When the New York Giants traded back up into Round 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft, many felt they got a steal with cornerback DeAndre Baker, who was known for his physical, hard-nosed style of play.
However, in his first NFL season, Baker has graded out among the worst cornerbacks in all of football, and his snafus are evident on a weekly basis.
To some degree, Baker’s issues stem from being used in soft coverage — the polar opposite of his strength — and a general misunderstanding of the team’s defensive scheme, which he humbly admitted just a few short weeks ago.
But some of Baker’s problems are of his own making, including but not limited to a lack of hustle that has exhausted some of his teammates. In fact, they’ve become so bothered by it that the rookie was reportedly called out in front of the team.
Being ripped in front of an entire team as a rookie is undoubtedly a difficult pill to swallow, but as you can see in the video footage above, the complaints are completely warranted and justified.
How Baker responds to being dressed down may not only define what remains of his rookie season, but where he stands on the roster entering the 2020 season.
