New York Giants 2022 Training Camp Roster Preview: ILB Tae Crowder

Inside linebacker Tae Crowder, Mr. Irrelevant 2020, has been living the dream.

Not only did the former Georgia product make an NFL roster, but when inside linebacker and team co-captain Blake Martinez went down early last season with a torn ACL, Crowder found himself making the defensive calls and getting everyone on the same page.

Before coming to the Giants, Crowder was a standout at Georgia. He redshirted as a freshman running back. In 2016, he switched to inside linebacker and was also a key contributor on special teams. In three seasons at linebacker, Crowder racked up 122 tackles, ten tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, and five pass breakups.

In 2019, Crowder was one of 12 finalists for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker. He was also part of the 2017 national championship team that Alabama bested.

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What He Brings

Crowder is one of those players that a team can win with but who doesn't do any one thing exceptionally well. He seems to show little cerebral feel for the position, having hesitated far too often in reacting to what was unfolding before him.

He also had issues against the run, with constant hesitation in his reaction times, not coordinating well with his defensive line against the run, and he was constantly targeted in coverage when playing middle zone, his overall game lacking physicality.

That said, Crowder's best attribute is his foot speed, which he showed when he was given single coverage duties against running backs. He was also the very picture of durability, and he is a smart player who still has room to develop. And both of his interceptions were in middle coverage in the end zone, where he used his height to create a distraction in the middle of the field while doing a good enough job to read the quarterback's eyes.

His Contract

Crowder is in Year 3 of his four-year rookie deal worth $3.37 million. He will count for $913,873 against the 2022 cap or .4 percent of the total Giants cap. If he doesn't make the roster,r the Giants will save $895,000 and take dead money hits of $18,873 this year and next year.

Roster Projection/Expectations

Crowder is a solid rotational player and special teams performer. However, he still needs a bit more seasoning in cleaning up some of his deficiencies before one can say he's every-down starter material.

With Martinez due back from a torn ACL, Crowder is likely to have competition from what's become a very crowded inside linebacker room that includes draft picks Micah McFadden and Darrian Beavers, Carter Coughlin, T.J. Brunson, Cam Brown, and Justin Hilliard. Crowder has the most experience and presumably the edge, but he is in no way a lock.

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