Julian Love NFL Draft 2019: Scouting Report for New York Giants' Pick

STRENGTHS

—Productive junior who notched 16 pass breakups in 2018; had three interceptions in 2017, two of which he took for touchdowns.

—Checks the boxes for quickness and agility; is very good in short-area movement and has the lateral agility to stick with receivers on underneath routes.

—Doesn't lose his man early in the route thanks to quick feet and good instincts.

—Able to play both man and zone cornerback but is better in zone, where his awareness and quickness allow him to close on the ball easily.

—Sticks in the hip pocket with receivers down the field and is excellent at using all his tricks to stay in-phase.

—Technique is well-coached and developed to a high level.

WEAKNESSES

—Game film did not show the speed (4.54 seconds) that he displayed at the combine; often struggled to keep pace with receivers down the field, which could point to poor timing on hip turns.

—Will shy away from contact, and physical receivers tend to take him out of his game.

—Needs safety help over the top against great receivers; struggled against Clemson before leaving the game with a head injury.

—Not much of a hitter and isn't physical working through blocks.

—Play strength looks to be average.

Julian Love Highlights

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OVERALL

Love has everything you want in a cornerback if you focus on instincts, agility and quickness, but he lacks the long speed to run down the field and the toughness to bang on underneath routes. A zone scheme is the best fit for him moving forward, but in the right system, he has the tools to be a very early starter, and potentially a high-level one at that

GRADE: 6.60 (ROUND 2 - ROOKIE IMPACT)

PRO COMPARISON: Brandon Carr