Julian Love

New York Giants Safety Julian Love Believes He’s The One For The Job

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New York Giants, Julian Love

It’s a known fact that the New York Giants aren’t the deepest team at the safety position, but the rise of Julian Love at the position could give them added help this season. Love came onto the scene last year as a rookie, not as highly touted as fellow defensive back DeAndre Baker, who was drafted in the first round, but impactful nonetheless as he began getting playing time mid-season as safety. Now, going into his second year, he has a good chance to make an impact from the beginning of the season rather than the middle.

There’s a number of qualities about Love that make him stand out as a quality player at the safety position, but of course, Love can only make an impact if he’s able to get on the field. And that depends on the direction the Giants coaching staff want to go with the secondary lineup.

However, when speaking to the New York Post recently, Love made his case for being the top safety on the team and said that he believes he is the best option for the position – bold words for a player that went under the radar as a rookie only to break out in the late season.

“I want to be the safety of the future for the Giants,” Love told Paul Schwartz. “I believe I’m the guy. If I didn’t feel that way I wouldn’t say that. But I do feel like that. I’ve been working real hard. I want to go there and get everything in motion and really have a dominant year.”

Love’s confidence is backed up by the fact that the Giants haven’t signed a safety yet in free agency, largely indicating that the solution for the Giants at the position is either already on the roster or will be selected in the upcoming Draft – where the team has more pressing needs to spend their high draft picks on. As for the players on the roster right now, Love and Jabrill Peppers are the obvious frontrunners to be the starting safeties.

“If they did bring in a safety, I know I have multiple traits and multiple strengths to kind of play any position and be successful,” Love continued. “I really feel I can be a safety for this team, what this team needs, so I’m going to go in, I’ve been working hard, I want to go in and hit the ground running to show everybody that, despite who comes in.”

But the fact of the matter is the Giants haven’t brought in a safety yet, and even if they draft one, Love has the advantage of having some experience in the league versus no experience. No matter what way you look at it, it seems Love is one of the main options at the position. Is that warranted? We’ll find out this fall and during training camp when the Giants depth chart begins to sort itself out.

New York Giants: Is Julian Love A Star In The Making?

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New York Giants, Julian Love

The New York Giants are slowly but surely rebuilding their defensive secondary. New York spent three of their draft picks on defensive backs in the 2019 NFL draft (four if counting Sam Beal). One of those rookies was fourth-round steal Julian Love out of Notre Dame.

Love had the opportunity to start five games for the Giants as a rookie after Jabrill Peppers went down with an injury. A cornerback coming out of college, Love was required to learn how to play every position in the secondary when he got to training camp last offseason (according to Julian Love on Fireside Giants). Fortunately, Julian is a quick learner and was able to impress the coaching staff while playing the safety position in practice. This led to him becoming Jabrill Peppers’s replacement for the final five games of the season.

Julian Love’s Impressive Rookie Season

In those five games, Julian Love was impressive. He totaled 35 combined tackles to go along with 5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 3 passes defended, and 1 interception. The rookie played 405 snaps down the stretch and performed well in the run game and in coverage (PFF).

The Giants’ rookie lined up all over the defense. He played in the box, over the slot, and at free safety. Pro Football Focus listed Julian Love as a player who can “provide optimism” for the Giants heading into 2020. Giants fans should agree with that statement. I would go as far as saying that Julian Love is potentially a star in the making.

Barring any unforeseen trades or draft picks, Julian Love will start at safety and play alongside Jabrill Peppers in 2020. Love has the range and speed to cover the deep half as a free safety. He also displayed his strong tackling and comfortability in the box while playing strong safety in 2019. Julian’s impressive tackling is exhibited in the video below:

 

Listen to Episode 14 of Fireside Giants: Interview with New York Giants safety Julian Love

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New York Giants, Julian Love

You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking to learn more about the New York Giants’ defense and Julian Love!

The Fireside Giants gang dives into the defense with New York Giants safety Julian Love in our latest podcast episode! Alex, Mike, and Anthony get to know Love more on a personal level and dive into his football plans for 2020.

Learn where he intends to play next season and how comfortable he is at the free safety position. Plenty of information on the defense, how Julian waited patiently for his moment to shine for Big Blue, and what he’s up to during the quarantine.

Hopefully, football will return soon, Love expressed, as he’s itching to get back into the groove of things. If you’re looking to find out what song Love listens to before football games and how he transitioned over to free safety, this is where you want to be. We have an audio and video version available via our podcast on Itunes and Youtube!

LISTEN TO The JULIAN LOVE PODCAST ON ITUNES HERE!

Love had a solid 2019 campaign, featuring in the secondary after Jabrill Peppers went down with a hip injury. He filled in valiantly at strong safety but also played in the free safety position where he would find himself inching closer to the line of scrimmage naturally, attempting to work the kinks out of his game.

However, his position as a centerfielder is familiar, having played a similar role in high school. Every question you had about the positions is answered here on the Fireside Giants podcast, make sure to leave us a great review on Itunes and subscribe on Youtube for more fantastic content!

New York Giants: Ranking the 3 weakest positions on the roster

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New York Giants, Nate Solder, Jon Halapio, Mike Remmers

Weaknesses are littered across the New York Giants’ roster, and here are three that really stand out ahead of the NFL Draft.

With the 2020 NFL Draft right around the corner, positions of weakness will finally be addressed, but given the New York Giants only have two selections in the top 98 picks, not all can solve a roster void.

With the immense amount of youth featuring on both sides of the ball, Big Blue has a lot of work to do when it comes to solidifying positions of significance.

Here are three spots the New York Giants need to address:

1.) Pass Rush

The Giants spent minimal cap allocations toward bolstering this unit, supposedly letting Markus Golden walk and signing Kyler Fackrell, who last produced serviceable numbers in 2018 when Patrick Graham was the linebackers coach for Green Bay. Fackrell has the potential to be an affordable starter with high-upside (posted 10.5 sacks in 2018), but unless Oshane Ximines or Lorenzo Carter burst onto the scene, the position remains a weakness.

I anticipate Graham scheming a pass rush, which could indicate Isaiah Simmons is high on their board (he should be anyway). There’s always the slim chance that Chase Young falls into their laps, but assuming that won’t happen, GM Dave Gettleman will have to depend on his youth to step up to the plate.

2.) Offensive tackle

On any given day, the first place spot could be pass rusher or offensive tackle, but since the Giants seem committed to Nate Solder at left tackle, I’m slotting the position as the second weakest. Signing Cam Fleming and having Nick Gates on the roster presents some sort of optimism regarding right tackle, but there’s no guarantee either will look good enough to earn starting reps. The Giants could efficiently allocate a top draft pick toward the position, locking it down and protecting Daniel Jones for the foreseeable future.

3.) Free safety 

The Giants may inject Julian Love into the free safety position,  but he’s more stout in the slot, where he posted substantial numbers. His 65.5% completion rate against attests to his ability to hold up in coverage, but he often was found making clean tackles around the line of scrimmage. He finished with five tackles for a loss — a lot for a player who some believe is the Giants’ free safety of the future. Personally, I like him as their starting slot corner, given his ability to shift his hips and match up with receivers stride-for-stride.

Allocating a draft pick toward the position isn’t a bad idea, but they might value a new center over a free safety.

 

 

How the New York Giants could use Julian Love in 2020

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There’s a misconception going around that New York Giants defender Julian Love is a shoo-in to lock down the free safety position in 2020. However, the reality is far more problematic.

Love played in just 37% of snaps on defense last season, a majority of which came after Jabrill Peppers went down with a hip injury. The former Notre Dame cornerback player predominantly at the slot position and in a strong safety role to supplement the loss of Peppers, but his real sample size comes in the final three games of the season. Utilizing the young defender as a utility man seems to be the direction the Giants are taking with Love, and he has all of the attributes to develop into a staple on defense.

The general cornerback played in 100% of snaps in the final three games, logging 17 tackles and two passes defended. He allowed just a 65.5% completion rate against him over the course of the season, proving he’s capable in coverage. Moving forward, I believe the Giants will utilize Love as their primary cover option in the slot since the only other player they have available is Grant Haley, who’s more refined in stopping the run than matching up in coverage.

The New York Giants need Love in the slot:

Haley posted an 82.1% completion rate against him last season, but managed 43 combined tackles and four tackles for a loss on 38% of defensive snaps, a tick more than Love. Overall, Love is the better player with more potential, and his skills in coverage should be used appropriately.

Drafting a specific free safety should be a focus, as allowing Haley and Corey Ballentine to work in the slot will prove to be unfavorable in coverage. Locking down the deep part of the defensive backfield must require more attention, and Love’s inexperience playing there cannot be mis-conceptualized. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will hopefully be gifted with a primary free safety in the second/mid-rounds of the draft, which would be an ideal scenario for a team lacking in that area.

Thankfully, the New York Knicks didn’t make this trade

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New York Knicks, Julius Randle

There were a lot of rumors swirling for the New York Knicks before the trade deadline.  All the rumors are usually just rumors but they pulled the trigger on one trade, Marcus Morris.

The Knicks were able to get a first-round pick for Morris as well as Maurice ‘Moe’ Harkless.  That was the only trade for the Knicks.  However, there was one trade that people internally within the organization wanted.

According to SNYs Ian Begley, here this gem of a trade.  The Knicks would send Julius Randle, Dennis Smith Jr. and a future first-round pick to Charlotte.  In return, they’d receive Terry Rozier and Malik Monk.  This trade would’ve gotten Steve Mills fires for sure.

A lot of Knicks fans wanted to trade Randle because he didn’t fit the system. But after the Morris trade, he was the number one guy on offense.

This trade wouldn’t have be that bad if it wasn’t for the first-round pick.  The Knicks finally have multiple first-round picks, no need to trade them away.  That should be off the table entirely.

Rozier would’ve been the Knicks number one point-guard.  Most likely, he’d be paired with RJ Barrett or even Elfrid Payton.  Rozier would’ve gave the Knicks a scoring point guard with the ability to push the ball and distribute.

Monk, on the other hand, is consider to be a bust, by some. He could need a change of scenery but New York is not the place.  There’s constant pressure to succeed, ask Kevin Knox. Monk has played well in the Garden when the Hornets come to town but nothing to suggest he’s a star.

Even if this trade went through, this wouldn’t improve the Knicks.  The point guard position would be an upgrade but Monk for Randle is a downgrade.  As much as Randle forces shots and is lazy on defense, he was averaging 19 points and 9 boards before the suspension.  The New York Knicks made a smart decision by not pulling the trigger on this trade.

Could the New York Giants find their starting free safety in the second round of the draft?

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New York Giants, Antoine Winfield Jr.

With the release of Antoine Bethea, the New York Giants have a void at the free safety position. They could travel down several avenues in their quest to filling the job with a quality player — a position that has lacked talent for years now.

Bethea struggled in coverage in 2019, recording just one interception, which came within five yards of the line of scrimmage against the Dallas Cowboys. His 72.5 completion percentage is inadequate. He allowed 497 yards and seven scores, yes, you read that right, seven touchdowns.

The Giants need to upgrade this spot along with the offensive tackle and pass rusher position, and they could look to the draft to fill all of these voids.

The draft does offer one quality free safety at the top of the second round in Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield.

Winfield is a ball-hawk style of player who can fill a serious gap in the secondary, and the Giants know all about bad secondary efficiency.

What would Antoine Winfield bring to the New York Giants?

While the Minnesota product isn’t the tallest or most athletic player, he’s quick and has the tenacity to play at the NFL level. His balance and strength make him a great option at the free safety position, and while the Giants draft Julian Love last year in the fourth round to potentially fill that hole, creating competition is always a positive thing.

Love can also play slot corner along with Grant Haley if they elect to draft Winfield, establishing a young secondary with plenty of potential to work with.

The biggest knock on Winfield is that his lack of elite athleticism hinders his ability to tackle efficiently, meaning he will need impeccable fundamentals in the NFL. New head coach Joe Judge harps on having great fundamentals, so this could be a perfect match moving forward.  The Giants do have other needs, though, as offensive tackle and pass rusher remains the most significant needs.

New York Giants: Will Julian Love Start At Free Safety?

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The New York Giants are revamping their secondary. After spending three draft picks on the unit last year (four if you count Sam Beal), New York doubled down and signed free agent cornerback James Bradberry to a three-year deal worth $45 million.

The Giants’ new secondary features Bradberry and DeAndre Baker as the outside cornerbacks with the slot position to be determined. Jabrill Peppers will remain the starting strong safety. But who will man the free safety position? By the looks of it, Julian Love will be the Giants’ starting free safety in 2020.

Julian Love Stats And Highlights

Julian Love showed promise filling in as a starter for the injured Jabrill Peppers in the final five games of the 2019 season. The rookie recorded 37 combined tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and only 4 missed tackles. The former collegiate slot cornerback converted to safety as a rookie and allowed only 190 yards and 1 touchdown in coverage.

With Peppers set to return to the starting lineup in 2020, Love will likely shift over to the free safety position. Julian has demonstrated the ability to make plays in both run and pass defense. This makes him an ideal fit for the free safety position. However, the job is not yet his.

If Not Love, Then Who?

The Giants are running out of cap space now after signing free agents such as Blake Martinez and James Bradberry. Prior to the New League Year, the Giants reportedly did have an interest in signing a free safety: Anthony Harris from the Minnesota Vikings.

Unfortunately, the Vikings placed the franchise tag on Harris, keeping him off the open market. But the elite Vikings safety is still available if the Giants are still interested. According to Ian Rapoport, the Vikings “acknowledged to teams that Harris could be had for a mid-to-late round draft pick.”

The highest-graded safety in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus could be acquired via trade for a mid-to-late round pick. This is something the Giants should be all over. If New York were able to acquire Harris via trade, they would start him at free safety and allow Julian Love to move back into the position of slot cornerback, which was his primary position in college. In his scenario, the Giants’ secondary would be complete and feature one of the best safeties in the league on the back end, along with plenty more youthful talent.

A Look At The New York Giants’ 2020 Secondary After Signing James Bradberry

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The New York Giants made a big splash signing today. Dave Gettleman and company signed cornerback James Bradberry to a three-year, $15 million deal, making him one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL. Bradberry is 26 years old and was drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft by Dave Gettleman and the Carolina Panthers.

James Bradberry is the Giants’ new number one cornerback. He will be the guy that follows opposing teams’ primary receiver. Bradberry will join a youthful Giants secondary that has received a heavy investment of assets in recent years. The former Carolina Panthers corner will be a big upgrade for the Giants’ secondary.

The Killer B’s

The New York Giants’ cornerbacks in 2020 (barring any more additions) will be as follows: James Bradberry, DeAndre Baker, Same Beal, Corey Ballentine, and Grant Haley. The oldest of the bunch is Bradberry at 26-years-old. Baker and Ballentine will both be entering their sophomore seasons while Beal enters his third pro season.

The Giants have a young group of cornerbacks that will start the 2020 NFL season. Youth, of course, means inexperience, also. That could be New York’s defensive downfall. But hopefully adding a veteran cornerback in James Bradberry helps the rest of the group develop.

The Two Jay’s

Jabrill Peppers and Julian Love will enter the 2020 NFL season as the Giants’ starting safeties (unless the team signs or drafts somebody uber-talented between now and September). The team’s safety duo provides more youthful talent to the defense. Julian Love is 21 and entering his second NFL season. Jabrill Peppers is 24, entering his fourth NFL season and second season with the New York Giants.

Julian Love showed promise filling in as a starter for the injured Peppers in the final five games of the 2019 season. He recorded 37 combined tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and only 4 missed tackles in 2019. The former collegiate slot cornerback converted to safety as a rookie and allowed only 190 yards and 1 touchdown in coverage.

Jabrill Peppers suffered an injury in 2019 that caused him to miss the final five games of the season. Up to that point, however, Jabrill was performing as possibly the best player on the Giants’ defense. In 11 games, JP totaled 76 combined tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 1 interception, and allowed only 1 touchdown in coverage.

The Giants’ young, talented secondary gives fans a reason to be excited heading into the 2020 NFL season. The youthful unit has all the potential in the world. Expect an impressive turnaround from the Giants’ pass-defense in 2020.

How the New York Giants plan to develop Julian Love in the secondary

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The New York Giants utilized the 2019 season as a developmental year for their young players, including a slew of rookies on both sides of the ball. Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones was at the forefront of their efforts, but the defense saw five defenders receive ample playing time. If not for Ryan Connelly’s torn ACL, it would have been six rookies on the field seeing significant snaps.

One player for the New York Giants showed promise:

However, one of the youngsters for the Giants that made an impact was cornerback Julian Love, a player who was expected to slide into the slot or act as a free safety coming out of Notre Dame. To our surprise, he bounced around the defense in a utility role, earning reps at corner, slot, free safety, and strong safety.

After recording 37 combined tackles, three passes defended, one interception and forced fumble, Love proved he can be an asset on the Giants moving forward.

Pro Football Focus expects Love to make a significant ‘jump’ in 2020.

S JULIAN LOVE, NEW YORK GIANTS

At Notre Dame, Love played the vast majority of his snaps at wide cornerback, and he played well there, too, earning a 92.6 coverage grade across the 2017 and 2018 seasons. His transition to the NFL came with a position change, though, as the Giants asked Love to play safety as a rookie. This season, he split his time between playing in the box (176 snaps), slot corner (129 snaps) and even a little bit of free safety (77 snaps). As the table of his snaps by alignment below shows, that was new territory for the rookie.

Love didn’t see significant playing time until Week 12, but he made a good first impression to close out his rookie season by earning an overall grade of 70.5. The versatility to play safety, slot corner and wide corner — like he showed he was able to in college — serves the Giants well as they head into 2020. At the very least, Love showed that he deserves more playing time next season.

While I don’t anticipate Love making a massive jump to Pro-Bowl level status, he can fill in for injuries or even start in the slot if need be. The Giants will have around $85 million in cap space, and you better believe they will allocate some of it toward bolstering the secondary.