Giants’ Tae Crowder determined to become most relevant ‘Mr. Irrelevant’

New York Giants seventh-round pick Tae Crowder is gunning to become the most successful and relevant “Mr. Irrelevant” ever.

History has not been kind to “Mr. Irrelevant” — the final player selected in the NFL Draft dating back to the 1976 season. However, New York Giants seventh-round draft pick Tae Crowder is not shying away from the title in his quest to rewrite history.

“At first, I knew about Mr. Irrelevant but I didn’t know all of the stuff that came with it. It’s pretty special for me and my family. We’ll have fun with it,” Crowder said during a conference call earlier this week. “They called me right after the draft and we kind of talked about everything, but I’m not sure when I’ll be able to actually do it. I think they’ll reach out to me, I guess, when everything clears up. We’ll just have to find a way to plan it with my family.”

The usual celebration for Mr. Irrelevant includes a week-long event in Newport Beach where the rookie draft pick rubs elbow with celebrities, plays a free round of golf and even marshals a parade at Disneyland.

That may or may not happen for Crowder due to the coronavirus pandemic and the impact it has had, but he’s intent on rolling with the punches. Ultimately, it’s what happens when he arrives in East Rutherford that truly matters.

“I’m an aggressive player, a disciplined player,” Crowder said. “A hard-working player and I like to make plays for the team. I can play Sam, I can play Will and Mike. I’m pretty good in coverage. I love to fit the run and I love to cover backs, too.”

Crowder will also benefit from seeing a few familiar faces in the locker-room — former Georgia teammates DeAndre Baker, Lorenzo Carter and Andrew Thomas.

“It’s just a dream come true,” Crowder said. “We know how each other works. It will be fun catching up, going to work with them and being on the field with each other once again.”

Mr. Irrelevant often faces long odds and rarely ends up with the team who drafted him, but Crowder is itching to break that mold and become the most relevant final draft pick ever.

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The story of Mr. Irrelevant, former Georgia LB Tae Crowder

Tae Crowder was selected by the New York Giants with the last overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but who is this year’s Mr. Irrelevant?

The Southeastern Conference set a record on Thursday night of the 2020 NFL draft, having 15 out of 32 players selected in the first round.

This is three more players out of the conference than the previous record of 12 going in the first round of the 2017 draft.

Former Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder had a slightly different draft experience than those who heard their name in the first round.

The NFL community awards the very last pick of the draft the title of ‘Mr. Irrelevant’.  This is in-part motivation to this player to prove that teams made a mistake in passing on him but also in-part making fun of the fact that they were picked last overall.

First overall or last overall, hearing your name called in the NFL Draft is an accomplishment that very few people can say they’ve achieved.

Former Oklahoma Sooners and Dallas Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer had some encouraging words for Crowder following the pick.

“Tae Crowder you do not need my encouragement as ‘Mr. Irrelevant’!” Switzer said. “You’ll do well! Reggie Kinlaw, Oklahoma defensive lineman, 1979 was 320 in the 12th & last round! He started at nose guard for six years on Oakland Raiders’ great teams! Super Bowl champions 1980, 1983! Good Luck Tae.”

But this isn’t Tae’s first last-minute call he’s received in his career.

Crowder was committed to Georgia Southern in 2015 as a 3-star out of Harris County, Georgia, but got a call from former UGA head coach Mark Richt just two days before national signing day, ultimately flipping his commitment.

Crowder was recruited by Richt as a running back with a nasty stiff arm, filling the hole that Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson left when he flipped his commitment from Georgia to Oklahoma State. Crowder was coming onto a team with Sony Michel and Nick Chubb as returning sophomores, contributing to the decision to redshirt his freshman year.

Brian Herrien and Elijah Holyfield then signed with the Dawgs in 2016, leading to Crowder making a positional switch to linebacker.

He battled through the depth chart and earned his spot as starter with some serious linebacker prospects right behind him hungry for minutes. Crowder played in one game in 2016. Fast forward to 2019, he started every game, becoming a pivotal piece to the Dawgs dominant defense.

Down 31-14 in the 2nd quarter of the 2018 Rose Bowl, Crowder caught and fell on a squib kick by Oklahoma, in what is maybe the most overlooked play of Georgia’s magical 2017 season. This gave the Dawgs great field position and set up Rodrigo Blankenship’s 55-yard field goal going into halftime, a record long in the Rose Bowl. That play was a huge momentum swing in the game that helped play a part in Georgia’s double overtime victory.

Crowder stands at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds and was a great pickup by the New York Giants with the last pick in the 2020 draft. He had 29 solo tackles, 4 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery and 1 touchdown last season.

Now Crowder will join former Georgia teammates DeAndre Baker, Lorenzo Carter and Andrew Thomas for a reunion in the Meadowlands of New Jersey.

Georgia football’s 2020 NFL Draft class as recruits

Georgia football had seven players drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, so we take a look back at the former Bulldogs as recruits.

Georgia had seven players drafted this past weekend in the 2020 NFL Draft. Let’s look back at the former Bulldogs from their time as recruits. 

Andrew Thomas OT – pick No. 4, New York Giants. 

Thomas was a 5-star OT for Pace Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. 247Sports had Thomas as the No. 9 OT and No. 45 overall recruit in the 2017 recruiting class. 

Isaiah Wilson OT – pick No. 29, Tennessee Titans 

Wilson was a 5-star OT for Poly Prep Country Day High School in Brooklyn, New York. 247Sports had Wilson ranked as the NO. 5 OT and No. 16 overall recruit in the 2017 recruiting class. 

D’Andre Swift RB – pick No. 35, Detroit Lions 

Swift was a 5-star RB from St. Joseph’s High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 247Sports had Swift ranked as the No. 4 RB and No. 33 overall recruit in the 2017 recruiting class. 

Solomon Kindley OG – pick No. 111, Miami Dolphins 

Kindley was a 3-star OT for Raines High School in Jacksonville, Florida. 247Sports had Kindley ranked as the No. 89 OT and No. 1,051 recruit in the 2016 recruiting class. 

Jake Fromm QB – pick No. 167, Buffalo Bills

Fromm was a 4-star QB for Houston County High School in Warner Robins, Georgia. 247Sports had Fromm ranked as the No. 3 pro-style QB and the No. 44 overall recruit in the 2017 recruiting class. Fromm was originally committed to Alabama before following Kirby Smart to Georgia.  

Charlie Woerner TE – pick No. 190, San Francisco 49ers

Woerner was a 4-star TE for Rabun County in Tiger, Georgia. 247Sports had Woerner ranked as the No. 25 WR and the No. 138 overall recruit in the 2016 recruiting class. Tae Crowder LB – pick No. 255, New York Giants

Crowder was a 3-star RB for Harris County High School in Hamilton, Georgia. 247Sports had Crowder ranked as the No, 1,868 overall player and the No. 175 ranked recruit in Georgia for the class of 2015. Crowder moved to linebacker after the 2016 season and blossomed into a starter in 2018 and 2019.

 

See it: Giants’ 2020 draft class introduces themselves to fans

Watch the New York Giants’ 2020 NFL Draft class introduce themselves to Big Blue Nation.

The 2020 NFL Draft has officially come and gone, and the New York Giants left with 10 brand new players in two — from first-round offensive tackle Andrew Thomas to Mr. Irrelevant, linebacker Tae Crowder.

As each of those players were drafted and put on their brand new Giants cap, they also recorded a video introducing themselves to Big Blue fans across the country.

On Sunday, the Giants compiled those clips and released the video on their various social media outlets.

Check it out:

As a refresher, here’s how the Giants’ draft class breaks down:

  • Round 1, pick 4: Andrew Thomas, OL, Georgia
  • Round 2, pick 36: Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama
  • Round 3, pick 99: Matt Peart, OT, Connecticut
  • Round 4, pick 110: Darnay Holmes, CB, UCLA
  • Round 5, pick 150: Shane Lemieux, G, Oregon
  • Round 6, pick 183: Cameron Brown, LB, Penn State
  • Round 7, pick 218: Carter Coughlin, LB, Minnesota
  • Round 7, pick 238: T.J. Brunson, ILB, South Carolina
  • Round 7, pick 247: Chris Williamson, CB, Minnesota
  • Round 7, pick 255: Tae Crowder, LB, Georgia

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2020 Giants draft class: Meet all 10 incoming rookies

Meet the New York Giants’ 2020 NFL Draft class and find out what GM Dave Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge had to say about each.

The 2020 NFL Draft has now officially come and gone, and for the New York Giants, they have 10 new players in tow, having hung on to each and every one of their picks.

There was a clear theme in the Giants’ approach, who selected only players along the offensive line, in the secondary and at linebacker.

Here’s a quick look at the 10 newest Giants:

Getty Images/Getty Images

OT Andrew Thomas

Round 1, pick No. 4 overall

“Andrew certainly has a hell of a pedigree, a three-year starter in the Southeast Conference. He’s played against some real quality defensive ends during his college career. He has played big time ball in front of a lot of people,” general manager Dave Gettleman said of Thomas. “We spent a lot of time with him off the field as well, numerous conversations. We spoke to him in Indianapolis and we just feel he is ready to make this jump. He’s young, like all these guys are. We feel very strongly that he is ready and capable. He’s going to come in and compete, nothing is being handed to him.

“When I get the chance to talk to him later, I am going to say the same thing to him that I said to Saquon and that I said to Daniel, you have to come in and compete, nothing is getting handed to you. He’s big, he’s long, he’s strong, he can bend. He can anchor in pass (protection). He’s very athletic in the open field, we are just really excited to have him, and continue to build this team properly.”

“I’ll tell you what, his skillset favors his opportunity to come in and contribute. He’s long, he’s a good athlete, he has good short area redirect,” head coach Joe Judge said. “One thing that sticks out about him is when you watch the top pass rushers, with the exception of maybe a couple in this draft, they have to go against him. You watch his college tape and he is going against all the guys that you are going to see get drafted in the next couple of days. He does a heck of job on them, you see him compete, you see him play big in big games and that’s important. He was coached very hard at the University of Georgia and that’s a trait we look for. Guys who can play hard and play on big stages and compete.”

NFL Draft: Giants make Georgia’s Tae Crowder Mr. Irrelevant

The New York Giants finished the NFL Draft by making Georgia LB Tae Crowder Mr. Irrelvant with the 255th pick in the prcoess.

The New York Giants started their draft by selecting Georgia tackle Andrew Thomas 10th overall Thursday. They closed the proceedings for the league Saturday by picking another Dawg, LB Tae Crowder, with the 255th pick.

That makes Crowder (No. 30 in the picture above) the 2020 Mr. Irrelevant. He will be celebrated at events in Santa Monica, Ca, as is the annual honor for the person chosen last in the NFL Draft.

The Tae is short for Dequartavous. He majored in  International Affairs and was a recipient of the Richard Young Football Scholarship.

Crowder was one of three remaining members of UGA’s 2015 recruiting class. As a high school senior, Crowder was committed to Georgia Southern, but signed with the Bulldogs after another commit NFL standout Chris Carson) flipped to Oklahoma State just before signing day.

Crowder committed to the Bulldogs without visiting the campus and without meeting any of the coaches in person. After arriving at UGA as a running back, Crowder switched to inside linebacker in the middle of his second season.

 Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Here is some background, courtesy of Giants.com and Georgiadogs.com:

Career Highs

* 12 tackles vs. South Carolina, 2019

* 1 INT at Missouri & UMass, 2018

* 43-yard INT return at Missouri, 2018

* 60-yard Fumble Return vs. Tennessee, 2019

2019: A key player on Georgia teams that won 11 or more games three straight seasons, won three straight SEC Eastern Division titles, and played in three straight New Year’s Six Bowl game (2018 Rose, 2019 Allstate Sugar, 2020 Allstate Sugar)…also part of a senior class that won 44 games, tied for most in school history…key cog in a Georgia defense that finished with the #1 national ranking in Scoring Defense (12.6 ppg—school record for few points allowed in 12-+ game season), #1 national ranking in Rushing Defense (74.6 ypg—2nd best in school history), #1 nationally in fewest rushing TD’s allowed (2—school record), and #3 nationally in Total Defense (257.7 ypg)…started all 14 games in 2019 and finished season with 62 total stops (second-best on team), including 4.0 for lost yardage, three QB pressures and four pass breakups…one of 12 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker…Georgia’s leading tackler vs. South Carolina with a career-high 12 stops…also its top tackler vs. Notre Dame, with a then career-high nine tackles…one of four Bulldogs with a team-high six stops in shutout of Kentucky…scored his first collegiate touchdown when he picked up a Tennessee fumble and returned it 60 yards for a score…led Georgia in tackles vs. Missouri with seven…was named one of three team captains for the Missouri game.

2018: Played in all 14 games, starting in five, and finished with 53 total stops (fifth-best on team), including 6.0 tackles for loss (third-best on team) and 1.5 QB sacks..also had four QB pressures and a pass breakup…second on the team in QB pressures with four…made his first career start at Kentucky…

2017: Appeared in all 15 games and had seven total stops, including two at Georgia Tech and two at Vanderbilt…biggest contribution of the season, however, came as a member of the Bulldogs’ KO return unit…fielded and downed a “squib” kickoff by Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl, enabling Georgia to kick a field goal as the first half expired.

2016: Moved to ILB in mid-season from his RB position…saw his first action of the season vs. Louisiana…rushed for two TDs and played most of the way at tailback for the victorious Black team at the annual G-Day intrasquad spring game.

2015: Redshirted.

To find out who Crowder joins as Mr. Irrelevant, click here.

2020 NFL Draft: Giants select LB Tae Crowder as Mr. Irrelevant

With their 10th pick (No. 255 overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Georgia LB Tae Crowder, making him Mr. Irrelevant.

With their tenth and final pick (No. 255 overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder, making him the latest Mr. Irrelevant.

Crowder becomes the fourth linebacker selected by the Giants in this year’s draft, and the fourth of the team’s last five picks.

Here is what David Syvertsen of Ourlads had to say about Crowder:

Leader of a talented Georgia defense that plays fast and physical. Maybe more of a 2-down guy that the team drafted for special teams, the theme of their 7th round.

It’s likely the Giants would have targeted Crowder as an undrafted free agent had they not had the No. 255 pick, but despite that, he faces long odds to make the team even by way of special teams.

With a very crowded linebacker room filled with rookies and young talent, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Crowder would have benefited from rookie minicamp, but with the coronavirus shutting that down, he may find himself on the outside looking in.

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Drafting 5 Georgia football players for a pick-up basketball game

The UGA Wire staff has released a list of the Georgia football players we would take for a starting 5 in a pick-up basketball game.

The UGA Wire staff got creative amongst this brutal sports drought and put together a starting five of Georgia football players that we would take part in a game of pick-up basketball.

We also asked a number of football players via Twitter who they’d take as their starting five as well, and will be releasing those to see how the lineups match up.

The Dawgs have some serious hoopers on the football team and this couldn’t be a better time to showcase their skills.

Here are our picks:

Pick No. 1: Point Guard, Jamie Newman (6-4, quarterback)

We chose Newman with the first overall pick as our point guard. Newman’s strong arm and accuracy on the field will translate to his shooting and passing ability on the court. Newman’s size and ability to see the court and facilitate is why we chose him first at point guard.

Pick No. 2: Shooting Guard, Richard LeCounte (5-11, safety)

We went with LeCounte at the shooting guard position because he has athleticism, vision and grit on defense. Playing defensive back helps LeCounte to see the whole court and facilitate the offense while also helping him play scrappy defense. He’s a slasher, meaning he uses his athleticism to get to the rim and finish with contact.

Here’s a bit of preview of what LeCounte would be doing on our squad.

Pick No. 3: Small Forward, George Pickens (6-3, wide receiver)

Pickens’ freak athletic ability gets him the third pick as a small forward.  If you’ve ever spent any time at the Ramsey Student Center, you’ve most likely seen George Pickens putting in work on the basketball courts. Pickens’ speed, agility and catch ability would make him a scoring and rebounding machine for our squad.

(Skip to 0:43 for Pickens’ dunk)

Which Georgia football alumni are most affected by pro day cancellation

For several recently departed Bulldogs, it’s going to be a bit more difficult finding opportunities to prove what they want to prove.

This week, the SEC cancelled all remaining spring competitions amid COVID-19 concerns. In their official announcement, the plans to halt play include abandoning spring football scrimmages and each school’s pro day.

Pro days are the last setting in which college football standouts perform drills before a plethora of NFL coaches and scouts prior to the NFL Draft.

If a player wasn’t invited to the NFL scouting combine or performed less-than-ideally at the combine, this is typically their last chance to turn heads and earn a drafted rookie contract instead of going undrafted and having a lower-dollar contract with far fewer guarantees.

For several recently departed Georgia Bulldogs, it’s going to be a bit more difficult finding opportunities to prove what they want to prove.

Tyler Clark, defensive tackle:

Clark has been projected as a late-round pick on some of the many mock drafts floating around the internet. The recent graduate out of Americus considered declaring for last year’s NFL draft but chose to return to Athens following a lower-than-preferred draft grade. In his senior season, he recorded a career high in tackles for loss and tied his career high in sacks.

Former Georgia defensive tackle and NFL veteran Toby Johnson took to twitter to voice his displeasure over Clark’s omission from the NFL Combine.

Tyler Clark will certainly show up on a professional roster at some point before the ensuing NFL season, but the cancellation of pro day isn’t doing his career any long-term favors.

Jake Fromm, quarterback:

Georgia’s golden boy is one of three quarterbacks to go undefeated against Florida in more than three starts (including John Rauch, Buck Belue), but many Georgia faithful were surprised he chose not to go for a perfect 4-0 record against the reptiles. Fromm delved into what went behind that decision in the days preceding his performance the NFL Combine.

The problem for Fromm was that the aforementioned performance ended up being pedestrian.

Taking reps after former teammate Jacob Eason, an eventual Washington transfer for whom he took over in the 2017 season opener following an Eason leg injury, Fromm was decidedly the less impressive quarterback (at least in that specific day’s drills) between the two.

Fromm’s last season in Athens was the least productive of his three total campaigns. The judgment to declare early made sense as his draft stock has still been high and it’s easy to see his final collegiate season as a statistical outlier under a new quarterbacks coach.

Looking forward to a league that places value on quarterbacks ahead of almost every other positions, the cerebral Jake Fromm is sure to end up on a roster and still projects as draft pick. If he had received the opportunity to participate in a pro day, however, he could solidify himself as a second-day pick (draft rounds two through four) as opposed to a third-day selection (rounds five through seven) or even as an undrafted free agent.

Tae Crowder, inside linebacker:

Tae Crowder’s path to the University of Georgia was a meandering one.

Crowder was a last-minute addition to the Dawgs’ 2015 signing class, receiving his scholarship offer the morning before National Signing Day. He hadn’t taken an official visit. He spent no time in personal meetings with Georgia coaches. Yet he committed on the spot.

“It was always my dream to play at the University of Georgia,” Crowder told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2015.

As Harris County’s offensive player of the year during his senior season, Crowder came to Athens as a dual receiver and running back.

He was quickly moved to inside linebacker, and, after redshirting his first year in Athens, spent another year fine-tuning his linebacking skills before spending three years starting, recording 122 tackles, and grabbing two takeaways along the way(s).

Considering his history of position changes and a lack of invitation to the NFL Combine, Crowder loses a lot of face time prior to the draft.

UGAWire’s three-round NFL mock draft

Here is UGA Football Live’s three-round NFL mock draft

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You have seen the pretenders….now UGA Football Live and UGAWire’s 3-round mock NFL draft is here.

With the recent conclusion of the NFL Combine and next month’s NFL Draft fast approaching, teams are looking to fill glaring needs and build for the future.

As usual, quarterbacks, offensive tackles, cornerbacks and edge rushers are on the wish list for nearly every team. You’ve seen the talking heads’ mock drafts — now take a look at an unbiased projection from UGA Football Live.

With good depth at offensive tackle, wide receiver and running back, the draft should be heavy on the offensive side this year. You can see the real 2020 NFL Draft on April 23-25 from Las Vegas on the ESPN and the NFL Network.

Here we go with the first three rounds:

Round 1:

  1. Cincinnati: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU — The Ohio native is the Bengals’ franchise QB.
  2. Washington: Chase Young, Edge, Ohio State — Better than the Bosa brothers.
  3. Detroit: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State — Lions desperate for defense and this dude is the nation’s best corner.
  4. NY Giants: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson — A pure freak.
  5. Miami: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama — Will be Marino-like legendary in south Florida.
  6. LA Chargers: Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville — Swiss cheese O-line needs help.
  7. Carolina: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn — Explosive and violent.
  8. Arizona: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia — Will retire in 2035 as the Cardinals’ greatest lineman.
  9. Jacksonville: Tristan Wirfs, OL, Iowa — Dominnat left or right tackle.
  10. Cleveland: Jedrick Willis, OT, Alabama — Browns get a beast.
  11. NY Jets: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama — 28th ranked offense in ’19 needs help.
  12. Las Vegas: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon — Has all the tools and Raiders need to make a splash in their new home.
  13. Indianapolis: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State — Colts aren’t sold on Jacoby Brissett.
  14. Tampa Bay: Josh Jones, OT, Houston — Bucs ranked in lower third in pass protection and rushing.
  15. Denver: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Baylor — Broncos hungry for speed.
  16. Atlanta: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina — Athletic, physical and powerful.
  17. Dallas: Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama — Secondary help on the way.
  18. Miami: K’Lavon Chaisson, LB, LSU — Dangerous, will cause havoc.
  19. Las Vegas: Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma — Sideline to sideline speed.
  20. Jacksonville: Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama — Can’t teach speed.
  21. Philadelphia: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU — Monster in the slot with speed.
  22. Buffalo: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson — A weapon from anywhere on the field.
  23. New England: Zack Baun, Edge, Wisconsin — Motor knows only one speed.
  24. New Orleans: Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU — Lock down corner.
  25. Minnesota: CJ Henderson, CB, Florida — Long and physical and  pass defense help needed.
  26. Miami: D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia — Fins need a playmaker and Swift is the first RB off the board.
  27. Seattle: Austin Jackson, OT, USC — Pete Carroll goes back to Troy.
  28. Baltimore: AJ Terrel, CB, Clemson — Strong career and stellar combine.
  29. Tennessee: Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State — 9.5 sacks in ’19.
  30. Green Bay: Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor — Terrific career and killed it in the combine.
  31. San Francisco: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State — Home run threat.
  32. Kansas City: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU — Full motor and dynamic blitzer.

Next: Round 2