dame, Love was the fourth-highest graded cornerback in the FBS on the outside, tying for eighth in forced incompletions (17). His size is a minor concern and he may not have blazing speed, but Love is still an incredibly smooth athlete with the ball skills to thrive on the outside if given the opportunity. Whether he plays there, nickel or deep, Love should have a decent Year 2 ahead with the experience he now has at every position.
Even with the addition of veteran defensive back Logan Ryan, who is expected to see most of his snaps come at safety, Love is poised for a significant role in 2020 that will be defined by his versatility.
Expect the Giants to use Love in a variety of ways, possibly even at linebacker in certain packages, in addition to his snaps at safety, cornerback and nickel.
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