New York Giants Prince Amukamara finally starting to live up to hype

Playing in New York is no easy task. You’re perpetually under the microscope from the day you’re drafted until the day you retire or leave the Big Apple. Although Prince Amukamara had a rough start to his career, the 25-year-old is finally living up to the hype.

Before being placed on season-ending injured reserved due to a torn bicep, New York Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara was having his finest season as a pro.

Amukamara was drafted in the first round of the 2011 draft, but his career got off to a shaky start. Amukamara was drafted during the year of the lockout, so he missed a significant amount of offseason time. He then broke his foot the first time he stepped on the field. Despite intercepting a pass in his first game as a pro, he would struggle immensely.

While Amukamara’s rookie season was forgettable, he did play a role in the team’s Super Bowl victory that year.

Amukamara has improved every year since 2011, and this year was no different. He was finally able to live up to the hype that comes with being a first-round pick. For the first time, Amukamara was not a liability in pass coverage, and he was actually fun to watch.

The former Nebraska Cornhusker finally looked like a player that was worthy of being selected with the 19th overall pick.

In the eight games he played this year, Amukamara had three interceptions and 11 defended passes, per NFL.com. Amukamara only had three total career interceptions entering 2014.

Prince undoubtedly improved in coverage in 2o14, as he gave up zero touchdowns. In fact, quarterbacks only had a 58.2 rating throwing Pince’s way.

What wasn’t a surprise, though, was Amukamara’s success in run support. Amukamara is one of the better tackling cornerbacks, and he graded 4.0 in run stop coverage. He also had zero missed tackles, per NJ.com.

He’s certainly come a long way from getting torched by Washington’s Jabar Gaffney.

As I pointed out to Amukamara on Twitter, he was eighth among all cornerbacks in Pro Bowl votes, and he was liking going to receive the first berth of his young career.

The Giants defense struggled with Amukamara out of the lineup. Zack Bowman saw the field far more than people would’ve liked, and Amukamara’s presence in coverage and the run game was severely missed.

With four seasons under his belt, Amukamara is quietly becoming one of the better cornerbacks in the league. In fact, I would categorize Amukamara as a top-15 cornerback in the NFL.

While Amukamara’s stats are up, the best thing for the New York Giants is that the player they envisioned as a future shutdown corner is finally playing with confidence.

Sep 21, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara (20) almost intercepts a pass intended for Houston Texans wide receiver

(80) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Once criticized by his teammates because of a lack of swagger, Amukamara is finally becoming confident on and off the field.

Amukamara spoke to Giants.com about his newfound confidence.

“I think this year I’ve started to maybe maybe come out of my shell a little more, just be more comfortable,” Amukamara said. “I have a sense of peace and joy now, because I know what I’m capable of doing in this league. With that comfort and confidence I’ve been more vocal on the team. Antrel (Rolle) and I are the guys in the defensive backfield that have been here the longest, so I feel like I have a voice on the team.”

Teammates have even suggested that sex is the key to Amukamara’s success. Whatever it is, it’s definitely working for the disciplined Amukamara.

Amukamara is set to make a full recovery from his injury and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be ready for offseason workouts. A healthy Amukamara paired with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will be invaluable for New York.

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