Tae
Crowder.
Tae
Crowder.
Georgia
"The Giants took Georgia's converted running back with the final pick at No. 255, and Mr. Irrelevant became a starting inside linebacker for New York within two seasons."Pre-draft read
Crowder was an inside linebacker in Georgia's 3-4 defense, a 6-3, 235-pounder who arrived in Athens as a running back before moving to defense. His primary trait was range: his running back athleticism let him flow sideline to sideline and run with backs, making 62 tackles as a full-time starter in 2019.
His secondary trait was ball skills, with two interceptions in 2018 and a 60-yard fumble-return touchdown against Tennessee in 2019. His instincts and block shedding were still developing after the position switch. His signature was a senior season as a Butkus Award semifinalist on the nation's top scoring defense.
3-4 defense that uses a rangy inside linebacker to flow to the ball and cover backs and tight ends.
Year 1: special teams player and backup linebacker. Ceiling: starting inside linebacker.
Downhill, gap-heavy scheme that asks its linebackers to take on and shed guards on most snaps.
His range fit best at inside linebacker in a 3-4 front.
Georgia @ Tennessee 2019 - Eric Stokes forced fumble - Tae Crowder scoop and score!
His 60-yard fumble-return touchdown.
Georgia LB Tae Crowder 2018 Highlights
His 2018 season at Georgia.
Tae Crowder Drop & Scoop Touchdown!!! NFL Week 6 2020 Washington @ giants
His rookie fumble-return touchdown for the Giants.
Crowder projected as an athletic but raw inside linebacker whose late position switch made him a late-round developmental and special teams option. Evaluators liked his range, speed and upside, but questioned his instincts, block shedding and limited starting experience.
He arrived at Georgia as a running back after rushing for 1,665 yards and 27 touchdowns as a high school senior, then moved to linebacker. In 2018 he played all 14 games with five starts, making 53 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two interceptions. As a senior he started all 14 games, making 62 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and four pass breakups, plus a 60-yard fumble-return touchdown, on a defense that led the nation in scoring defense. He was a Butkus Award semifinalist. The flags were his instincts, block shedding and one-year starting résumé.
Most boards viewed him as a priority free agent. The Giants took him with the final pick at No. 255, making him Mr. Irrelevant.
- 01
Range
His running back athleticism let him flow sideline to sideline and run with backs and tight ends in coverage.
- 02
Ball skills
Recorded two interceptions in 2018 and returned a fumble 60 yards for a touchdown against Tennessee in 2019.
- 03
Starting production
Started all 14 games as a senior, making 62 tackles on the nation's top scoring defense.
- 04
Upside
Was still new to linebacker after arriving as a running back, giving him more room to grow than most late picks.
- 05
Recognition
Was a Butkus Award semifinalist in 2019 and served as a game captain on a dominant Georgia defense.
- 01
Instincts
Could be slow to diagnose run plays after his position switch, arriving late to fits between the tackles.
- 02
Block shedding
Struggled to disengage from offensive linemen climbing to the second level, limiting his run defense.
- 03
Limited starting résumé
Started only one full season at Georgia, giving scouts a thin sample of every-down play.
- 04
Tackling consistency
Occasionally overran plays and missed tackles in space, a product of his speed and raw technique.
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Georgia | 14 | 53 | 1.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | Georgia | 14 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Career | — | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2018 and 2019 lines from Georgia Athletics and the Giants. His 2016 and 2017 defensive stats could not be verified, so career totals are left blank.
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
The realized outcome: Mr. Irrelevant who became a starter for a stretch.
SEC inside linebacker who became a starter and long-term role player.
Mr. Irrelevant whose NFL career never took hold as a regular.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Crowder earned a role as a rookie in 2020, returning a fumble for a touchdown in a win over Washington, and became a full-time starting inside linebacker for the Giants in 2021. He started again in 2022 before leaving New York, and then continued his career with other NFL organizations as a veteran depth linebacker.
In hindsight the pick was an outstanding return for the final selection in the draft. The range and athletic upside evaluators liked turned him into a two-year starter, far exceeding the usual outcome for Mr. Irrelevant. The instincts and block-shedding concerns flagged before the draft kept him from becoming an elite linebacker, but he proved that a converted running back could develop into an NFL starter, and his rise from the last pick to the starting lineup made him one of the best values of the 2020 class and one of the most successful Mr. Irrelevant picks in recent memory.