Giants activate four, place Carter Coughlin on injured reserve

The New York Giants have activated four players and placed LB Carter Coughlin on IR ahead of a Week 8 game against the Chiefs.

The New York Giants did some serious tinkering to their roster ahead of a Monday night game against the Kansas City Chiefs, including the elevation of four players.

Linebackers Trent Harris and Benardrick McKinney were each elevated from the practice squad to the gameday roster. Both will be returned to the reserve unit following the game.

Additionally, defensive back Steven Parker was signed from the practice squad to the active roster, while rookie cornerback Aaron Robinson was activated from the physically unable to perform list.

“He’s got real good top-end speed,” head coach Joe Judge said of Robinson last week. “He’s got very good short-area quickness. He has good instincts in terms of matching receivers. He has very good ball skills. He’s got a physical presence to him. That’s one of the things that really jumped out to us when we looked at this guy through college tape and down in Mobile (at the Senior Bowl).

“He’s a physical corner, he really is. Physicality comes into how you tackle but then also how you can play on the line of scrimmage with hands and really go ahead and be disruptive. He does a good job of that. He’s one of those guys when you watch him from across the ball, he doesn’t blink much pre-snap. He’s always looking into it, he’s anticipating moves. Physically, this guy’s got a pretty good skillset.”

Rookie edge rusher Elerson Smith was not activated and remains on PUP.

Finally, second-year linebacker Carter Coughlin was placed on injured reserve with an ankle issue. He is eligible to return on November 28 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Following the series of transactions, the Giants are now at the league’s 53-man limit (plus practice squad elevations).

Giants sign third-round pick Aaron Robinson

The New York Giants have signed third-round cornerback Aaron Robison to a four-year rookie contract.

The New York Giants on Thursday officially signed third-round cornerback Aaron Robinson to his rookie contract, leaving wide receiver Kadarius Toney as the only member of the team’s 2021 NFL draft class who remains unsigned.

More to come…

Aaron Robinson won Giants over with ‘instincts, toughness and competitiveness’

Chris Pettit says third-round pick Aaron Robinson won the New York Giants over with his “instincts, toughness and competitiveness.”

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Before the 2021 NFL draft, pundits were mocking cornerbacks to the New York Giants in the first round, much to the dismay of fans, who wanted an offensive playmaker.

As it turned out, the fans got their wish. The top two corners in the draft, South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn and Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II, were both off the board when it was the Giants’ turn to select at No. 11. And they were looking at wide receivers anyway.

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Alabama wideout Jaylen Waddle was off the board and his teammate, DeVonta Smith, got snatched one pick before the Giants could pounce by the Eagles, who had swapped picks with Dallas.

The Giants traded back to No. 20 and got their offensive playmaker in Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney. They were still in the market for a top corner but wanted to add a pass rusher first. In Round 2, they traded back from No. 42 to No. 50 and snagged Georgia’s Azeez Ojulari.

In Round 3, the Giants had Pick No. 76 and were eyeing Central Florida corner Aaron Robinson, a quick, physical, athletic player who fits their system. Not to get outmaneuvered again, general manager Dave Gettleman moved up five spots with Denver to grab Robinson.

“Where Aaron fits in is he gives us more perimeter muscle, so to speak, and he’s also got that flexibility to play the nickel and play the star,” Gettleman told reporters after Day 2 of the draft. “We think he’s a great fit, obviously, because we traded up, hello, stating the obvious. Captain Obvious.

“We think he’s a great fit for our defense and our back end and we feel like you can never have too many assets back there because players come and go. You have injuries. People will say it’s a passing league and it is to a degree. And the other thing that we really liked about Aaron is you do the studies, you do the analytics — I do do it, people — and the best defenses have the best tackling secondaries, and Aaron Robinson is a really good tackling corner.”

Director of college scouting Chris Pettit recalled the first time he saw Robinson on tape.

“A-Rob jumped off, I remember I was sitting here through the pandemic in the office, threw on the UCF tape and his instincts, his toughness and his tackling jumped out to me immediately as I was watching the tape,” said Pettit. “A little unknown about him, didn’t know much, threw the tape on one day and really caught my eye with his competitiveness and instincts. Then we’ve kind of followed him throughout the process.

“We had two interviews with him down in Mobile which got to help us know him as a person, most importantly, and then I went down and saw him at his pro day as well to really spend a lot of time with him. I think what immediately jumped off was his instincts, toughness, competitiveness.”

Robinson will be thrown into a crowded secondary room, along with sixth-rounder Rodarius Williams, that has several established corners already such as Pro Bowler James Bradberry, Adoree’ Jackson, Darnay Holmes, Isaac Yiadom and others.

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2021 NFL Draft report card: How did the Giants fare?

Giants Wire breaks down the New York Giants’ 2021 NFL draft class, their trade haul and offers up individual and cumulative grades.

What a three-day span it was for the New York Giants, who broke some long-standing trends and were extremely creative in their approach.

They were dealt a bad hand in Round 1 when the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles conspired against them (tongue-in-cheek), but they didn’t panic and made the entire situation work in their favor. They also did a great job maneuvering in Round 2.

They continued to move around for the remainder of the draft, compiling future assets and attacking draft positions in order to land the players they coveted.

Giants Wire breaks down Big Blue’s entire 2021 NFL draft and offers up some grades:

Introducing the New York Giants’ 2021 draft class

A quick look and short breakdown of the New York Giants’ entire 2021 NFL draft class.

The New York Giants made six picks during the 2021 NFL draft. The class started with Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney in the first round and finished with Oklahoma State cornerback Rodarius Williams in the sixth round.

Introducing the full Giants’ draft class for 2021:

A CB prospect for the Colts in each round of the 2021 draft

Which CB will the Colts come away with?

The Indianapolis Colts have plenty of positions to address during the 2021 NFL draft, which is now just over a week away. Cornerback is among the top needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Currently sitting with six picks in the draft, it is likely the Colts are going to move back from the No. 21 overall pick. We highlighted some of the trades that could go down if Indy does move back.

The Colts cornerback room isn’t a massive need. But if we’re taking a long-term view at the position, some youth could be targeted in the draft. They re-signed Xavier Rhodes and T.J. Carrie to one-year deals while Marvell Tell is expected to join the group after opting out of the 2020 season.

We already looked at wide receivers, edge rushers and offensive tackles in each round for the Colts.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Colts grab a cornerback they like on Day 2 of the draft, but here’s a look at a prospect in each round for Indy:

Lions 2021 draft: A cornerback for every round

Expect the Lions to address the CB position at some point during the 2021 NFL draft

The 2021 NFL draft offers the Detroit Lions intriguing prospects across several position groups. One of the more important ones for the new-look Lions is cornerback.

Detroit signed veteran Corn Elder this week to help shore up the depth chart, but the Lions can still add more young help to the unsettled corps. Youngsters Jeff Okudah and Amani Oruwariye has shown promise as the starting outside tandem, and Elder can handle the slot, but beyond that, the only other CB currently on the roster is Mike Ford, a special teams player.

Expect the Lions to address the CB position at some point during the draft. After tabbing Okudah at No. 3 overall in 2020, it’s unlikely GM Brad Holmes would dip back into the position at the No. 7 overall spot. But we’ll include an option anyway.

The players listed here are generally projected as fits in the top 10 picks of the round listed, where the Lions would select prior to any trades. Even though Detroit doesn’t currently have sixth or seventh-round picks, we still included a corner for each round.

6 potential Chargers prospects who stood out from Day 2 of Senior Bowl

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez updates you on the prospects he believes received attention from Los Angeles on Day 2 of the Senior Bowl.

Day 2 of practices at the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl have officially come to an end.

After experiencing some rain, the weather held up a lot better in Mobile, AL.

There were a handful of prospects that stood out today, some of which capitalized on yesterday’s performance and a few that made their first cases.

With that being said, here are six players that shined who could be on the Chargers’ radar:

IOL Quinn Meinerz, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

The Senior Bowl is notorious for bringing in small-school prospects who show that the competition is not too big for them. This year, it’s Meinerz. The former Division III has lined up both at center and guard, where he’s been a wall in pass protection and a road-graded in the run game, putting defenders on the turf. Projected as a sixth/seventh-round pick coming into the event, Meinerz is making his case to be selected within the top-100 picks. Given the Chargers’ need up front, the team could benefit from Meinerz’s services.

OT James Hudson, Cincinnati

After not allowing a single sack and only giving up six total pressures this past season, Hudson has still gone under the radar. However, he’s making his case to be a solid mid-round selection come April. In the one-on-one drills, the former defensive lineman is showing off lower body athleticism, a wide base, aggressive hands and competitive temperament to stay square to rushers. Hudson’s technique is still a work in progress, but he has potential to be a high upside starter at tackle.

EDGE Elerson Smith, UNI

While Hudson and Meinerz shined, there were a few defensive linemen that got the most out of the guys up front, including Smith. Smith has all the necessary traits at the position; length, flexibility and athleticism. Today, he showed great usage to work inside of offensive linemen’s frames and the burst off the line of scrimmage. In 2019, Smith had 14 sacks, 22 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. The 6-foot-7 and 255 pounder is a guy that’s likely going to go on Day 3, but will exceed expectations early on.

DL Cameron Sample, Tulane

If the Chargers want someone who can affect the quarterback from multiple alignments, Sample is the guy. Lining up outside and inside, Sample was in the backfield on a consistent basis. He came in at 6-foot-2 and 274 pounds, Sample was moving like a guy 30 pounds lighter. Sample showed great change of direction, explosiveness and quickness off the line of scrimmage and quick hands to clear his frame. Sample is a player who could rise into the top-100 picks.

CB Keith Taylor, Washington

I’ve mentioned before, head coach Brandon Staley covets good defensive back play in his system. Taylor, the 6-foot-3 and 195 corner is someone who could intrigue. At his best in zone coverage, Taylor has also shown a great understanding of technique and understanding of routes in man coverage, sticking to some of the top wideouts down the field. Taylor didn’t produce any interceptions in college, but while Taylor has inconsistent ball skills to create turnovers, he displays the athleticism, competitiveness and length to stay attached to receivers.

CB Aaron Robinson, UCF

Robinson was another defensive back who made some eyebrow-raising plays. Coming in at at 6-foot-1 and 193 pounds, Robinson locked up receivers in one-on-ones, playing tough and physical at the line of scrimmage to affect the release and timing of routes. He also showed the speed and hip fluidity to turn and run with receivers after the initial press. Overall, he was super sticky all day. Robinson has shown the versatility to play outside corner, nickel corner, strong safety and outside linebacker.