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Julian Love, who forwent his senior season to pursue a professional career, was selected Saturday by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Julian Love: “I’m a Giant.” pic.twitter.com/FsKnaAn5jS
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) April 27, 2019
The 5-foot-11, 195 pound cornerback was the 12th from his position picked in the draft, 108th overall.
Love was a consensus All-American in his final year for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, during which he recorded 63 tackles, 16 passes defensed, three fumble recoveries and one interception.
Love’s four-year rookie year contract will be worth $3,290,848, with a signing bonus of $770,848, according to Over The Cap.
There’s a common reaction when a player with a year of eligibility left goes much lower than mock draft analysts believe he will go. I’m urging you to resist the criticism that Love should have returned.
Love will be paid more than a million dollars to play football next year, as opposed to free. If he returns for his senior season, there’s no guarantee he repeats his junior season and there’s also a chance of injury. Stanford Cardinal running back Bryce Love, for example, was once considered a first-round talent. He returned for his senior season, tore his ACL and just got picked after Love.
The Giants have one former Irish football player on their team. The NFC East team signed WR Golden Tate to a four year, $37 million contract in the offseason.
The Giants previous picked Duke Blue Devils quarterback Daniel Jones sixth overall, Clemson Tigers defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence 17th overall, Georgia Bulldogs cornerback Deandre Baker 30th overall, Old Dominion Monarchs edge player Oshane Ximines in the third round (95th overall) and now Love.
The team also picked up Sam Beal, a cornerback for the Western Michigan Broncos, in the third round of last year’s supplemental draft. Beal suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the entire season.
Read more at Big Blue View, SB Nation’s Giants site.
.@Saquon and #NYGiants fans at the @wishnj castle announce the pick!
— New York Giants (@Giants) April 27, 2019
: NFLN/ESPN pic.twitter.com/wBOYkr0noP
Congratulations to our consensus All-American @julianlove27 heading to the @Giants! #GiantsDraft #GraduatingChampions pic.twitter.com/86XNquslQV
— Brian Kelly (@CoachBrianKelly) April 27, 2019
Feeling the love with this one. ❤️
— New York Giants (@Giants) April 27, 2019
Welcome to Big Blue, Julian Love! pic.twitter.com/5OVaDbJ8ak
Julian Love becomes the 16th Notre Dame player ever drafted by the New York Giants and first since Bennett Jackson in the sixth round of the 2014 draft.#GoIrish
— Michael Scholl ☘️ (@Scholl) April 27, 2019
2018 Consensus All-American, @JulianLove27 is headed to the @giants!#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/5ezrIwuI2V
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) April 27, 2019
It’s hard not to be excited for the @Giants ...in Julian Love they are getting a smart, fast, competitive football player who will represent their organization with class on and off the field.
— Clark Lea (@Coach_Lea) April 27, 2019
He is the epitome of a Notre Dame Man.
Congrats, @julianlove27!! pic.twitter.com/50cEuIC0U9
Congratulations Julian! The newest member of the NY Giants! pic.twitter.com/leNHJkaQmJ
— Todd Lyght (@ToddLyght) April 27, 2019
Since his position coach, @ToddLyght was the No. 5 overall pick in 1991, only a handful of #NotreDame CBs were drafted sooner than @julianlove27 (108th): T Carter (17), W Clark (82), B Taylor (50), A Rossum (85), Brock Williams (86) and K Russell (74).
— Eric Hansen (@EHansenNDI) April 27, 2019
Love joins a #Giants defense that ranked 10th in passer rating allowed in 2018 and tied for seventh with 16 interceptions but was 21st with 7.6 yards per attempt allowed.
— Mike Berardino (@MikeBerardino) April 27, 2019
Julian Love: My skillset allows me to play outside or inside. Wherever they need me I’m going to compete.
— New York Giants (@Giants) April 27, 2019