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The 2016 NFL Draft is a week away, and the New York Giants are in excellent position to land an impact player. There is a good chance that University of Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III could be there for Big Blue if they want him, and he might be too tempting to pass up.
There is no doubt that the Giants need depth at cornerback. They do have two above average starters in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and the recently signed Janoris Jenkins, but beyond that they lack depth. Last season, the Giants ranked last in the NFL in pass defense, allowing 4,783 yards, an average of 299 yards per game. They also allowed 31 touchdowns, bad enough to be tied for 25th in the NFL. The lack of a pass rush had a lot to do with that, but depth in the defensive backfield was also a major contributor.
Hargreaves is arguably the best cover corner in this draft. Before you get too excited, Prince Amukamara was once rated as the best cover corner in the 2011 NFL Draft. While Amukamara wasn’t bad, he didn’t meet expectations. Hargreaves should be better than that.
Hargreaves has outstanding instincts. He is very adept at recognizing routes and anticipates well. He will gamble sometimes which can backfire, but he does have decent speed, a 4.4 40-yard dash, so he can make up for those mistakes from time to time. He isn’t a huge ball-hawk, but he did have 10 interceptions. Hargreaves mirrors receivers well and shows nice fluidity in his hips which helps him in transition.
There is some concern about his size. He checks in at a shade under 5-foot-11 and 204 pounds, but he had a 39-inch vertical leap so he has the tools to make up for it. When a receiver does make the catch he has a habit of trying to knock the ball loose. He will need to learn when to do that and when to just wrap up and tackle. He does do a good job of jarring receivers at the line of scrimmage and loves to get physical. He’s also decent against the run, which really helps in the secondary.
The Giants could find themselves staring at a shutdown cornerback if Hargreaves develops to his fullest potential.
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