NFL

Forgotten Giants rookie Julian Love is itching for a chance

Julian Love is the new favorite player of frustrated Giants fans everywhere.

Not because of anything he has done, but because he is a symbol of turning the page from the present to the future. The popular outcry for losing teams to “play more young players!” doesn’t apply when rookies have taken hundreds more snaps for the Giants (2-8) than any other team.

Then there is Love, the forgotten 2019 draft pick with three defensive snaps total over the first 10 games.

“Everything I do, I like to take a step back and look at it from a different perspective,” the fourth-round cornerback out of Notre Dame said. “Yeah, I want to be in there. I’m a competitor.

“I just want to hit the ground running as soon as I get my opportunity. I want to be the dependable guy the team needs. Selfishly, I think all of us want to be that guy who helps turn this thing around for us.”

In addition to the three first-rounders starting (Daniel Jones, DeAndre Baker, Dexter Lawrence), the Giants have a third-rounder contributing (Oshane Ximines), two fifth-rounders who look like draft steals (now-injured Ryan Connelly and Darius Slayton) and a sixth-rounder (Corey Ballentine) who just stole a starting job.

Sam Beal, a 2018 supplemental draft pick who missed the first 25 games of his career due to injuries, even debuted last week. Like Love, Baker, Ballentine and Beal all are defensive backs, so someone has to sit.

Julian Love
Julian LoveRobert Sabo

“It’s a blessing in disguise in a way,” Love said. “I’m very locked in on the sidelines. I can learn off that so I don’t go in and make the same mistake. Teams always are going to throw something new at you. How you handle situations is what I’m observing.”

Ballentine’s rise as a later draft pick from Division II Washburn University — even after missing two games due to a concussion — to unseat second-year starter Grant Haley at slot cornerback suggests Love has been leapfrogged. Love’s role on special teams quietly expanded from two snaps in Week 1 to a season-high 24 last week.

“He just has to trust himself,” safety Jabrill Peppers said. “He is a hell of an athlete. He knows how to make plays on the ball. He is a great tackler. He can’t let the rookie jitters get to him. When his opportunity comes, he can’t let his emotions get the best of him.”

Coach Pat Shurmur says he will keep playing the “best player” at each position, but Love saw a slight uptick in his practice snaps at free safety during the bye week.

Is it a precursor to change or just an evaluation method without an opponent-specific game plan to install? Love can’t say for sure.

“I am ready,” Love said. “I want to see us succeed. I want to see a bunch of guys vibing. I want to help contribute to that. I’m glad … the other rookies are getting their chances.”

He is “fully aware” fans want more Love.

“You have family members, extended family, old friends who want to put that in your ear,” Love said.

“A great [high school] coach told me once: ‘All that attention, all that media stuff, all that stuff on Twitter is like cheese on the mousetrap. When you start reaching for it, that’s when you get snapped on.’ If I was in right now, they’d be saying to replace me.”

Free safety Antoine Bethea, 35, has surrendered big-play touchdowns with poor cut-off angles in two of the past three losses, but he sandwiched his best game (interception, fumble recovery) of the season in between. Bethea isn’t part of the long-term future and can be cut at season’s end for minimal salary cap penalty.

Love’s average NFL speed presents a challenge against shifty slot receivers. It’s one reason he was moved from outside and slot cornerback to safety.

Versatility prevented Love from honing in on one position during training camp. It also makes him more valuable if injuries strike a relatively healthy secondary.

“Since I was repping at so many positions, my base knowledge was set,” Love said. “Right now you are not seeing me take a lot of reps on defense. For the future, I have a good foundation.”

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