New York Giants Training Camp Profile: CB Sam Beal

The New York Giants once had high hopes for cornerback Sam Beal. But those hopes have repeatedly been crushed due to various circumstances that now leave Beal on the bubble.

Cornerback Sam Beal was supposed to be one of the best-hidden secrets of the 2018 supplemental draft.

Beal, a 6-1, 192-pound prospect out of Western Michigan, decided to enter the supplemental draft after being declared ineligible to continue playing for the school due to academic credit shortcomings.

Beal, whose draft grades hovered between a second-and third-round pick, went to the Giants in the third round of the 2018 Supplemental draft. However, after landing in the NFL, things quickly soured to the point where he now finds himself on the proverbial roster bubble.

Background

In three seasons at Western Michigan, Beal appeared in 32 games. He recorded 92 tackles, two interceptions, and 19 pass breakups. The athletically gifted Beal began drawing attention from the NFL scouting community, some of whom viewed him as a potential top-five draft prospect had he waited to declare for the draft.

However, after his senior season was no longer available to him after his academic issue, Beal decided to expedite his transition to the NFL.

From there, things went downhill. After just a couple of practices following his selection in the 2018 supplemental draft, he suffered what NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport characterized as a “weird practice accident” that results in a dislocated shoulder requiring surgery.

Beal is likely headed for surgery with a dislocated shoulder after a weird practice accident. Season over before it begins. https://t.co/LEKhc4dh4a

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 25, 2018

The following season, Beal, whom many thought might push for a starting job, had disaster strike again when a hamstring issue developed.

That injury landed Beal on injured reserve at the start of the season, costing him the first 11 games of his second season. Beal hung around the team’s facility, doing what he could under NFL IR rules so that he wouldn't fall too far behind. 

He was designated for return off the IR list and appeared in the team’s final six games of the 2019 season (with three starts), where he recorded 26 tackles and one pass breakup.

In 2020, Beal was projected to enter into competition with first-round draft pick DeAndre Baker for a starting job opposite of free-agent acquisition James Bradberry.

When Baker became entwined in some legal issues stemming from allegations related to armed robbery (Baker was eventually exonerated), Beal looked like he had a clear path to the job.

But with the COVID-19 pandemic in full effect, Beal decided to opt-out of the 2020 season. He reportedly is planning to resume his career this season. 

Given the depth in front of him, which includes Adoree’ Jackson, Aaron Robinson, and Rodarius Williams, among others, Beal is facing the longest of odds to carve out a roster spot.

What He Brings

Veteran NFL scouting analyst Matt Miller named Beal as the best supplemental draft prospect to enter the Supplemental Draft “in a long time—maybe ever.”

Blessed with good height and physical intangibles such as length, Beal excelled in press-man coverage and brought enough of a physical presence to his game to excite NFL scouts.

Beal, whom Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said would have had a second-round grade had he been entering the 2019 draft, was what scouts considered a “clean, pro-ready” prospect.

• Find all our training camp player previews in one spot. New profiles are added daily until we get to the end of the roster.

Skill-wise, Beal also excelled in jamming receivers and in displaying quick feet to stay with even the shiftiness of receivers trying to juke him. Beal also was lauded for using inside leverage to keep receivers on the boundary. A solid run-stopper who tackles well, Beal also has the requisite speed to recover if beaten down the field.

Coming out of college, he needed some refinement of his technique, such as taking smarter angles to the ball carrier and not dropping too low in his tackle attempts. But there is little question that Beal had a lot of tools with which to work.

His Contract

Beal’s contract from last season tolled, so instead of this year being his final one, he’s now under contract through 2022. This year, he carries a $1,113,353 cap hit. If he doesn’t make the 53-man roster, that will save the team $851,118 against their 2021 cap, but it will also dump $262,235 in dead money against this year’s and next year’s cap.

Roster Projection/Expectations

Beal has gone from being a projected long-term starter to a bubble player, a guy who will likely find himself competing for a roster spot with Isaac Yiadom, a player the Giants acquired via trade last year.

If Beal kept himself in shape, he might still have value for the Giants. That said, given all the time he’s missed, Beal’s opportunity to play a significant role with the Giants has likely passed.

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