New York Giants: Eli Apple a Surprising But Logical Choice

The New York Giants brought Eli Apple to the “Big Apple,” drafting the Ohio State cornerback with the No. 10 overall pick

After the New York Giants saw running back Ezekiel Elliott, offensive tackle Jack Conklin and linebacker Leonard Floyd go before No. 10, the G-Men opted to make a surprise pick, selecting Ohio State defensive back Eli Apple.

Although the move came was slightly shocking, the Giants were in a bit of a bind, since the Tennessee Titans traded up to No. 8 to nab Conklin and Chicago moved up to No. 9 to take Floyd.

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It was unfortunate to see, and you have to imagine New York’s green room must have been incredibly frantic after seeing two guys whom they viewed very highly get selected before No. 10.

New York elected to pick Apple even with the other top cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III still available. The reason, as tweeted by New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano, was short and sweet.

Vacchiano also tweeted that Giants scouting director Marc Ross said Apple was the highest-rated cornerback on the team’s board. Apple was the best player available whom the Giants likely had the least amount of questions about.

So what exactly does Apple bring to the table?

Well, he gives the Giants the nickel corner they’ve been seeking for quite some time. In theory, Apple, who isn’t even 21 yet, gives the Giants a short-term solution as a third corner, and a long-term solution as an eventual starter on the outside.

From a short-term standpoint, there isn’t a whole lot to dislike about this move. Any way you cut it, the Giants needed more help at corner. Even after signing Janoris Jenkins to a lucrative deal, the Giants still needed help in the secondary. If you need to know why, just go watch film on Jayon Hosley and Trevin Wade from last year.

Apple, a Vorhees, N.J. native, is a bigger corner at 6-1, and he uses his size to his advantage. He likes to get physical with receivers, and he plays with a tenacious mentality, which is something that can’t be taught. When the ball is in the air, he competes like a receiver. Although he may get beat on some plays or miss some tackles, effort is never an issue with Apple.

What I like most about Apple’s game is his patience. Unlike his newest teammate Jenkins, Apple isn’t keen on jumping routes and risking getting beat. He sticks to his fundamentals, and it usually works for him. He’s fluid and solid, albeit not the flashiest cornerback. Apple can operate in both zone and man coverages, too, though he’s not a lockdown corner who can entirely eliminate a receiver from a game.

The desire to succeed and compete is definitely there with Apple, though. He plays with a quiet confidence and isn’t as in-your-face about it as Hargreaves or Mackensie Alexander.

He’s not a tremendous playmaker, as he dropped some easy interceptions in school. But Apple’s work ethic is noteworthy, and he displayed coachability during his time at OSU, which is something the Giants covet.

Speaking of coachability, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is going to love having Apple on the defense. With a trio of solid corners to work with, Spags can get much more creative with his signature blitz packages. Furthermore, Apple can contribute as a free rusher on corner blitzes, which gives the defense more versatility.

Apple axiomatically makes the defense better, and he’ll have a shot to be a week 1 contributor.

The thing about Apple is while his upside may be high, he’ll need a few years to marinate to become a true starting-caliber corner. That’s completely fine, though, and that’s why the Giants taking him is a logical move. He won’t be tasked with shadowing other teams’ best receiver. He’ll start his career in the slot, and he’ll have the opportunity to refine his game and acclimate himself to the speed of the NFL.

In a sense, this pick is reminiscent of last year’s Ereck Flowers pick. Remember, while the Giants had, and still have, high expectations for Flowers, the plan was never for him to start at left tackle right away.

Although Apple’s playmaking ability isn’t tremendous, he’s joining a secondary already boasting two of the best playmaking corners in the NFC.

During a video interview with Giants.com immediately following getting drafted, Apple shared his opinions on being a member of the Giants’ secondary.

“It’s a great feeling… I can just learn and be a great corner under those guys (Jenkins and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie) and definitely contribute in the future,” Apple said.

Apple also added he tries to model his game after guys like Darrelle Revis, Aqib Talib and Logan Ryan.

Despite being a surprise pick — I didn’t even consider this scenario at all, to be honest. But I also never considered the Giants taking Odell Beckham Jr. back in 2014, either — drafting Apple makes sense for the Giants. This move actually kind of reminds me of when the team took OBJ, in the sense that the Giants are getting deeper at a position that typically requires three solid players.

Apple fills a big need for the Giants, and he gives them a player who projects to turn into a big starting piece down the line. Call it a reach if you want, but Jerry Reese is a general manager who has been slammed for his draft picks not panning out, so drafting a safe, high-upside player makes sense.

Was it a bit of a reach? Sure, but with their top-two guys off the board, it’s hard to argue too much with the Giants addressing a serious need by adding a player like Apple.

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This is a team that needed to find a guy in the first round who could come in and contribute from day one. And here’s something Giants fans will definitely love: During the aforementioned video interview with Giants.com, Apple had a great response to Carl Banks asking if he could grow to have disdain for the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Yeah, I could definitely get used to hating the Eagles,” Apple said.