Defending tight ends has often been a problem for the Giants. They added a player on Saturday capable of doing this when they selected safety Dane Belton from Iowa in the fourth round of the NFL draft, with pick No. 114.
It was the second of two fourth round picks for the Giants, who took tight end Daniel Bellinger at pick No. 112.
Belton opened eyes in 2021 playing the “Cash’’ hybrid position for Iowa’s defense. He had five interceptions, 46 tackles and seven pass breakups and was named to the All-Big Ten first team. Scouts believe he works best the closer he is to the line of scrimmage, in run support and in short zone coverage, working the inside and against tight ends. At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, he might be able to fill a big nickel role in defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s system.
The Giants were in need of safeties, as they only had two of them — Xavier McKinney and Julian Love — on the roster heading into the draft. The team released veteran Logan Ryan earlier this offseason.