Taking a look at what Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder will be able to bring to the New York Giants as a 7th-round draft pick.
With the Mr. Irrelevant pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Giants decided to select Georgia inside linebacker Tae Crowder. At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Crowder will enter the organization and compete for playing time along with a spot on the roster, but will likely just serve as a depth piece if he makes the team.
The bulk of the playing time will probably go to inside linebackers Blake Martinez, Ryan Connelly, and David Mayo. Nonetheless, Crowder may be a decent option if players succumb to injury or simply struggle.
And in regards to what Crowder can bring to the franchise, let’s dive into the film from his days as a Georgia Bulldog.
Film room notes
This following series of clips is from Georgia’s 2019 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Crowder racked up nine total tackles (four solo) with one tackle for loss in the win.
On the first play from scrimmage, Crowder proves his athleticism and speed by coming on the blitz but still displaying the ability to catch up to the Notre Dame ball carrier near the sideline.
Crowder shows a number of different qualities on this upcoming screen play, such as speed, elusiveness, and aggression, by avoiding the would-be blockers in pursuit of the ball carrier.
Then, early in the second quarter, Crowder takes a great angle to bring down Notre Dame wideout Chris Finke on the touch pass.
Tae then portrays his ability to rush the passer in this upcoming clip, coming on the blitz from one of the off-ball linebacker spots and hurrying Fighting Irish quarterback Ian Book into throwing the ball away.
Although not as dominant as others in these regards, Crowder is also able to drop back into coverage in certain scenarios. If he can improve in this area of play even more, he could be a decent complement to some of Big Blue’s linebackers who primarily excel in stopping the run.
And finally, Tae proves he’s not just limited to lining up as an inside linebacker, as he can additionally perform as more of an edge rusher in specific situations.
Conclusion
Crowder rounds out the 2020 Giants draft class possessing the same quality as each of the team’s other picks: versatility. It’s clear Joe Judge and Dave Gettleman wanted to add players of that type to the roster, and Crowder certainly fits the bill.
Although very much a raw player, Crowder is fast, athletic, aggressive, and intelligent to the point where he could definitely impress the coaching staff. And as Mr. Irrelevant, he’ll need to stand out a plentiful amount if he wants the chance to just make the roster in the first place.
Right now, he must play catch-up in order to intrigue those around him, and it’ll be even tougher doing so with workouts currently occurring in a virtual format. But all in all, Crowder carries the potential to succeed in this league, even if he’s just in a reserve role initially.
Like any rookie, he’ll have to put in the work each and every day, and it’ll be interesting to see if he’s up for that sort of challenge.
