Why Giants Can Ill-afford to Lose this One Pending UFA

The New York Giants will have some difficult decisions to make in free agency this offseason. Some names have become beloved by this fan base and have earned the respect of even their staunchest critics, but the Giants will likely not be in a position to pay all of them.

Many people believe that Jermaine Eluemunor, the former Raiders offensive lineman who came in to be the starting guard and ended up the starting right tackle, should be at the top of the Giants' list of free agents to re-sign.

Others think that receiver Wan'Dale Robinson has earned the right to return on a contract because of his stellar performance in 2025 as the de facto number one wide receiver.

The reality is that the top priority to re-sign, in our opinion, is cornerback Cor'Dale Flott, whose potential loss would have the most impact.

After starting the season as a co-starter with Deonte Banks, Flott quickly became the full-time starter. He outperformed the big-money free-agent cornerbacks Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland, who were brought in to improve the secondary.

Losing Flott would be losing their best young secondary defender and further crippling a unit that is already light on talent.

Let's look at what losing Flott would create for the Giants' defensive secondary.

Legitimate Proven Versatility

New York Giants cornerback Cor'Dale Flott | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

No player on the roster can boast about versatility on Flott's level. He has chased receivers all over the field throughout his four seasons with the Giants.

He spent the season playing as the nickel, and he has been on the outside as a field and boundary cornerback. Everywhere that the Giants have asked him to play, he has shown that his athleticism can help him win against some of the best receivers in the game.

When he began his pro career with the Giants, he played in a Wink Martindale defense that relied heavily on man coverage from the cornerback position. Flott excelled there and even earned a start in the Giants' playoff game that season.

When they made the change from Martindale to Shane Bowen, Flott played a lot of zone coverage, either when he was in the slot as a nickel or on the outside as a cornerback.

He has proven effective while marking receivers or while keeping an eye on the quarterback in the backfield.

The scary part is that he has not really been allowed to do one thing consistently for his career.

Imagine how much better he could be if his coaching staff and defensive philosophy found some consistency.

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Consistent Statistical Improvement

Everything about Flott has continuously improved year after year, despite the changes around him and the teams he has played for.

He went from having no interceptions as a rookie to picking off a pass in each of the past three seasons. Each year, the distance that he has returned those interceptions has improved.

While that is a coincidence, his improvement in pass defense each year is not. He went from two pass breakups as a rookie to five in his second season, seven in his third, and a team-high 11 last season.

As a rookie, he started six games, which was impressive considering the defensive backs they had at the time. But each year, he has added more starts to that number.

In 2023, he made 7 starts, and in 2024, he made 10. This past season, he made 14 starts, which was more than anyone else on the team in the defensive backfield.

This points directly to how he's been able to build his body up to withstand the rigors of the league and not get knocked out for minor nicks and bruises that may have kept him off the field in the previous three seasons.

Age and Upside

Even though he is already four years deep in the NFL, Flott will barely be 25 when the 2026 season kicks off. He is a player that fans have had the chance to grow with over the years.

The team did not re-sign the last two defensive backs it drafted with premium picks to second contracts. Julian Love and Xavier McKinney both left as free agents, depriving fans of the opportunity to continue a relationship they had enjoyed over the first four years of their careers.

Flott could have a 10-year career as a member of the Giants, something we have not seen in quite some time for Giants draft picks. It is something that used to be a regular occurrence on their championship-level defensive squads.

The fact that the Giants have a chance to lock up Flott to a multiyear deal as he enters his prime years is something teams don't always have the opportunity to do.