All season long, New York Giants fans and media have been puzzled as to why fourth-round pick Julian Love could not work himself into the mix at safety. The rookie was amongst the best defensive backs in all of college football after starring at Notre Dame, and Big Blue’s selection of him in the draft was almost unanimously received as a solid pick and a steal.
Defensive coordinator James Bettcher almost immediately began transitioning the rookie to the safety position, which made some sense at the time due to the team’s weakness at the position. However, even after watching veteran Antoine Bethea struggle all season long, Love could simply not get into the mix, as the rookie had just three defensive snaps coming into Week 12.