With selection No. 152 in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected Nat Berhe, a safety from San Diego State.
Berhe has a message for the 151 teams who passed on him: He's coming.
I'm going to give everything I got to the @Giants and everybody who passed on me...I'm coming. #GodisGreat #Blessed #Amazed
— Nat Berhe (@NatBerhe) May 10, 2014
At 5-foot-10, 193 pounds, Berhe doesn't have the size of a prototypical safety, but what he lacks in measurables he more than makes up for in play-making ability. Last year, Berhe recorded 99 tackles, broke up six passes, sacked the quarterback once and ball carriers behind the line 5.5 times. While listed at safety, he actually played San Diego State's "Aztech" position.
Nat Berhe on his position at San Diego State, the Aztec position: "You can kind of do it all". It's a hybrid LB/S spot. Giants could dig
— Ebenezer Samuel (@ebenezersamuel) May 10, 2014
The position, initially run by recently retired Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher at New Mexico, is a combination of the linebacker and safety positions.
"You can blitz off the edge, can come down in the box, can play deep pass, can line up in the slot, can play guys man-to-man," Berhe said. "You can do it all. The position usually makes a lot of adjustments on defense as well. They need to be a smart guy."
While Berhe brings natural instincts, he also brings an aggressiveness to the safety position. The 22-year-old said he looks to "take peoples' heads off" when he steps on the field.
"I try to be the biggest, baddest dude out there every time," Berhe said. "It's the way I play, the way I was taught to play. I just play with a lot of anger."
At San Diego State, Berhe was elected his team's captain. He becomes the fifth captain drafted by the Giants in this year's NFL Draft.
"It shows that you're a leader. You're a guy willing to stay after, whether that is in the film room or weight room," Berhe said. "To be a leader, I found out a lot you need to be willing to serve."
Once Berhe signs his rookie contract, he and last year's fifth-round pick, Cooper Taylor, will be the Giants' lone safeties under contract beyond 2014.