New York Giants seventh-round pick Tae Crowder will be reuniting with Big Blue inside linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer.
With the No. 255 overall pick in the (virtual) 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Giants made Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder “Mr. Irrelevant.” But ironically, Kevin Sherrer’s employment was likely relevant in the selection of the young player. The current Giants inside linebackers coach served as Georgia’s outside linebackers coach from 2014-17, having been a part of Crowder’s transition from running back to the defensive side of the ball.
All in all, regardless of what the future holds, Crowder is grateful for the opportunity and ultimately intrigued by the idea of reuniting with one of his former coaches.
“It was up there on the clock, and I was like dang. They said are you ready to be a Giant,” Crowder told Larissa Liska of WLTZ. “It was just a blessing that I was even nominated for that too. All I wanted was my mom to hear my name, even if it was the first pick or the last pick.”
“It will just be pretty cool to catch up with [Sherrer],” he added. “He can show me things that’s in the NFL that’s stuff that I need to know. That’s new to me.”
Crowder brings a certain level of versatility to this Giants defense. He carries the ability to stop the run, rush the passer, and drop back in coverage. It’s unclear how much playing time he’ll initially receive, but my guess is that he performs as a depth piece and special teams player if he even makes the active roster.
He’ll be competing alongside fellow first-year linebackers Cam Brown and T.J. Brunson, who New York respectively drafted in the sixth and seventh rounds. He’ll also be learning from more experienced players like David Mayo, Ryan Connelly, and Blake Martinez. The Giants just acquired the latter-most individual through free agency on a three-year, $30.75 million deal.
In 2019 (his senior campaign), Crowder recorded 62 total tackles (29 solo) with four tackles for loss, four passes defended, and one fumble recovery (which he returned for a touchdown).
