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Josh Shaw has been in the news before, and it hasn't been for the better. He was the guy that made up the story about how he broke his ankles trying to save his nephew from drowning when in fact it was because he jumped off a building to evade police.
Yeah. Not a good look. What is a good look, though, is the fact that he owned up to it. Oh yeah, and the fact that he's a pretty good player. Let's look a bit further:
Pros
- Smart player who doesn't get fooled by play fakes and misdirection
- Versatility having played safety and corner
- Understands how to play boundaries, have seen him use the sideline to his advantage on multiple instances
- Understands when to undercut a receiver to make a play on the ball; responsible gambler
- Is a physical player
Cons
- Hips are tight, tight, tight; Transition from backpedal to trail position is not good
- Will get beaten by more athletic wide receivers
- Has trouble with hand placement on his jams/will struggle as a press corner
- The aforementioned character concerns
Does He Fit With The Giants?
I suspect that the Giants will be more interested in Shaw as a free safety prospect as opposed to as a corner. I think the Giants go back to using more press man coverage and Shaw isn't the best prospect when it comes to that style. The versatility that Shaw has as a prospect for both CB and FS makes him especially valuable and one big reason he might be on the team's radar, however.
Prospect Video
Big Board Rankings
Big Blue View - Not in top 100
Mocking The Draft - 82
CBS Sports - 89
Draft Tek - 93
Final Thoughts
Shaw reminds me of a Giants target in free agency this year, Ron Parker. They have similar playing styles. The versatility at CB and S is invaluable. When playing CB, both look better playing off as opposed to press. Probably better suited to play zone but I think Shaw can hold his own in man coverage. Shaw is smart and the move to free safety almost seems inevitable for him. His draft range is anywhere from late day 2 to day 3.