NFL
2020 7th Rd Pick Tae Crowder is Cementing Himself as a Starting NFL LB
After Blake Martinez tore his ACL, seventh round pick Tae Crowder is set to cement his role as a starting NFL linebacker
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Tae Crowder played college football for the University of Georgia as a linebacker after being recruited out of high school as a running back. His college success led to him being taken with the last pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, earning the annual nickname of “Mr. Irrelevant.” Now, he is an irreplaceable fixture for the Giants defensive unit, especially now with Blake Martinez (torn ACL) out for the season.
According to PFF, #Giants LB Tae Crowder had a career game yesterday.
— Anthony Rivardo (@Anthony_Rivardo) September 27, 2021
- 60 defensive snaps played
- 11 combined tackles
- 2/4 in coverage for 11 yards allowed
Not so bad for last year's Mr. Irrelevant. He has big shoes to fill now with Blake Martinez OUT.#NYG #TogetherBlue
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Since transitioning to linebacker in 2016, Tae Crowder has been an exceptional player, being named a finalist for the 2019 Butkus Award (given out to the top linebacker in college football) and now finding a starting role for the New York Giants. Crowder came into this season playing middle linebacker alongside Blake Martinez, however a torn ACL for Martinez in the Week 3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons has moved Crowder up the depth chart to a full-time player.
The New York Giants have high hopes for the 24-year-old Crowder as he has shown glimpses of tremendous play, highlighted by PFF ranking him the 41st best LB through just 128 snaps so far in 2021 while playing alongside Martinez. Crowder will have the opportunity to be a three-down linebacker with Martinez out and cement a starting role in the Giants defense for years to come as one of the few “Mr. Irrelevant”‘s to become relevant.
Impressive debut against Rams
Crowder’s Georgia highlights
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