The New York Giants have selected Georgia CB Deandre Baker with the No. 30 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
Big Blue has traded up into the first round.
The New York Giants gave the Seattle Seahawks their second-round pick (No. 37 overall), a fourth-round pick (No. 132) and a fifth-round pick (No. 142). In return, the Giants received the Seahawks first-round pick at No. 30 overall. As a result, Big Blue selected cornerback DeAndre Baker out of Georgia.
Baker was one of the top defensive backs in this draft class and proves to have first round-caliber talent. In his senior year, he racked up 40 total tackles, two interceptions and nine passes defended for the Bulldogs.
The Giants secondary will now have a lot of new names from last year. Baker will join a defensive back group that includes cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Sam Beal, along with safeties Antoine Bethea and Jabrill Peppers.
Big Blue was ranked 23rd in the league in 2018 with 252.8 passing yards allowed per game. This offseason they’ve made it a priority to upgrade the defensive line. Although Baker is a good pick, the Giants could’ve waited until their No. 37 pick in the second round on Friday to select him.
Cornerback isn’t even a position they desperately need. If they were going to go with a defensive back, they should’ve gone with a young and dominant safety. Bethea will be 35-years-old when the regular season starts. Big Blue needs someone that will be his successor, due to the fact that there’s no way Bethea is the longterm answer at that position. He’s merely a placeholder for the time being.
The New York Giants now won’t have a selection until the third round. They should definitely look for a safety such as Delaware’s Nasir Adderley if he’s available or maybe an offensive lineman.
