NFL Draft: After late location audible, Giants coach Joe Judge completes draft without pal Abby
Giants coach Joe Judge speaks at his introductory press conference at MetLife Stadium on Jan. 9. Credit: Corey Sipkin
Abby, the Judge family’s golden retriever, was perhaps the biggest snub of the draft.
Joe Judge had mentioned her role in his draft prep last as a near constant companion during these work-at-home times last week, but at the last minute Judge decided to move his work station from his house in Massachusetts to an apartment in New Jersey. This way, if something went wrong during the virtual draft, he would be closer to the team’s technical support staff.
“I tried to bring the dog with me but I was told I could not bring her with me,” Judge said.
So while many head coaches and general managers were shown on TV surrounded by their families and pets over the past three days, Judge was only shown flying solo.
“I feel like I let me kids down,” he said. “I’ve been getting frown-faced memes all weekend because everyone else’s kids get to be on TV. I’ve got a six-year-old who wants to know if she’s ever going to be famous.”
Despite the last-second adjustment in location, both Judge and general manager Dave Gettleman said the draft went smoothly. The Giants, who participated in the NFL’s mock draft last Monday, had their software developers create two entirely new programs for the process, and even had a few “scrimmages” with other teams to work through any wrinkles in the process.
“Occasionally there was a glitch, people would get bumped off (conference calls or video conferences),” Gettleman said, “but considering the situation it went about as well as you could expect.”
CROWDER “HONORED”
Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder’s full first name is DeQuartavous. His new last name is Irrelevant.
The Giants elected him with the 255th and final pick in the draft on Saturday evening, bestowing upon him the “honor” of Mr. Irrelevant that is given annually to the last player taken.
Crowder is no stranger to arduous paths to success. He was committed to Georgia Southern as a running back out of high school but was offered a scholarship from Georgia the night before signing day. A year later, with little chance to play on offense, he was moved to inside linebacker. Now he’ll have an uphill battle to make the Giants’ roster.
Crowder joins John Tuggle (1983) and Larry Wanke (1991) as the only Giants to be drafted last overall since the tradition of celebrating Mr. Irrelevant began in the mid 1970s.
GIANT STEPS
Gettleman and Judge said the common denominator for most of their third-day picks was their speed . . . Judge said the Giants coaches will begin trying to “cross-train” guard Shane Lemieux, their fifth-round pick from Oregon, as a center. The Giants had hoped to add a natural player at that position in the draft but did not.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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