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Picking Daniel Jones ahead of Dwayne Haskins wasn't the only surprise move the New York Giants made on draft night. General manager Dave Gettleman and company also procured an additional first-round pick on Thursday in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, selecting Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker with the 30th overall pick.
New York sent Seattle the No. 37 overall pick, a fourth-round pick, and a fifth-round pick in exchange for moving up to the bottom of the first round. It was the second trade the Seahawks completed on draft night, after previously sending the 21st overall pick to the Green Bay Packers for a pair of fourth-rounders. The team also chose L.J. Collier, a defensive end out of Texas Christian University, at 29th overall.
Baker, the first cornerback selected in the 2019 NFL draft, was a consensus All-American for the Bulldogs in 2018 and also won the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation's top defensive back. He had 40 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, and nine passes defensed last season, building on a breakout 2017 campaign that first put him on the radar of NFL scouts.
At 5-foot-11, 193 pounds, Baker is a bit undersized to play exclusively on the outside at the next level, and doesn't have the elite afterburners needed to mitigate a significant strength differential. But he's ultra-competitive, and thrived playing mostly press coverage at Georgia, utilizing his quick feet, ball skills, and innate instincts to frustrate opposing wide receivers.
Expect Baker to compete for a starting spot in New York as a rookie.
