The Giants drafted a guy named Prince last night, so hello to everyone who Googled the phrase “Prince news” and ended up here by mistake. (Welcome! But you’ll probably want to head on over to The Cut at this point.) For those remaining, the Giants took Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara with the nineteenth pick last night — opting to take the best player left on their draft board as opposed to addressing a bigger need, such as their offensive line. (The Giants’ secondary — which includes corners Corey Webster, Terrell Thomas, and Aaron Ross — ranked ninth in the NFL last season.) They didn’t expect Amukamara to be available by the time they picked — he didn’t work out for the Giants, nor did they invite him for a visit with team brass — but there he was, still undrafted, and in the words of Jerry Reese, “You always needs corners.”
Some things to know about Amukamara: He moved to cornerback as a senior and was named the Big 12’s defensive player of the year. (He had 59 tackles and a sack last year.) He started at safety as a junior and recorded five interceptions — as the Star-Ledger points out, it helped that opposing quarterbacks were often running from Ndamukong Suh — though he didn’t record any picks last season. (Many teams didn’t challenge Amukamara last year, drawing him comparisons to Darelle Revis.) And a fun non-football-related fact, from the Times: “His first name is derived from a family of royal Nigerian bloodlines. His grandfather was the king of the Awo-Omamma in Imo State of Nigeria. His father, Romanus, once held the title of chief.” (Hi there, everyone searching the phrase “royal news.”)
Also: He’d never been to New York City until this week, and he went to high school in Glendale, Arizona, site of a somewhat important game in this franchise’s history. Oh, and he has five sisters: Princess, Precious, Promise, Peace, Passionate. So perhaps we should welcome everyone who searched for the phrase “precious princess” as well.
Prince Amukamara Lands at New York Giants as No. 19 Pick in NFL Draft [Bloomberg]
Giants take Nebraska CB Amukamara with 19th pick [AP via WSJ]
New York Giants select Nebraska defensive back Prince Amukamara with 19th overall pick in NFL draft [NYDN]
NFL Draft: A look at Giants first-round pick Prince Amukamara [Star-Ledger]
Giants’ Pick Is Surprise; Jets Get What They Were Looking For [NYT]