1 week Ago
With the second of their two seventh-round draft picks, the New York Giants added Korie Black, a cornerback from Oklahoma State with extensive playing experience. Black played for five years and was a three-year starter for the Cowboys. He appeared in 62 games and started 38 games over his final three seasons.
Black was named a team captain in his final season, which resulted in him being named an Honorable Mention All-Big 12 performer. His three interceptions led the team and was good for eighth in the conference. He has seen a lot of football, especially in the pass-happy Big 12, and he has played against many talented receivers, many of whom are in the NFL.
Black has experience playing zone and man and should join the team with the chance to perform like a seasoned veteran. What's to Love? Black has exceptional speed and quickness, which allows him to match patterns extremely well, especially with crossing routes designed to separate from defenders. He can stay attached and makes plays to break up passes.
He can also move laterally, matching receivers who may seem more interested in dancing than running a route. He is a force against the quick game because he does not allow receivers to sit free, and he can close on them before their blockers or even the football can get to the receiver. He also excels in zone or off-man coverage.
He recognizes route patterns and reads the receiver's breaks well. He also identifies when the quarterback will throw the football, so he understands when to break on the football. He can plant and drive on the pass and uses his speed to close down the distance quickly.
He is very confident in his coverage ability and in his ability to disrupt plays based on it. What Needs to Improve? We make fun of defensive backs having to make business decisions when tackling or even taking on blocks, but there's truth in the comedy. Black really needs to find a way to fall in love with tackling, which is a glaring deficit in his game.
There's an art and science to tackling, and it needs to be more than just deciding to throw his body as a ball carrier. You can see him take some liberties with tackling on film, which cost his team in the margins. A few yards here and there turn 3rd-and-long into 3rd-and-short.
One of the complaints about Black in coverage is that he can sometimes be grabby. Of course, defensive backs want to be able to feel a receiver so that they can recognize when they are breaking, but when they grab it, they expose themselves to possible penalties when the receiver breaks and you can clearly see that they are being held. How He Fits Black is like a clone of many of the defensive backs the Giants have brought in to play cornerback.
He's long and athletic, and he should be able to match the athletic prowess of the receivers in the NFL and, more specifically, the NFC East. He's played a lot of football, so nothing should surprise him. He can stick as a quality depth piece for this team.
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