NFL Draft: Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves would welcome Giants’ call
Florida defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III returns a interception during the first half of game against Georgia last season. Credit: AP / Stephen B. Morton
The Giants have two established starting cornerbacks in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and newly signed Janoris Jenkins. But every team can use a third corner in this pass-happy league, which is why the team may decide to pick a player with that number already in his name.
Vernon Hargreaves III from Florida is considered to be the top cover cornerback in this draft and expected to be available to the Giants with the 10th overall selection on Thursday. If the Giants do pick him, he would probably not come in and start right away (although he would likely see plenty of playing time at nickel and other sub-packages).
How would that sit with Hargreaves? Pretty well, actually, he said at the NFL’s Play60 event in Chicago on Wednesday.
“I want to have guys in front of me that are already sealed and done their time in the NFL and made plays, because that gives me a chance to learn and compete,” he said of the prospect of going to the Giants or a team with two starters penciled in. “I’m going to go in and try to take anybody’s spot, as anybody else would. But it would be great to get around some guys like Janoris and DRC and see what they know and pick their brains a little bit.”
Not everyone shares that attitude. Defensive end Joey Bosa could wind up with the Giants and become the rookie in a rotation that would also include Jason Pierre-Paul and newly-signed Olivier Vernon. For Bosa, though, such a situation would apparently be unwelcome.
“If someone’s taking me top 10, they want me to come in and play,” he said of his potential role at the same pre-draft event. “If they’re picking a position in the first round, they obviously have a deficiency in that position. They’re bringing me there for a reason.”
One of the reasons for the Giants to select Bosa could be as Pierre-Paul’s eventual replacement. JPP is on a one-year prove-it deal with the Giants. If he shows he can play at a high level with his mangled right hand, there is a chance he could sign elsewhere as a free agent after this season. If he shows he is unable to play due to his hand, the Giants can cut ties with him. Either way, they would have Bosa there to replace him.
If that’s the Giants’ thinking, it isn’t shared by Bosa.
“I haven’t talked to New York once, outside of the Combine,” he said. “I honestly haven’t put any thought into that at all.”
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.
