Giants officially waive 2019 first-round pick Deandre Baker amid robbery charges

When the New York Giants traded up to draft Deandre Baker with the 30th pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, they hoped they landed the shutdown cornerback of their dreams. Now, a little over the year later, that dream has become a living nightmare, as Baker was officially waived by the team on Tuesday morning. Baker was placed on the commissioner's exempt list due to facing four counts of robbery with a firearm in Florida.

While Baker had his share of struggles his rookie season, things took a much more serious turn earlier this year when he and Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar were accused of stealing more than $50,000 worth of jewelry and cash at a party they attended in Broward County, Fla. All charges against Dunbar were eventually dropped, but Baker could still face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in state prison if convicted.

If the Giants had not cut Baker, they would have been obligated to pay him. Giants co-owner John Mara called the situation "embarrassing" for the team, saying that any concerns the Giants had about Baker could not have prepared them for this entire incident.

"The Deandre Baker thing was just something we did not see coming," Mara said. "I read some stories saying there were red flags about him, but not in the sense that you would be concerned about criminal conduct at all. Obviously, it's something that's embarrassing to the organization. It's just something that we're going to have to deal with."