Giants first-round bust is finally living up to the hype but in a different league
Of all the mistakes former NY Giants general manager Dave Gettleman made, his ludicrous decisions in the NFL Draft still haunt this team. Gettleman was born to pick first-round busts, which was exactly the case with cornerback DeAndre Baker.
Baker was taken No. 30 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft after NY traded up, with fans hoping he could become a lockdown corner - just like they're hoping the case will be with Deonte Banks, who is coming off a stellar season.
Baker lasted one season with Big Blue before he was released for off-the-field issues. He's out of the NFL completely, but he's balling out in the United Football League? Yup. The UFL released it's first All-League team, with Baker, now with the D.C. Defenders, taking home honors:
The UFL has announced its inaugural All-UFL Team 👇👇 pic.twitter.com/Otiq2E2HhD
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 5, 2024
Former Giants CB DeAndre Baker is making noise in the UFL
Hey, good for Baker, but people haven't forgotten about his disappointing divorce with the Giants. Back in 2020, Baker, along with former Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar, was facing charges on four counts of robbery with a firearm stemming from a May incident in Florida.
Those charges were all eventually dropped, but the Giants released Baker and former coach Joe Judge said there would be no reunion with him after everything was settled. Baker played in 16 games with the Giants (15 starts) during his rookie season, posting 61 total tackles and eight pass deflections.
After the Giants parted ways with him, Baker landed with the Kansas City Chiefs, playing in two games in 2020 and eight more in 2021 - he took home a Super Bowl ring that final season. That was the last we saw of Baker in the NFL, but things appear to be going just fine for him in the UFL.
With Baker being only 26 years old, it wouldn't be a major surprise to see another NFL team give him a chance to see if he can still play at the highest level. While that might end up being the case, don't expect Joe Schoen and Co. to give him a call. A return to the Giants surely won't be in the cards.
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