Magicgames II » Notre Dame cornerback fell to the fourth round

White Nate Solder Jerseys , but the All-American has a high ceiling" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteBig Blue Viewa New York Giants communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsLibraryGiantsOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections New York Giants NewsGiants Training Camp 2016Giants vs. Eagles 2015, Week 17Filed under:New York Giants NewsThe Giants may have gotten a steal in CB Julian LoveNew,87commentsNotre Dame cornerback fell to the fourth round, but the All-American has a high ceilingEDTShareTweetShareShareThe Giants may have gotten a steal in CB Julian LoveJulian Love was a first-team All-American last season — as was his new teammate and first-round pick Deandre Baker.Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsThe room fell silent as soon as the phone finally rang.They had waited a long time for that call. Julian Love had felt their stares. From his family and friends. His Notre Dame teammates. His high school coach. They surrounded him Friday night and again Saturday at his draft party in the Palmer House hotel in Chicago. And there they waited, stealing glances to see how he was holding up as name after name was called at the NFL Draft, just not Love’s.“When everyone’s telling him he’s going in the second or third [round] and it didn’t happen, everybody in the room was a little disappointed,” said Tim Racki, Love’s high school coach at Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park, Ill. “We wanted him to have his night.”After all, Love was a consensus All-American cornerback. The heart of a Notre Dame defense that went 12-1 and reached the national semifinals. A defense that collapsed the moment he left that game against Clemson due to injury.But finally on Saturday, Giants coach Pat Shurmur made that phone call. The team has already hinted it visualizes the fourth-round pick as its slot corner, despite allowing Love to fall to the third day and 108th selection of the draft.“He’ll internalize that. I know how he is,” Racki said of Love’s draft slide. “This is where that mental toughness comes in. He didn’t let it rattle him. He’ll use that as motivation when he trains, when he studies. It’s going to be added fuel for him to succeed.”Being overlooked has been a common theme in Love’s young career. But so has turning those slights into quiet motivation.Motivation to earn an offer from Notre Dame despite hailing from a small high school as a relatively unheralded recruit. Motivation to start as a freshman and then develop into one of the best corners in college football. And now motivation to prove himself at the highest level despite questions about his athleticism.“He’s a kid who’s had to earn everything he’s gotten,” said Bryan Driskell, football analyst at Blue & Gold Illustrated, a news outlet covering Notre Dame athletics. “He had to kind of earn his Notre Dame scholarship. He made visits and really pushed for it. He wasn’t a top-of-the-board recruit.”But the 5-foot-11, 195-pound cornerback does have gifts to work with. Despite an unimpressive 40-yard dash time at the scouting combine (4.54, which he cut to 4.45 at Notre Dame’s pro day), Love finished fifth among all prospects in the three-cone drill (6.72). It measures how an athlete changes direction at high speed, a critical measure for defensive backs.He has fluid hips, quick feet and a low, smooth backpedal. “I think the Giants got a steal because a lot of people think Julian Love is what he is, that he’s a finished product. I don’t agree with that,” Driskell said.But of course Nate Solder Jerseys 2019 , that means there are areas to improve on, including his technique. And at Notre Dame, he played mostly on the outside, not in the slot.However, Love has a high football IQ, sharp instincts and is a fast learner. The Westchester, Ill. native has good vision and processes routes quickly. And he is adept playing off-coverage and driving on routes. It explains why he was a first-team All-American — along with new teammate and first-round pick Deandre Baker. He is Notre Dame’s all-time leader in pass break-ups (39), including 36 in his last two seasons. He also was a finalist for the 2018 Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top defensive back after making 63 tackles and 16 pass breakups. He left Notre Dame with one season of eligibility remaining. “Julian Love is a really, really good football player,” Shurmur said. “He can play in the slot. He can play high. He’s kind of got that tweener kind of corner/safety ability, which makes him a unique player for us.”He will get his chance to show it starting Friday, when the Giants begin their rookie mini-camp.‘A superhero’The play was called Golden Domer.The concept was simple. Let Love — by then a Notre Dame commit — do whatever he wanted for Nazareth. “People would ask, ‘What’s the Golden Domer call?’” Racki said. “Literally what Golden Domer meant was he got to line up and go wherever he wanted on the field. He could line up at D-end. Linebacker. He could go play safety. That’s how good his instincts were.”The coaching staff would save the call for special situations. “It worked,” Racki said with a laugh.Love recorded 92 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles in 2015 as Nazareth won its second straight Illinois High School Association Class 5A Championship. He also played running back, quarterback and receiver. He rushed for 1,067 yards and 18 touchdowns on 104 carries and had 662 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches.“I likened it to him being a superhero,” Racki said. “He was very mild-mannered in the school, but when he put that helmet on, he became a superhero.”And Love was also a big-game player at Notre Dame. He had a pick-six in 2017 against a 10-win Michigan State team and another against a nine-win NC State team. Both resulted in victories.And he scooped up a fumble and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown last season in a blowout road victory over a ranked Virginia Tech team. “He just had a knack for making plays in big moments,” Driskell said. “When a play needs to be made, he was going was to be able to make it. I don’t think you can teach that.”Love has not changed, according to those who know him. That is a big plus for coaches who love their players to be the same every day — especially when the same means upbeat and focused.Love also meets general manager Dave Gettleman’s search for high-character players. Once a hallmark of the Giants locker room, the trend fell off in the final years of the Jerry Reese era.The tradition includes Harry Carson, Justin Tuck and Michael Strahan.“He acted the same way with the media and people around campus as a first-team All-American last year as he did when he was a freshman and one of the middle-of-the-road recruits in the class White Kareem Martin Jerseys ,” Driskell said. “Take the football piece of it aside, the Giants added a really quality young man to their organization.”Racki says he lost count as to how many times people called him since Love became a high-profile figure and asked, “Is he really that nice? Is he really that sincere?”“I’ve been getting those calls for six years,” he said. “Every time, it’s like, ‘Yes! Yes! Yes! He is. I told you: He’s a great football player, but he’s also a great young man.’ “If you look on Wikipedia for sincere and genuine, his picture is going to be there. But he’s an assassin on the football field.” The NFL learning curve expects to be steep for him, just like it is for most rookies. But Love has an uncanny knack for remaining calm and composed. Racki found Love at halftime of a “monster game” he was having as a junior with his eyes closed.“I turn to one of his teammates and I’m like, ‘What’s going on with him?’” he said. “And the kid casually says, ‘Coach, he always takes a nap at halftime. You didn’t know that?’ “After the game I was like, ‘I didn’t know you take catnaps at halftime.’ Julian goes, ‘No coach, just getting back into the zone.’”The collapseNotre Dame was even with Clemson on the scoreboard and on the field.The Cotton Bowl was tied, 3-3, early in the second quarter with both offenses sputtering. Then Love went out with a head injury.And then came the Fighting Irish collapse. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw three quick touchdown passes before halftime — with all three involving Love’s replacement in coverage.Game over.“We noticed [Love] didn’t come back out there,” Lawrence said after the game in late December. “We didn’t know if he was hurt for sure. Then he stayed out for a while. … We identified that.”That said, there’s plenty of room for improvement for Love. His 40 time and some deficiencies in his technique precipitated his draft slide.First and foremost, he has to play tighter coverage, something he did not do often at Notre Dame, said Driskell, a former Division III coach.That means more consistency in his footwork, as he sometimes was a step late on in routes, for instance. That also means improving his hand technique.And it means playing better angles when receivers work inside him. All of those areas are critical in the slot. “I thought he should have come back to college,” Driskell said. “He didn’t have a lot to prove from an accolade standpoint Kareem Martin Jerseys 2019 , but I do feel that his game had a lot to improve upon.”Love will have to do that in the pros now. Starting this weekend, he has another chance to turn motivation into success.But Driskell for one thinks that extra incentive is not necessary, not for Love.“He’s a competitive kid who loves to win,” he said. “I don’t think Julian needs that.”Love is happy his opportunity is coming in New York after playing on the big stage in South Bend, Indiana.“Right away I thought ‘It’s primetime, big-brand football,’ ” he said of the Giants. “It’s known not just across the country, but it’s an international brand. I was really excited because it’s a fantastic market. It’s passionate and it’s gritty. I wanted to really end up somewhere that has grit to it. “I’m from the Midwest. I’m from Chicago. And that’s the style of play that I like and that I always had growing up, that Midwest toughness-type ball. And I would love to be in New York to showcase that, too.” The NFL is a league, by-and-large, driven by quarterbacks. It is hard to win if a team’s signal caller is not up to par. Franchises that lack consistency under center are similar to trying to eat clam chowder with a fork. It is possible, but not the best way of going about winning or consuming such an exquisite dish.The NFL has been completely parlayed into a league that values dual-threat passers. No longer, or rather hardly, do you see the “traditional” quarterbacks that move like they are stuck in quick sand when it is time to flee the pocket.This list is a countdown of the league’s starting quarterbacks. Some teams have yet to sort through the chaos as position battles are set to be decided in training camp. This countdown is based off of last season’s performance, sustained success, talent, and, for some, what direction they might be trending in.So without further ado, here are the quarterbacks that rank from 32 to 17:32. AJ McCarron/Josh AllenYes, the Buffalo Bills have the lowest ranked quarterbacks on this list as McCarron and Allen lack experience. We could very well see both guys under center for Buffalo as the adjustment period could be steep. However, head coach Sean McDermott knows he has a thoroughbred in LeSean McCoy and an opportunistic defense to support his young signal callers. The Bills defense finished seventh in the league in turnover differential so expect a heavy dosage of ground-and-pound.31. Josh McCown/Teddy Bridgewater/Sam DarnoldMcCown figures to have the advantage with Bridgewater and Darnold only a mistake away from being the 2018 New York Jets starter. The Jets are doing the right thing making Darnold earn the job. The former Trojan fits the mold of the new-age passer that can occasionally display the ability to scramble. It is not a matter of if he can start, but more so when?30. Tyrod Taylor/Baker MayfieldThe Cleveland Browns are on the brink of relevancy, but the first order of business starts at the most important position. Taylor is the perfect bridge-gap starter as he does not turn it over much (only 18 interceptions thrown). Also, he takes what the defense gives him as he has a career passing percentage of 62.4 percent. Lastly Youth Kyle Lauletta Jerseys , the former Virginia Tech passer is good for 400+ yards on the ground as he has hovered or surpassed that mark since 2015. Mayfield, despite being the top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, has his work cut out for the starting gig.29. Patrick Mahomes IIThe keys to the Ferrari were handed to Mahomes as he now assumes control of the Kansas City Chiefs offense following a trade that sent Alex Smith to the nation’s capital. He has to be salivating like he is waiting for cake as he looks at an offense that features three Pro Bowlers in Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce. The addition of Sammy Watkins only makes that cake look much sweeter. A 3,500-yard campaign seems to be in line for young Mahomes.28. Mitchell TrubiskyTrubisky will have a full training camp and preseason in which he will be the Chicago Bears unheralded man under center. He started the final 12 games as a rookie in which he compiled 2,193 passing yards and seven touchdowns in an offense with marginal talent. He will have new weapons in 2018 with the likes of Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, and Trey Burton coming to town. With more talent, might we see an increase in productivity for the former Tar Heel like we saw in Carson Wentz? Maybe, but he has to reduce his propensity to turn it over as he had 17 total last year.27. Sam Bradford/Josh RosenHealth is a major concern for both of these quarterbacks and surveying the field behind an offensive front that gave up 52 sacks a year ago cannot be thrilling. Nevertheless, the Arizona Cardinals have two guys that are extremely smart with the football, will take what is available, and are even-kilt. Bradford is the incumbent, but Rosen has the tools to start too. The good news is one of them will have a chance to throw to the ageless wonder that is Larry Fitzgerald.26. Jameis WinstonYou just never know what you might get with Winston. He is a player that certainly has the skills to be higher on this list. Off the field, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization rave about him being a stand-up guy, but his latest suspension regarding an Uber driver in 2016 says otherwise. On the field, he is a player capable of throwing three touchdowns or three interceptions. Winston was supposed to improve a dismal Bucs squad upon his arrival, but a record of 18-27 is hardly doing that.25. Blake BortlesBortles underwent refurbishing his image last year under head coach Doug Marrone. He went from a boom-or-bust player to someone that understands that taking care of the ball will win him games. It worked too. As a result, he helped guide the Jacksonville Jaguars back to the playoffs for the first time since 2007. Most wonder if he can get back to his 2015 form when he finished tied for second in the league in touchdowns (35). That year his numbers were inflated because his team was down big in a lot of those games. It is safe to say Bortles would rather win.24. Ryan TannehillTannehill, from 2013-2015, had quietly gone under-the-radar as a promising young thrower of the pigskin. He was eclipsing 3,900 yards and threw at least 24 touchdowns during that timeline with ease. He was having a fine campaign in 2016 until he got hurt and missed the Miami Dolphins playoff run. In 2017, the former Aggie did not even get to lace his cleats as he needed season-ending surgery to repair his ACL. At age 29, Tannehill needs to produce otherwise he could be at odds with a Dolphins front office that has put the roster through the wringer in the last year or so.23. Andy DaltonMuch like the Cincinnati Bengals, Dalton has been a bit of an enigma. He has an elite receiver in AJ Green Kyle Lauletta Jerseys Stitched , solid tight ends in Tyler Eifert and Tyler Kroft, and he has versatile backs in Giovani Bernard and Joe Mixon. Somehow some way, Dalton and the Bengals cannot put it all together. Dalton has been to the playoffs six times with ZERO wins to show for his efforts. Not to mention, the Bengals have missed the playoffs the last two years.22. Joe FlaccoMuch to the chagrin of many Baltimore Ravens fans, Flacco has struggled to right his wrongs after winning a Super Bowl in 2012. Flacco is just 38-36 since winning it all. The former Super Bowl MVP finished 2017 with 3,141 yards and 18 touchdowns which marked his lowest totals in a full season since his rookie campaign. It will be interesting to see how he responds to the team drafting Lamar Jackson.21. Eli ManningManning went three straight years with at least 4,000 yards and 26 or more touchdowns until last year. That is what people would call the aftermath of an Odell Beckham Jr. injury. Many thought the New York Giants should draft a quarterback in an attempt to push Manning towards an early retirement. The franchise’s brass did not budge as they believe the former Ole Miss standout will be just fine with a returning OBJ and the acquisition of the electric Saquon Barkley.20. Case KeenumThe journeyman Keenum enjoyed a successful year with the Minnesota Vikings as he orchestrated their run to the NFC Championship. The honeymoon phase did not last long as he was snubbed by his former team as they paid Kirk Cousins. He is everything NFL scouts tend to ignore as he is undersized at 6’1 and not exactly fleet of foot. However, he is a fierce competitor. The Denver Broncos and Keenum are both looking to sucker punch teams this upcoming season.19. Alex SmithSmith keeps aging like fine wine as he enjoyed a career-high in passing yards (4,042), passing touchdowns (26), and passer rating (104.7). He was traded from the Chiefs to the Washington Redskins who chose to ignore <em>their</em> former starter in Cousins. The quarterback carousel will make your head spin. Smith is good for taking care of the ball as he has not thrown 10 interceptions since 2010 and he still has the wheels to give defenses the chills.18. Jimmy GaroppoloGaroppolo is the only undefeated quarterback on this list as he is 7-0 in starts between the New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners made it rain on Jimmy G as they entrusted him with a five-year deal worth 27.5 million annually. He displayed all of the skills of a player that was mentored by Tom Brady except the catch is that he is much more elusive. He built a rapport with Marquise Goodwin, Trent Taylor, and George Kittle in the late stages of the season. With Pierre Garcon returning from injury and the selection of rookie Dante Pettis, Garoppolo could successfully step out of Brady’s shadow. Big things are brewing in the Bay Area to say the least as Garoppolo is the centerpiece.17. Marcus MariotaMariota has the potential to rise up this list, but injuries have derailed him. He was a shell of himself last season as his passing yardage and touchdowns decreased while his interceptions hiked. The former Oregon stud looked tentative and unsure of himself, but it cannot be easy returning from a broken leg injury he suffered in 2016. Nevertheless, Mariota could be due for a stellar season with Rishard Matthews, Corey Davis, Delanie Walker, and the pass-catching back that is Dion Lewis at his disposal. Heck, maybe he will catch a touchdown from himself again.Shocked? Flabbergasted? Befuddled? Well, that is just the way the cookie crumbled here. Most of the quarterbacks on this list are solid starters. They just simply lack the “it” factor, experience, or the productivity needed to rise up the board.This is where the list stops as the final 16 quarterbacks’ ranking will be unveiled next week.