Four Intriguing New York Giants UDFAs to Watch

Here are some UDFAs the Giants reportedly signed who are early candidates to push for some serious practice and playing time this summer.

The Giants haven't announced their 2022 Undrafted Free Agent (UDFA) class just yet, but there have been numerous reports linking over a dozen players to the team ahead of its rookie minicamp scheduled for May 13-14.

There are three names emerging from those that have reportedly already signed deals with the team that are sure to draw some atttention when the rookies hit the field. Here's a look at each.

Giants UDFAs to Watch

Tight End Austin Allen, Nebraska

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Yes, the Giants drafted Daniel Bellinger to round out what's projected to be a trio of Ricky Seals-Jones, Jordan Akins, and Bellinger on the 53-man roster. Still, nothing is set in concrete as far as the final roster is concerned, plus if the Giants should come across a better option, both Seals-Jones and Akins are signed to veteran minimum deals that won't cost them a lot to get out of cap-wise.

• SEE ALSO: Austin Allen Draft Profile 

But back to Austin Allen. Allen has size and then some. He stands 6-foot-8 and 253 pounds and has explosiveness (10-foot, 1-inch broad jump, 34-inch vertical) which, when combined with his height, makes him a matchup nightmare, especially on contested catches where he won 66.7 percent of his college career battles.

Allen's hands are also solid--he's had just two drops in 89 targets--and 41.5 percent of his career yardage came after the catch. And even his blocking, which was below ideal standards for most of his college career, improved in his final year at Nebraska.

Nick Falato, in his pre-draft scouting report of Allen, summarized the tight end as an intriguing developmental prospect:

Overall, Austin Allen is a gigantic, interesting developmental tight end option that isn’t a great athlete but possesses solid build-up acceleration. His frame, hands -- and the athletic ability he does possess – allow him to be a solid target over the middle of the field.

He has the potential to be a good blocking tight end, but he needs to work on his technique and possibly add more weight to his 6’8 body. His play strength is only adequate for a tight end, and he goes into the blocking point too high. Allen is a flier ... who will more than likely stick to a practice squad.

If Allen successfully develops as a blocker, he could be a solid tight end on the backend of a roster that would make a solid option in the red zone.

Indeed, Allen is a long way from being a finished product, but it's easy to see why the Giants had such an interest in this prospect based on his measurables and college production alone.

Safety Yusuf Corker, Kentucky

Mike Weaver/Special to Courier Journal, Louisville Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

As they did with tight end, the Giants also added to their paper-thin safety group, drafting Dane Belton out of Iowa. They're also adding UDFA Yusuf Corker out of Kentucky to the competition.

So it was no surprise that they added a safety among their UDFA class, and a name to watch from among those that will compete for a roster spot is former Kentucky safety Yusuf Corker, 6-foot and 203 pounds.

Corker, whose uncle is former NFL safety Anthony Mitchell, a six-year pro whose career spanned stints with the Ravens, Jaguars, and Bengals, has played most of his career snaps at free safety for the Wildcats.

In coverage, Corker has allowed 53.9 percent of the pass targets against him to be completed, finishing with a 79.1 NFL rating that includes six touchdowns allowed and three interceptions, and 11 pass breakups recorded in 89 pass targets.

Corker, who also has experience in the box, was ranked as the top safety in Georgia coming out of high school by Scout.com. A two-time team captain, Corker has a knack for getting into position quickly to make a play on the ball and is not often fooled by pump fakes or other deceptive attempts by the quarterback. He gets downhill quickly against the run and is a decent tackler who sometimes comes aiming to knock the ball out rather than wrapping his man up.

Corker also has special teams experience, most of that on punt coverage and the field goal block teams. But he has had exposure to the other special teams units, though not as much as he did in 2018 when he was more of a core special teamer.

NFL Draft Bible summarizes Corker's game as follows:

He makes his noise in the box as a player with good instincts, a quick trigger, and strong tackling ability. His aggression is the best and worst part of his game because it makes him such an elite box safety. On the other hand, it causes him to bite heavily on plays underneath, leaving what’s behind him exposed. Corker is a liability in coverage because of his lack of long speed and recognition of route combinations. The physical safety will make his career one of promise as a core special teamer and a safety who can roam in the box to stop the run.

Corker's run defense ability would certainly be good news to a Giants defense that last year finished 25th in the league (129.0 rushing yards/game allowed) against the run.

Defensive Tackle Christopher Hinton, Michigan

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On paper, the Giants should be okay with their interior defensive numbers, especially if they plan to get Dexter Lawrence some snaps inside this season.

But roster-building is all about building for the future, and while the Giants plucked Arizona State interior defensive lineman D.j. Davidson, in the fifth round of the draft, they also added an intriguing UDFA in Michigan's Christopher Hinton.

Hinton is 6-foot 3 and 305 pounds and comes from an athletic family. His father, Chris, was named an All-American at Northwestern, where he was an offensive lineman. The elder Hinton was drafted fourth overall by the Colts in 1983 and made seven Pro Bowls. Hinton's mother Mya was a basketball star at Northwestern, and his brother Myles is an offensive lineman at Stanford.

An honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference selection in 2021, Hinton started all 14 games for Michigan, recording 33 tackles, 1.5 for loss with one sack, and two pass breakups.

Hinton projects as a nose guard, so he figures to compete with Davidson for a roster spot behind Justin Ellis, the projected starter.

Projected as a two-down player, Hinton doesn't offer much in the way of a pass rush--he recorded 22 quarterback pressures, of which only one was a sack during his three years at Michigan--but he has the strength and ability to push the pocket. That will help create opportunities for others to knife into gaps and the backfield.

Like the Giants draft class in general, Hinton is versatile, with the ability to line up all over the interior defensive line as a zero, 1- and 5-technique. Hinton, like Davidson, might not be ready by Day 1 action in sub-packages as he needs to work on his first step and hand placement, both of which are inconsistent, but there seems to be enough for the coaching staff to work with there.

NFL Draft Bible, which ranked Hinton as its eighth-best defensive interior lineman, summarizes the young man's game as follows:

Defensive tackle with a strong lower half, good pad level, and poor explosiveness. Hinton has strong hands to enforce his will and can move laterally while staying square. He lacks explosiveness and urgency, preventing him from making plays consistently. Hinton projects as a developmental nose tackle who has to gain more weight and play with a tenacity to be an early-down contributor.

Running Back Jashaun Corbin, Florida State

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The Giants surprised some when they didn't draft a running back among their 11 picks. But as it turns out, they might not have needed to if Florida State's Jashaun Corbin works out.

Corbin is intriguing. Named to NFL Draft Bible's All-NFL Undrafted Team, the 5-foot-11, 202-pound Corbin packs a punch in his game not just in terms of power but versatility. Corbin owns two of the ACC's longest rushing touchdowns last season, an 89-yard run against Notre Dame and a 75-yard run to paydirt against Louisville.

In the East-West Shrine Game, he opened a few eyes, rushing eight times for 50 yards (6.3 YPC) and a touchdown to help lead the West to a 25-24 victory.

He keeps his legs churning through the whistle, averaging a whopping 4.01 yards after contact throughout his career, his 4.57 yards after contact in 2021 leading all draft-eligible running backs with at least 100 rushing attempts last season.

Corbin, who began his career at Texas A&M before transferring after two seasons, averaged 5.5 yards per carry over his career, including a 6.2 average last season, which tied him for eighth among the same sample group of draft-eligible runners.

Corbin is also good with the ball in his hands--he's had just three fumbles in 320 rushing attempts. He's also caught 83.1 percent of his pass targets, most of those out of the backfield, and averages 6.1 yards per reception.

Need another reason to be intrigued by Corbin/ He's not a bad pass blocker. Last season he scored a 97.4 pass-block efficiency rating, allowing just four pressures in 85 pass-blocking snaps.

NFL Draft Bible sums up Cobin's game as follows:

Average-sized running back with good straight-line athleticism and creativity. Corbin has active feet and consistently falls forward. His vision is inconsistent, and he offers little receiving or blocking ability on third down. Corbin projects as a good depth back for a wide zone team, thanks to his speed. He should be a contributor on special teams immediately.

 

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