RD 6 (194th): Shyheim Carter – CB, Alabama
With the sixth-round pick and 194th overall selection, I decided to go with the best available player on the board. I’m surprised that Alabama cornerback Shyheim Carter is still available almost 200 picks into the draft.
Largely overshadowed by Trevon Diggs at the cornerback position in Alabama, Carter was listed within the top-100 players on most draft expert big boards. Perhaps he was hurt by the fact that Diggs was the lockdown corner that the Crimson Tide typically put on the top opposing receiver, Carter represents a steal in the middle of the sixth round.
Carter projects as a slot corner and nickel safety in the NFL. While he might not be a top option at cornerback on any NFL team, he has the skills to be a major contributor day one at the slot cornerback position, something that is more prevalent with most NFL defenses these days.
Finding a major contributor this late in the draft is every general manager’s dream. Carter helps further bolster a strong young Giants cornerback corps led by newly signed free agent James Bradberry, last year’s first-round draft pick Deandre Baker, as well as Sam Beal, Corey Ballentine, and Grant Haley.
The new style NFL defense seems to employ a larger percentage of defensive backs on the field than in previous eras. The Giants could do much worse than adding a former four-star Alabama recruit with experience against some of the best wide receivers in the SEC to their cornerback group.
After drafting Carter, I am inclined to continue to add the best players available with the four upcoming seventh-round picks. With the 218th overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected: