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Irish in the NFL: Julian Love Shined for Giants in OTAs

By J.P. Scott

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 24: Amon-Ra St. Brown #8 of the USC Trojans runs after catching a pass against Julian Love #27 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 24: Amon-Ra St. Brown #8 of the USC Trojans runs after catching a pass against Julian Love #27 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first half at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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Former Notre Dame cornerback Julian Love stood out in OTAs for the New York Giants.

Over the last couple of months, NFL teams have had a chance to get a look at the players they’ll have in camp via OTAs (offseason workout programs). Former Notre Dame cornerback Julian Love got some praise for his performance on the New York Giants website last week.

According to Giants.com, Love broke up multiple passes and picked off fellow rookie Daniel Jones at least once during OTA sessions. He also stood out on special teams, where he could see a considerable amount of time in 2019.

Although many projected Love as a second-rounder, he fell to the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, thanks to worries some had about his size and speed.

If you’re looking for a ceiling comparison in terms of what Love could eventually blossom into as a professional football player, take a look at Los Angeles Chargers defensive back Desmond King.

During his collegiate career at Iowa, King was a dominant shutdown corner who also excelled at special teams. Despite winning the Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back during his junior season, King wasn’t drafted until the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, largely because of questions about his size and speed. He has since worked his way into the Chargers’ starting lineup as a safety-corner hybrid player and emerged as one of the very best players in the league.

King got to where he is because he is an intelligent, instinctual football player whose ability on the field overshadows his perceived physical limitations and workout numbers. Basically, the guy can flat out play football — just like Julian Love.

Love will join a young secondary with a high ceiling in 2019. He’ll be joined in the Giants’ defensive backfield by Georgia’s DeAndre Baker, the 2018 Thorpe Award winner.

Next. Ian Book could have a record-setting 2019. dark

Between what we’ve heard so far and how many receivers today’s NFL offenses line up on most plays, there’s a real good chance Julian Love piles up starter-type reps in 2019, even if he’s not officially listed as a starter.

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