Draft or Free Agency? How Should Giants Address Cornerback?

The New York Giants have spent the better part of the past several seasons trying to figure out how to fix their defensive secondary, which has haunted them in the biggest moments of games.

To be fair, they’ve tried searching for a solution both ways. They’ve made a few big free agent acquisitions that involved hefty deals to bring in experienced veterans and hedged a couple of high-value draft picks on unproven prospects who they hoped would be the unexpected hero that put them over the top of their competition.

For the most part, their shots in the dark have missed the mark. That continued into the 2025 season, when the Giants’ secondary leaned on young, inexperienced players who had to assume larger workloads as injuries took over down the stretch.

Beyond the usual ailments that have been a major flaw, the unit has also been caught sleeping. They’ve played lackadaisical coverage at the most pivotal drives in the fourth quarter and overtime.

The Giants' soft zone overage led to four brutal losses in the middle of their schedule, forcing the team to move on from Shane Bowen as defensive coordinator.

As the offseason begins and free agency nears, the position group remains one of the Giants’ major needs. However, it may not draw as much attention as the offensive line or wide receiving corps. The franchise wants to build around and protect quarterback Jaxson Dart in his second season.

The biggest name in the discussion of potential changes is cornerback Cor’Dale Flott. He is an impending free agent for the first time and is coming off a pretty impressive year. He earned the No. 2 starting job alongside Paulson Adebo and showed an ability to disrupt throws against him with his length.

Flott played 14 games for the Giants, making 38 tackles, forcing two turnovers, and finishing second with 11 pass deflections—just one behind slot corner Andru Phillips’ 12. Bringing him back would add stability on the perimeter as Adebo heads into 2026 and the Giants build depth.

If Flott elects to sign with another team in free agency, the Giants would be left with a notable hole in their defense, which may not be their first priority to fill with the limited cap space they have at the moment ($5.147 million).

Depth would be a concern, especially with doubts about Deonte Banks’s development and untested replacements signed midseason.

What is certain is that the Giants need to strengthen their secondary if they want their defense, headlined by their pass rush, to truly thrive next season and push the team into their postseason aspirations.

The key question is whether to pursue an elite veteran or develop young players into future cornerstones.

Potential Draft Option

LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane — Louisiana State University cornerback Mansoor Delane (4) reacts during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, August 30, 2025. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LSU’s Mansoor Delane is a top draft prospect who fits the Giants’ needs at cornerback.

Delane, the highest-rated player at his position and the No. 10 overall prospect on Pro Football Focus’s big board, is someone who has been mocked to New York already, given his talents would be perfect for the type of system the Giants are expected to run under new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who has risen in the NFL ranks as a defensive backs coach.

Wilson, who spent a season with head coach John Harbaugh in Baltimore during the 2023 season, typically runs an aggressive system that will demand more from the secondary in order to truly capitalize on the strength of the pass rush up front.

The Giants need a cornerback who can match up physically with receivers, play tight coverage, disrupt passes, and avoid penalties. Delane is a notable draft prospect who excelled at LSU in 2025.

Delane was the school’s highest-graded defensive back (91.0 PFF coverage grade) while holding opposing receivers to a 38.2% completion rate for 147 yards and recording a career-best seven pass deflections.

His speed and quickness to change direction help him be a nuisance to pass catchers and get back to the ball to force turnovers.

Adding Delane would likely fill the void left by Flott’s exit, but the Giants would still have to make a couple of additional moves to round out their thin depth.

He would certainly help strengthen their press-man skill set, which he developed at one of the best levels of collegiate football in the SEC.

Still, it feels like cornerback might be third on the list of first-round targets, especially given the uncertainty along the offensive line and receiving corps, as well as the lack of elite talent in those respective position pools in this year’s class.

Potential Pending Free Agent Option

Oct 27, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Washington Commanders tight end John Bates (87) carries the ball defended by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson (35) during the second quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Compared to other positions, the impending free agent market at cornerback isn’t being talked about as one that’s chock-full of premier names that would demand big-time contracts for their game-changing impact on whichever defense they sign to.

However, the position group features several players who were reliable in 2025 and could be considered upgrades for NFL teams with weak secondaries. For the Giants’ need at that spot, they should consider Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson.

Watson is widely considered one of the top, if not the best, ballhawks set to hit the open market after posting a record single-season as one of the main faces of the Chiefs' back end.

He played in 15 games (all starts), recording a career-high 64 total tackles (42 solo), two sacks, two interceptions, and six pass deflections that brought his career total to 24 across four seasons.

What’s more impressive is that Watson posted those numbers in a secondary with several players graded in the top 25 in coverage last season. Watson also brings tremendous value against the run, which was one of the Giants’ glaring weaknesses.

The Giants had the league’s worst run defense, surrendering 5.3 yards per carry and over 100 yards in 14 games. Five of their six worst tacklers came from the secondary, allowing running backs to thrive once beyond the line.

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Much of that comes down to fundamentals, which the Giants will stress this offseason, but bringing in Watson would also back up the position group with a veteran who knows how to wrap up and be an impact player inside the box and near the end zone in one-on-one matchups.

Watson would likely cost a prettier penny than the Giants retaining their own man in Flott, whose market value is estimated at $9.51 million per year. Per Spotrac, the Chiefs' corner is the second-ranked player with a market value of $12.47 million, and he’ll be coveted by several teams with extra cap space for his trajectory as a shutdown defender.

With questions left to be answered with Jermaine Eluemunor and Wan’Dale Robinson’s potential resignings, we’d have to see if the front office and John Harbaugh will shift their initial focus towards shoring up the weak link of the defense.

If they do, the Giants should pursue one of the best available players to upgrade the group and halt aggressive attacks on their secondary.

Best Route: Draft or Free Agency?

While none of the Giants’ previous moves—including recent draft selections like Deonte Banks, who faced criticism for his first-round status—have worked so far, the team must keep trying and hope to land the right addition this offseason.

It feels like the time to keep pushing the youth movement has passed the franchise. The pieces in their locker room, without much professional reps under their belts, have been occasional targets for the game’s best offenses, and the lack of veteran discipline has cost the Giants in many big moments of games that they had a chance to win with a close-out defensive effort.

General manager Joe Schoen needs to salvage some capital to go after one of the experienced free agents that will become available and be competitive with offers that will entice one to come to the Big Apple and join the Harbaugh mission to be a contender in 2026.

The Giants won’t get there without a stronger defense, and their biggest issues often came from the back end. Schoen has hit some good marks on guys like Paulson Adebo and Dru Phillips, but he’ll afford himself some more admiration from the fanbase if he can find the next long-term option that will make opposing teams think twice about airing it out on the Giants.