There is no shortage of talent on the Giants defensive secondary. With each player bringing a special set of skills and strengths to this deep unit, the Giants defensive secondary has evolved into an elite force to be reckoned with that has only grown stronger throughout the summer.
One of the rising stars that has contributed to the success of this unit in every which way possible has been the bright, ambitious, young safety Julian Love. Although he brings various great qualities to the safety position, the underrated value of Love’s versatility has become the secret weapon for this Giants defensive secondary.
“The thing is he's smart, he's tough and he can tackle, and then he has a skillset of a defensive back," said Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
"Again, he can cover. He can play the deep part of the field. He can back pedal. He can come downhill. So, with all those skills right there, and he can handle it mentally, it's a coach's dream. It's a coach’s dream because now you’ve got a piece that you could move around on the chess board.”
Last season, Love logged in most of his reps as a free safety with a total of 454 snaps to account for, per Pro Football Focus.
Over the last three weeks of the season, Love tacked on a sizable 139 snaps as a wide corner after only receiving a mere six reps in that position before Week 15.
Love was also placed in the slot on 61 snaps over 2020, with 17 of those snaps coming against the Cardinals in week 14 alone.
This kind of versatility is precious for any team, and Love welcomes that accountability with open arms.
“DB," he said earlier this summer when asked about his position and role on the team. "I just do whatever they ask me. I’m ready for it all.”
A big part of why Love has been so active (and successfully so) comes down to his open-mindedness, the way he embraces the culture of this team, and his preparation to take on any opportunity thrown his way, something that Graham enjoys working with:
“He's very selfless. So okay, you tell him before one game, ‘oh, you're playing corner.’ He doesn't complain. He's like, ‘okay’. I haven't heard him complain about anything. You're playing safety this day. You’re playing corner – he doesn't complain," Graham said.
"So being selfless like that, that's part of who we are, team-first. Joe talks about that. We talk about it in the defensive room. Again, that's because of him, his personality and his skillset--that's why we're able to do that.”
However, to receive this kind of responsibility, you have to back it up with solid performances, and Love has risen to the occasion several times since coming into the league.
As a result of his steady play and versatility, Love has been utilized in the defensive secondary frequently. And in the process, he developed from his involvement all over the Giants defensive secondary.
Earlier this summer, Love spoke about the positives he took away from the experience of being asked to move around so much in the backfield and how it shaped him into becoming a better player.
“It was different, but I enjoyed it. I just tried to be on the football field as much as I can. I’m a student of the game, so I’m always learning. I had some great vets teaching me the game. Obviously, new coaches that helped me a lot. I feel good the longer I’ve been now at each position.”
Entering the 2021 season, Love is expected to spearhead this role even more, especially with a defensive coordinator fond of using his players in different ways to confuse and disrupt offensive schemes. Because of this appreciation, Love will likely be rewarded with a lot of playing time, especially with the qualities he brings to every position.
Love said Graham’s diversifying approach motivates him and his teammates to work harder.
“From Day 1, Coach Judge told us that he rewards versatility and he’s a man of his word in everything he does," he said.
"As you can see, a lot of us played multiple spots last year. That was no joke. That was not just word play. That’s truly what he believes in, so now this year obviously, we have a lot on the back end especially with the secondary, so we’re going to be versatile. Joe Judge, he loves that, and Pat Graham really appreciates that. We’re going to really attack it and be multiple in every way they see.”
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