Could Rookie Gervarrius Owens Have a Big Role on Giants Defense?

Will Owens versatility give him an inside track to a roster spot?

Author:
Gene Clemons
Publish date:
Jun 25, 2023 1:34 PM EDT

In this story:

Gervarrius Owens, Safety

Height: 6-foot | Weight: 200 pounds
Stats: GP: 12 GS: 12, 74 TKL (54 solo), Interception, 8 PBU, 2 FF *College stats

After spending his freshman season at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, where he became a junior college All-American New York Giants safety Gervarrius Owens transferred to the University of Houston, where he went on to start 41 games for the Cougars over the next four seasons across the Houston secondary.

He played cornerback, strong safety, free safety, nickel, and even as a linebacker. He finished with 195 tackles, four interceptions, 21 pass breakups, and a bunch of All-AAC accolades. That diversity is one of the reasons the Giants drafted him in the seventh round of the 2023 draft.

At Houston, Owens was a clutch performer. Consistently making big plays when they were needed most by the team. Owens is an intelligent football player who made a name for himself as an NFL prospect by constantly being in the right position at the right time. He has good size, tremendous change of direction, and closing speed, and his ability to play multiple positions has served him well throughout his collegiate career.

Owens possesses good physicality and is never afraid to hit someone. Many believed Owens could have been drafted as early as the third round, so for him to still be available in the seventh was a no-brainer selection for New York.

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Best Case Scenario

There has been a lot of discussion recently about "positionless" secondaries in football. The Giants are one of the teams at the forefront of this wave. What started with former defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has been embraced by current defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, which is why the team has emphasized finding players capable of filling multiple roles.

Owens fits that mold and will undoubtedly see how many different positions he can learn and execute well. Luckily for Owens, those two things touch his greatest skills as a football player: intelligence and adaptability. If he is performing at his zenith, he may not be able to take a starting job, but his ability to take snaps at four or five different positions could make him valuable on the back end of the roster.

Worst Case Scenario

Sometimes it just comes down to timing. If Owens had been drafted in 2022, his chances of making the Giants would have been much higher. This year the Giants' secondary has a lot of depth due to players returning from injury and others who have garnered valuable playing time.

The Giants have also added some talent in free agency. There are a number of defensive backs on this team who possess similar versatility to Owens and have more NFL experience.

If Cor'Dale Flott and Aaron Robinson show the form the team hoped they would see when they drafted them, it could be difficult for Owens to carve out a place on the roster.

What to Expect in 2023

Fans can fully expect Owens to flash some impressive skills. They should be prepared to constantly see him around the football when he is on the field. Owens has an instinct for being where the play is and diagnoses offensive schemes well.

Owens will be a difficult player for the Giants to cut because he will check so many boxes, but ultimately numbers might not be on his side. If this is the case, the Giants will try to get him through to the practice squad, where he would be the first person called up if and when the Giants have an injury in the secondary at any position.