Linebacker Tae Crowder
In Tae Crowder’s two seasons with the Giants, he has already done much more than what was likely expected of him. After the Giants took Crowder with the 255th pick in the 2020 draft, he played in 11 games in his rookie season. In that time, he played well on paper, finishing with 57 total tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack. But, he also posted a PFF grade of 36.4, which was among the worst in the NFL.
In 2021, Crowder carved out an even bigger role within the defense. With the loss of linebacker Blake Martinez for nearly the entire season, Crowder started all 17 games for the Giants. He finished the season with 130 total tackles and three tackles for loss. He also had a PFF grade of 29.1, an even worse outcome than he had in Year 1.
As noted, Crowder has performed when he is on the field and has probably exceeded any of the initial expectations that the Giants had for him. But he has also been inconsistent at times. He has excelled in some areas and struggled heavily in others.
With the Giants adding two linebackers in the draft in Darrian Beavers and Micah McFadden, Crowder’s time could slowly be coming to an end. A new regime has taken over this team, and none of them were there when he was selected. They could choose to go with a “fresh start” and look for the rookies to play a bigger role this upcoming season.