Giants Player Profile: Alex Bachman, WR
2019 Season Rewind
Many of you may be asking, “Who is Alex Bachman?” He’s a 2018 undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest, and he initially signed on with the Los Angeles Rams.
Unfortunately for Bachman, he was injured early on with Los Angeles, and they were gluttonous at wide receiver, so Bachman ended up on the streets after the preseason.
The Rams had Cooper Kupp, Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, and Josh Reynolds already on their roster.
The Giants must have seen something they appreciated in Bachman, so they added the former Wake Forest receiver and kick returner to their practice squad in November of last year.
Bachman isn’t physically imposing at 5’11", 190 pounds, but he has strong hands and has some spectacular type catches in his film.
At Wake Forest, he had 37 receptions for 541 yards and six touchdowns, and in 2017 he had 21 passes received for 365 yards and three touchdowns.
He was an ACC Academic Honor roll student in college. Going back to high school, Bachman excelled in academics and on many fields/courts; he was a football, track, and basketball ace, and he earned his way into being a 3-star recruit, which is why he landed in the ACC with Wake Forest.
Bachman was brought in by the former coaching regime, Pat Shurmur’s coaching staff, who appreciated his skill set enough to put him on their practice squad; it remains uncertain if the current coaching staff feels the same way.
General manager Dave Gettleman had to like what he saw as well, so Bachman has that going for him too. His dual ability to return kicks and punts shouldn’t hurt his chances, but he has an uphill climb to battle against Corey Coleman, Austin Mack, Binjamin Victor, Derrick Dillon, David Sills, and Da’Mari Scott.
Looking Ahead
How can Bachman earn a keep on the roster? Well, he obviously has to separate himself from the pack. Bachman’s not an elite athlete, but he showed solid body control, concentration, and route running for the Demon Deacons.
He only had seven drops in his entire collegiate career, and I can see what Rams head coach Sean McVay admired about Bachman: he’s a tough, sure-handed, route runner with solid athletic traits.
To separate himself from the pack, Bachman must continue to be sure-handed, while showing this coaching staff how he can create separation with his route running ability.
Yes, athletic separation quickness is the best way to create separation, but nuanced route running is almost as effective. Lean, stick, nod, flipper that defender at the top of a break, sink the hips and explode in every direction out of a break, while also being effective through traffic--these are all subtle ways that are more than likely preached to these young receivers ad nauseam.
For a player like Bachman, he has to master this craft. There’s a realistic chance that one or two of Coleman, Mack, Victor, Dillon, Sills, Scott, or Bachman could find themselves playing this year and be a fixture in next year’s plans.
Golden Tate isn’t getting any younger, Sterling Shepard has concussion issues, and Cody Core is a special teams ace. This leaves Darius Slayton as the lone, young healthy option.
I certainly hope nothing bad happens to Shepard, but it has to be considered when weighing the Giants' future options at receiver. The uncertainty with the group may provide an opportunity or two for some of these younger receivers to prove their worth.
There’s a ton of youth in the core wide receivers mentioned before, so coachability will be another aspect that may lead some players onto the roster and others out the door.
We all know about the background of Joe Judge’s special teams, so Bachman has that in his back pocket as well. If a player can master multiple trades, then they should.
If Bachman wants to make this squad, he has to improve on his strengths and be a reliable returner on special teams. It’s not impossible, but it will be hard for the young receiver out of Wake Forest.
