The New York Giants have had defensive back Julian Love on their roster for four seasons now and we seem to learn something new about him every week.
The former Notre Dame star began his Giants career as a backup safety/cornerback who can add value on special teams. As a result, the Giants really didn’t have role for him unless someone got hurt.
This year, under another new coaching staff, Love does have a role on defense. He is starting at safety and has played all 123 defensive snaps for the Giants. Love currently leads the Giants with 13 total tackles.
Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s scheme features safeties and Love is the senior man in the Giants’ safety rotation, which includes the talented Xavier McKinney and rookie Dane Belton, who made a splash in his pro debut last week on both defense and special teams, where he recovered a key fumble.
“Oh my gosh, that’s quite the start to a career. I couldn’t be happier for him,” Love said Belton. “He’s a guy who came in as a rookie and has done everything that we’ve asked him to do, everything I’ve asked him to do, from a rookie perspective.
“He’s stayed prepared, he’s stayed locked in mentally, which is so tough to do when you’re really young. He was able to get around the ball this weekend. I couldn’t be happier him. He’s going to do a lot for us, he needs to do a lot for us, quite frankly. I think that’s what is expected of him, and he knows that. I think the future’s bright for him.”
Belton missed a good swath of training camp and the preseason with a fracture to his clavicle. He is back now and the Giants’ defense and special teams are better off for it.
Love, McKinney and Belton are playing like de facto linebackers in Martindale’s system. They will creep down low in the box on some plays and then recede back to the top on others.
Last week, against Panthers’ running back Christian McCaffrey, they were down low quite a bit.
“We needed speed on the field to account for what he can do with the ball in his hands,” explained Love. “That’s what that was and we’re going to switch it up every single week depending on what puts us in the best position to succeed.
“I’ve been a part of three safety rotations in the past, at the end of the day you just want your best players on the field. Wink does a great job of playing to players’ strengths. Which not every coach does, so we have the freedom to know that we’re getting put in the situations where we can succeed. That’s what that is.”
And it is working. The Giants, who were 21st in total defense last season, are 12th after two games this year.
