Who should the NY Giants target in the 3rd and 4th rounds of the NFL draft?
By David Solow
Terrell Burgess- S, Utah
Why would he be a good value for the Giants in the 3rd or 4th round? Burgess’ greatest strength is his versatility. He played safety during the end of his time at Utah, but he has experience at corner and took reps covering receivers out of the slot in 2019. Joe Judge wants versatile chess pieces that allow for scheme flexibility, and Burgess could be an intriguing player to pair up with Julian Love in the secondary.
With players like Love and Burgess on the field in nickel packages, offenses could have a difficult time keying on the Giants’ defensive tendencies. Who is guarding the slot and who will guard the deep half? Love and Burgess could be interchangeable in this regard since both players have strong football instincts and experience at multiple positions in the secondary.
What does he excel at? The converted cornerback is adept at reading routes of receivers, especially out of the slot. His ability to switch between slot cornerback and deep half safety makes him especially intriguing. Burgess’ 4.46 40 yard-dash time at the combine backs up his ability to cover the deep half of the field.
Burgess has fluid hips and is able to change direction quickly. The G-Men would benefit from his ability to be sticky in man coverage, and then also take excellent angles to the ball in deep zones. Burgess is a sure tackler and is able to consistently bring down ball carriers.
Aside from short-area reactive quicks to mirror/match routes, two things NFL slots must possess are good route feel and ball skills. @Utah_Football DB Terrell Burgess showed both things at @seniorbowl. Burgess could start for many teams as a rookie. #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE pic.twitter.com/oIc5o5ifCg
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) March 11, 2020
Why the Giants might hesitate: Burgess is undersized for a starting NFL safety. At just 5 feet 11 and 192 pounds, Burgess struggles when matched up with bigger pass catchers. Playing for a strong defense at Utah, Burgess did not get as much playing time before his impressive 2019 season.
Personal excitement level if drafted: (8/10) I would be elated if the Utah Ute fell to the Giants at the end of the third round. He could compete right away with Julian Love for the starting free safety spot. Big Blue’s defense needs more smart, versatile, tough, and savvy players like Burgess in the secondary.
Likelihood he will fall to #99 or #110: (6/10)