New York Giants: Logan Ryan praises mentee Eli Apple
New York Giants cornerback Eli Apple has found a mentor in two-time Super Bowl champion Logan Ryan. Ryan offered high praise for Apple.
The New York Giants have a history of selecting prospects higher than analysts peg them in the NFL Draft. As recently as 2014, the Giants made what was labeled as a reach for now All-Pro wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. at No. 12 overall.
Although the 2016 reach, Eli Apple, hasn’t yet come into his own, Tennessee Titans cornerback Logan Ryan offered high praise for his mentee.
It’s no secret that Ryan has taken Apple under his wing as the Giants corner transitions to the NFL. The two share a friendship that dates back to their time on the varsity football team at Eastern Regional High School in New Jersey.
According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN’s NFL Nation, the two-time Super Bowl champion praised his mentee for his maturity in the face of early adversity.
"“Yeah, he’s continuing to grow,” Ryan said at a Thursday Night Lights Football Camp [he and Apple] co-hosted at Eastern Regional High School that saw 350 kids come out to learn the game from their hometown heroes. “That guy blows me away with the amount of big games he’s played in and how young he is. Like I said, he’s a lot better and more mature than I was at 20 or 21 years old.”"
Ryan knows a thing or two about playing in big games.
Before he joined the Titans in 2017, Ryan earned two Super Bowl rings as a member of the New England Patriots. This past season, Ryan was graded by Pro Football Focus as the No. 16 cornerback in the NFL, including a ranking of No. 15 in pass coverage.
Apple had his fair share of ups and downs as a rookie, but Ryan’s success in the NFL pegs him as an ideal mentor for the No. 10 overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Having already played a rather significant role for an elite defense, Apple has an opportunity to be a true force of nature.
Apple will turn 22 years of age on August 9, which is a fair indication of how much untapped potential still remains. In a secondary that features Landon Collins, Janoris Jenkins, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, he’s surrounded by talent that will hold him accountable.
Even when he isn’t with the Giants, Apple is being mentored by one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL in Ryan.
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