The New York Giants selected Houston safety Gervarrius Owens with the 254th pick in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Here are some pre-draft scouting reports from draft experts on Owens.
NFL Network's Lance Zierlein
From Zierlein:
Owens has the physical ingredients to play safety. The mistakes he put on tape should be a concern, though. His cornerback background shows with the way he matches route breaks from man coverage, but he lacks the field vision and instincts to become a consistent playmaker from man or zone. Owens is a willing and physical hitter, but he takes suspect angles to the football and has too many missed tackles after the catch and in run support. He has draftable traits, but the issues might be a difficult fix.
Pro Football Network
From Pro Football Network:
Strengths: Athletic safety with a well-rounded game. Displays speed moving in any direction, crashes upfield defending screen passes or running plays, and shows a burst to the ball out of his plant. Effectively patrols center field, tracks the pass in the air, and has a nice move to the throw.
Remains disciplined with assignments, keeps the action in front of him, and possesses outstanding size. Viciously attacks opponents and plays with a nasty attitude. Works well with corners to bracket receivers over the middle of the field and runs down ball handlers in the open field.
Weaknesses: Stiff and doesn’t redirect well to the ball handler. Inefficient and overpursues plays. Must improve his ball skills.
Overall: Owens passes the eyeball test and flashed ability defending the run and covering the pass. He possesses a large upside and is a middle-round prospect who must learn to play under control and throttle it back on occasion.
NFL Draft Buzz
From NFL Draft Buzz:
His ball skills are very good. Owens tracks the ball well downfield and has the hands and coordination to come away with interceptions even when Owens isn’t targeted often. Good hustle player who puts himself in the action when he’s not directly involved. Knows how to use his height and vertical leap. Is an explosive mover with quickness and speed. He’s at his best attacking downhill, shooting gaps in run support, and disrupting the backfield. Good speed in pursuit with the chase skills to track down the ballcarrier. Has good trajectory assessment on the thrown ball, breaks quickly and has decent ball skills Quicker than he is fast but has a burst to close in zone coverage and plays physical at the line in man.
Takes poor angles on the ball and lacks the pure speed to chase down the ballcarrier. Needs to tighten his angles in pursuit. Needs to show better tackling technique to consistently finish. Lowers his shoulder for the big hit rather than wrapping up securely.
The Athletic's Dane Brugler
From Brugler:
A four-year starter at Houston, Owens played a free safety role in defensive coordinator Doug Belk’s 4-2-5 base scheme. He played 46 games the past four seasons for the Cougars (missed only one game) and proved himself as a factor at all three levels of the field. Owens reads the backfield action well for efficient response times as he races to the action, though his field vision and cover skills were better in zone compared to man. He has the mentality and toughness for downhill run support, but his control and finish as a tackler must improve. Overall, Owens lacks consistency in several areas (ball skills, tackling, route recognition), but he anticipates with the aggressive athleticism pro coaches will appreciate. He projects as a backup and special-teamer who can be more with NFL coaching.
Sports Illustrated
From Sports Illustrated:
A very versatile player with a lot of playing experience and at multiple positions around the defensive backfield. He is a very aggressive player and a tremendous asset against the run. He is good at finding the ball and is a great tackler who always seems to be around the ball. He is a big, physical athlete but still possesses the speed and quickness to cover from sideline to sideline. He is fearless when attacking the line of scrimmage and is very effective at stopping a run behind or at the line. That being said, this aggressive play style can get him in trouble when in pass coverage simply because it makes him likely to bite on play action. When dropping into coverage, he is at his best in zone, because he is a smart player and can break down a play quickly. He has incredible closing speed and is a heavy hitter, so makes life difficult on receivers. Once again though his aggressiveness gets him in trouble as he goes for double moves and ends up leaving receivers open. He will need to get better at not reacting as well as just a better overall cover safety. Though he is solid right now, he is much better in run support and will need to increase his cover skills to become a complete player. Right now, his play style is very comparable to Seahawk’s safety Jamal Adams, but he has the athletic ability to become a player like Bill’s safety Jordan Poyer. He just needs the right coaching to unlock that part of his game, but if he does, could vault himself into a top-tier safety prospect.
