New York Giants: Why Justin Currie Is the Team's Best UDFA Signing

Let's face it: The NFL draft is not as easy as it looks. With plenty of intangibles to sift through and hundreds of talented players looking for a chance to play at the top level, the field tends to become diluted toward the lower rounds. Some picks become steals of a generation while most others float away into obscurity. 

Then there are the days after the draft when teams have an opportunity to sign players who did not hear their names called. Though at first glance it doesn't seem like the New York Giants have signed the likes of an Arian Foster or a Kurt Warner or even a Wayne Chrebet, there is one who might just be able to defy the odds and make his way to opening kickoff.

Safety Justin Currie out of Western Michigan certainly will not have an easy road to a starting role with the Giants. With the secondary being one of the team's top priorities this offseason, the Giants have drafted strong safety Landon Collins out of Alabama in the second round and free safety Mykkele Thompson out of Texas in the fifth in 2015. That makes four defensive backs taken in the past two years. 

It has become something necessary to do since the Giants secondary has struggled mightily the past two seasons. Giving up over 7,000 yards in that span, they finished 18th in 2014 allowing 3,850 passing yards.

Big plays were their Achilles' heel. The Giants were tied for third-most in the NFL with 62 plays of 20+ yards allowed and tied for seventh with 13 plays of 40+ yards.

The Giants will be desperate entering minicamp to develop a core of safeties that can help provide a strong final line of defense. Listed as a strong safety, Currie is ranked third behind Collins and second-year man Nat Berhe, who only recorded 14 tackles last season.

Needless to say there is an opportunity for Currie to impress in camp and force his way onto the team. Currie led Western Michigan last season with 105 tackles, eight off his career mark of 113 set the year before. 

Currie was not far off from Collins in his 40-yard dash time, either. While Collins ran his at 4.53, Currie was at 4.59 as reported by David Drew of MLive.com. 

He isn't an intercepting machine. He had just five in his career, but his ability to follow the play and make tackles is something the Giants will need. Last season the Giants allowed 2,017 yards after the catch.

At 6'2" and 204 pounds, Currie has the size and the speed to make it. It now all depends on whether he'll be able to make the most of his chance at Giants camp.