Deandre Baker NFL Draft 2019: Scouting Report for New York Giants' Pick

STRENGTHS

—Physical, aggressive cornerback who won the best tackling grade at the position from our scouts.

—2018 Thorpe Award winner for the nation's best defensive back.

—Posted seven interceptions in college despite often being ignored by opposing quarterbacks; has the instincts and hands to flip the field when thrown at but does a better job eliminating targets.

—Master in man coverage and has the physicality and size (5'11", 193 pounds) to play in press at the line of scrimmage and enough agility and burst to stay in-phase down the field.

—Hasn't allowed a touchdown since 2017, per Pro Football Focus.

—Has excellent timing on all that he does; breaks on routes with great awareness, comes up to pop in the run game and has nearly perfect timing to turn and run out of his backpedal.

WEAKNESSES

—Didn't impress with his 4.52 time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and, per scouts, poor interviews with teams.

—Gets handsy at the route stem when challenged by speedy receivers.

—Limited ball skills could also point to average catching ability.

—Gets a little jumpy against double moves and needs time to work on better route recognition.

Deandre Baker NFL Draft 2019: Scouting Report, Grade for Giants Rookie

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OVERALL

Baker's tape is some of the best from the 2019 cornerback class, but average testing and poor interviews seem to have affected his stock. He's a potential rookie starter if teams are able to vet his character and dial in on who he is as a player and person.

GRADE: 6.95 (ROUND 2— ROOKIE IMPACT)

PRO COMPARISON: Malcolm Butler