How would you grade Eli Apple's Rookie Season?

the injury makes it hard to judge, but he's been coming in a lot for DRC and he's part of the reason why opponents are having a hard time throwing on us. I like how they have eased him in and the production has been pretty damn solid.

Arrow is pointing up on him for sure. I like that he's from the area

that's he's actually been the starter the last few games.

Eli has definitely exceeded my expectations. I think a B is just about right.

I hope the Giants aren't stupid enough to jettison DRC this offseason. This is by far the best trio of corners the giants have had in my 30 years on earth.

Cornerback is a tough position for any rookie. He's had some bumps in the road but he's played well. It was disappointing we didn't get Conklin but Reese di the right thing in picking Apple and not going the Cedric Jones panic route. Anyone else know how Hargreaves is doing?

he's had some bumps and some great moments.

i care how he finishes. it's the next 6 games that count.

pick this past weekend.

Regarding Apple, I think a rookie CB is very hard to judge, especially one that has dealt with a lingering injury. BUT, I will say, I love the physicality he plays with. He doesn't shy away from contact, and seems to be a pretty sure tackler. The arrow is definitely trending upward.

Solid B so far, he has kept the PI calls down, which was a worry

Has been solid in man coverage and has been okay making tackles but hasn't made many of the big splash plays (only 1 INT) and has missed some games due to injury. Has flashed potential but hasn't done much. I don't think he is better option on the outside than DRC I just think DRC is a much better option in the slot than Apple would be.

a B+ he doesn't get beat much and when he has been beaten it really hadn't given up any points. He had a rough two game stretch but out side of that he's been extremely solid.

B is a fair grade.

What's been hampering them, since they are not a perfect bunch, is a lack of a true FS.

Which isn't bad. He has two great cornerbacks to learn from, so I expect he will continue to get better. His mental game is what is lacking (which is expected); he seems to have the physical tools.

Some of the typical rookie facepalm moments, but he's been good much more than not. I like how physical he is and how surely he tackles. Quality pick who shows good potential for growth in the future.

I love the fact he doesn't get beat much. The other issues are rookie type things that can be corrected. However not getting beat is something that a CB either does or doesn't do. I really, really like our defensive backfield. Apple, Jackrabbit, DRC, Hall, and Collins are a tough group to go against.

He's like a freshman who got a few Cs on small assignments early but has been getting B+ and As since,

He's probably sitting at B+ right now by the final is still coming up which is worth 50% of the grade so he could still end up as an A or fall to a C. No way he ends up as an F though.

he seem to have bounce back from that and her not being at his games anymore. I give him a B-. He's officially a starting corner in the NFL in his rookie year.

First...he's playing (starting) and involved.

Second...very physical. Can't teach that.

And his upside looks good...he is by no means a finished product.

In comment 13268553 Reb8thVA said:

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Cornerback is a tough position for any rookie. He's had some bumps in the road but he's played well. It was disappointing we didn't get Conklin but Reese di the right thing in picking Apple and not going the Cedric Jones panic route. Anyone else know how Hargreaves is doing?

PFF has Hargraves ranked 83 overall with a rating of 61.7

They have Eli ranked 67 with a 73.7 overall rating

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with a good chance for B+ with 3 more solid games

he's had his ups and downs, just like any other rookie, but he's also shown that he does have the right skillset to be an excellent CB in this league. He does provide nice coverage at times and he's a good tackler too. He seems to be quicker then Prince, but there are similarities. Apple appears to be a better athlete then Prince too. The arrow is clearly pointed up.

Solid A

He is a starter in the NFL in one of the most difficult positions, and one of those positions where your failures are apparent. He is an essential part of a secondary that is emerging as one of the NFL's best.

bordering on a A-. He's had some down moments, but he's a rookie playing boundary corner in the NFL. That is a tough thing for any first year player. He shows a lot of promise. And I wanted Hargreaves, but Apple better fits the size requirements the Giants have at that position. Good job, Jerry.

He has played 46 snaps less than DRC through 13 games and the defense has been very good this year. I haven't focused much on him but he must be playing very well. He is a starter on this team and he is holding up well.

as a first round pick,he is out there starting, says something....

But he is a rookie, and will make mistakes along the way.....

But there is no substitute for experience.....hopefully that pays dividends, next year, like it did for Collins....

Right now, let's see how these next 3 games pan out....

He should have been benched more.

Kidding!

B. He's been singled up outside man on man the last few weeks with DRC in the slot. Regardless of where he was drafted, that's a tough task and we have been shutting receivers down. He'll get better too.

somewhere in there. He's been very good against some decent competition. Pleasant surprise in that he's very young, and had some serious technique issues that seem to have been addressed.

and that he's not only a rookie, but only played two years of college ball.

Excellent first round pick

Developing nicely

So far he has had one rough game this season, but give him credit for bouncing right back. He seems to have a knack for forgetting a bad play, which is a very important trait to have at CB.

And sometimes I forget he was our 1st pick and not Shep lol

with extra credit for coming back quickly from injury and playing through some ongoing dings. On balance, he hasn't been out of position or beaten badly that often. He's also proven to be a very good tackler more often than not

Too many missed games and too many mistakes from a top 10 pick to justify anything higher. Anyone going A or B, you've got to really look at his whole body of work thus far, it's been about 50/50 success wise on the field.

As for the pick itself, I'd give it an A or B based on the flashes he's shown and the learning curve for previous CBs of similar size who were premium picks (Webster, Will Allen, Sehorn and Aaron Ross specifically). Ross was about as good as he was going to be as a rookie, Sehorn took a few years to really blossom as did Webster and Will Allen never really became anything but JAG. Based on that curve and Apple's physical ability and improvement over the past few weeks I'd give Reese and Co. an A- or B+ on that pick. It looks like he'll be a foundation for years.

He makes mistakes, but you can see that he has the skills to cover man-to-man very well.

he took a beating here, because he was awful at playing the ball. IIRC he was a decent cover corner.

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Was playing lights out before the injury, was a bit rough in the first game back, and is coming on again. The raw talent is off the charts and he's willing to work, I can see him as a stud corner for the future.

He hasn't been coddled like some thought he would as a nickel corner. He's on the field more than DRC.

Solid first season, seems to be improving, is a great tackler, and may well become a shutdown CB.

In comment 13268736 Joey in VA said:

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Too many missed games and too many mistakes from a top 10 pick to justify anything higher. Anyone going A or B, you've got to really look at his whole body of work thus far, it's been about 50/50 success wise on the field. As for the pick itself, I'd give it an A or B based on the flashes he's shown and the learning curve for previous CBs of similar size who were premium picks (Webster, Will Allen, Sehorn and Aaron Ross specifically). Ross was about as good as he was going to be as a rookie, Sehorn took a few years to really blossom as did Webster and Will Allen never really became anything but JAG. Based on that curve and Apple's physical ability and improvement over the past few weeks I'd give Reese and Co. an A- or B+ on that pick. It looks like he'll be a foundation for years.

How are you rating his success at 50/50? Wouldn't any CB who's only good 50% of the times be absolutely terrible?

And the question is about Eli Apple's rookie season, not Eli Apple's career stacked up against the top veterans of the league. From a rookie standpoint, he plays the 2nd hardest position on the field and hasn't had too many mistakes IMO.

That he would be Frank Walker 2 with regard to holding/pi penalties?

Credit to him and the staff, he has 3 penalties and only one was illegal contact.

I like his physicality and believe we got a good one going forward. B-

In comment 13268755 David in LA said:

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he took a beating here, because he was awful at playing the ball. IIRC he was a decent cover corner.

agree. pretty good tackler too. terrible hands and no ball skills.

First, and to me most important, he hasn't been plagued by holding and PI calls that we expected given his college play. Second, he is a physical CB with solid tackling skills and has continued that style of play in the pros without hesitation. Third, he is a very solid cover corner.

Yes, he has had some blips and an injury. The mistakes have been of the excusable type for a rookie. But, they haven't been consistent or abundant, which is huge. Overall, i would say I am very pleased with his play and think he has a high ceiling. I am excited to see him progress.

Naturally you would try to isolate and pick on Eli. Has Eli been picked on? I don't think so. Therefore, his coverage must be pretty good if they are not trying to take advantage of him compared to his high salaried teammates.

1) You don't reduce his grade for a minor injury

2) Every rookie corner will have some bad moments, as Eli has had. However, he had had fewer than any other rookie I remember. And I remember back 50+ years.

3) he now plays ahead of DRC when we have 2 CB's. And Spags is comfortable blitzing when he is man on the hot read.

should deserve an A

Has shown recent signs of improvement though and can possible get to a B+ max I'd say. I still really like the pick, his upside is tremendous, he's so inexperienced he's just scratching the surface.

Get his Mom to STFU and let the kid play without her running her mouth so he can focus on his job...you know the one that will cement her families future.

In comment 13268543 Old Dirty Beckham said:

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Eli has definitely exceeded my expectations. I think a B is just about right. I hope the Giants aren't stupid enough to jettison DRC this offseason. This is by far the best trio of corners the giants have had in my 30 years on earth.

Sehorn(before injury) and Sparks not too shabby.

The guy gets more playing time than DRC now. He's become our starting RCB. How can you say anything less than A for a rookie who passed a pro bowler from last year?

Our secondary is next level right now, and Apple is a major piece that contributes to that.

I'm impressed how as mentioned, he isn't holding (like he did in college). I thought that would be his downfall in the pros.

I'm very surprised with his tackling. (His college highlights showed him to be a very bad tackler).

Over-all, he seems to take pro coaching very well.

Maybe he'll never be a ball-hawk corner, but maybe that doesn't matter, if he can shut down people on the outside.

In comment 13269781 Manny in CA said:

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I'm impressed how as mentioned, he isn't holding (like he did in college). I thought that would be his downfall in the pros. I'm very surprised with his tackling. (His college highlights showed him to be a very bad tackler). Over-all, he seems to take pro coaching very well. Maybe he'll never be a ball-hawk corner, but maybe that doesn't matter, if he can shut down people on the outside.

I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a couple more INTs to close the year out. He looks really good at that actually. Already has 1. Had one taken off for a rule that sounds ripe to change. He's got the overall ability to be a shut down guy.

and I think he'll take the next step in 2017.

our Giants picked him. B+. He's so young he makes some mistakes but he has some remarkable coverage talent. Glad they got him over my final pick of Elliott.

In comment 13268755 David in LA said:

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he took a beating here, because he was awful at playing the ball. IIRC he was a decent cover corner.

Agreed. Stone hands but good cover corner.

So for a rookie I'd say he gets an A.

CB isn't the easiest position to adjust to in the NFL from college. The athleticism jump from college WRs to Pro WRs is massive.

He hasn't been flawless, he had some struggles earlier in the year.

But you can tell he belongs. Athletically, he stands out. In the pre-season, his ST play was eye-opening. His size/speed combo is very good.

His ceilings is clearly higher than Prince's was imo. Prince was a solid #2, Apple looks like he can be a real #1.