Breaking Down Giants' Fourth-round Pick Dane Belton's Game

Dane Belton is one of those under-the-radar players who could play a more significant role than many people anticipate. Let's see what the Giants are getting in this fourth-round safety.

After releasing Logan Ryan and watching his production and professionalism leave the organization, the Giants needed to fill the hole left at safety by his departure.

They finally filled that hole with Iowa safety Dane Belton. The junior from Tampa, Florida, has been a main cog in the Hawkeyes' defense. At the combine, his 4.43 forty time was much faster than expected, and his 10'3" broad jump was among the elite explosive series in this draft.

He is a thick-bodied safety who lines up with an intimidating presence and will probably be able to find his niche on the team sooner than later.

Strengths

Belton is extremely physical in coverage; he has the strength to cover big tight ends and large slot receivers. He is physical in his route redirection in zone coverage, and he is good at crowding receivers and matching zone routes.

He is good at reading the eyes of the quarterback and essentially running the receiver's route. He uses his length to disrupt catches, and he has the hands to pluck the ball away when he has the opportunity.

He does a great job of tracking the ball downfield deep and locating the ball in the air, even with bodies around.

Round 1, No. 5: Edge Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Round 1, No. 7: OT Evan Neal, Alabama / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Round 2, No. 43: WR Wan'Dale Robinson, Kentucky :: Alton Strupp/Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Round 3, No. 67: IOL Joshua Ezeudu, North Carolina / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Round 3, No. 67: CB Cor'Dale Flott, LSU / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Round 4, No. 112: TE Daniel Bellinger, San Diego State

Needed Improvement

Belton needs to improve his instincts as a hash safety to read deeper route combinations. He can lose deep targets at times. The big improvement he needs to make is against the run game.

With his size and athleticism, he should be a beast as a tackler, but that part of his games still leaves a lot to be desired. He does not read run keys well and loses the ball at times against the run. He does not run his feet and explode through contact regularly.

He takes bad angles at times when he is chasing ball carriers. He does not get into a good talking position all the time and can miss ball carriers. He also does not have a lot of experience with special teams, which means that he will have to learn to play there to make him more valuable to the team.

Immediate Impact for Giants

Belton has a good chance to get on the field if the ball skills he's shown in college follow him to the pro game. With so many big receivers and tight ends out there, having an ability to match up with those offensive weapons will get him on the field faster, especially when they want to bring heavy pressure and need a safety to live in both worlds.

He will definitely need to get into those special teams meeting rooms and learn how to contribute to those units if he wants to break through early.

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Round 4, No. 114: S Dane Belton

Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 205 pounds
College: Iowa
Class: Junior

• All-state pick at Tampa's Jesuit High School
• Four starts at linebacker as a true freshman with 33 tackles.
• Honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2020, splitting time as a safety and linebacker spot.
• 2021, tied for fourth in the FBS with five interceptions.
• 2021 first-team All-Big Ten honors

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