The draft is here, and while there are a lot of draft stories to talk about, the biggest story of the day was that of the worst player on a team that had the worst record of the year.
The New York Giants, who have one of the deepest rosters in the league, went out and got their man in the fifth round.
He wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t great either.
Here are 10 things to know about the Giants’ draft bust.
1.
He’s not a star: The first thing you notice about this guy is his name, Eli Apple.
He was a very average cornerback at Penn State, but this was before the advent of the digital age.
He didn’t have the kind of speed or athleticism that some of the other defensive ends in this draft had, and he struggled to stay on the field in coverage, particularly in man coverage.
Apple has played some cornerback in the NFL, but it was in coverage where he really struggled, and that’s what makes him so disappointing.
2.
He never really played as a starter: It’s difficult to know if this guy has the tools to be a full-time starter.
He has a lot to learn, and as we all know from the draft itself, it’s not always easy to get a first-round pick to show promise.
Apple was supposed to play defensive end, but at 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, he’s not that much of a defensive end.
He could potentially play at linebacker or defensive tackle.
He doesn’t have a ton of athletic ability, and if he did, he’d be a huge loss for the Giants.
3.
He is a bust: Apple has only played in eight games, but that doesn’t mean he was a bust.
He actually made a few plays as a rookie, and even that didn’t last long.
In his two years in college, he played just nine games and had a solid performance in the Fiesta Bowl, but the Giants did not use him as a true starter.
4.
He did well in the preseason: The Giants have been very cautious in the pre-draft process, but Apple was still considered a top-10 pick and the Giants have a number of players they’re going to take in the draft, so it would be hard for them to say no to a guy who was on their radar all the way through the process.
5.
He plays better than he’s shown in college: This was a bit of a surprise, but after watching Apple play in the fall, it was clear that he was just not good enough.
His athleticism, instincts, and ball skills were off the charts, and it was easy to see why the Giants would take him over someone like Eric Rowe.
He played better in the spring than he did in the regular season, but his tape shows he was not much better than Rowe in coverage.
6.
He will be an impact player in the next few years: Apple’s first year in the Big Apple will be a disappointment.
He’ll have to be better, but there are many teams who can use him in the slot, and the one-two punch of Josh Norman and Olivier Vernon could be very dangerous in the middle.
There’s a chance Apple could become a first or second-round talent in a few years, but you don’t want to take a risk on a guy like that right out of the gate.
7.
The Giants’ defense will struggle to stop the run: This is not a new issue for the team.
They’ve been able to stop opposing offenses from getting past them with their run-heavy scheme.
But Apple’s career is a bit different, and his ability to make plays as an outside linebacker in the Giants defense was never going to translate to the NFL.
The defensive line will struggle against the run, which will be something to watch closely moving forward.
8.
He might have a chance to be the Giants best player: It was never clear whether Apple was going to be able to make the leap from college to the pros.
He showed glimpses of the type of football player the Giants hoped he’d become, but we still have to see if he can really put it all together in the pros and become a solid starter in the National Football League.