Why Greg Newsome II Believes the Giants Have "The Best Cornerback Room in the League"

Ask just about anybody who has watched the New York Giants and their abysmal run of football over the past few seasons, and one common weakness that's been exposed repeatedly has been the defensive secondary.

So much so that during the offseason, the Giants finally made the position group a major priority as they assembled a stronger roster for incoming head coach John Harbaugh to work with, including a few key free agent signings and a premium second-round draft choice used on rookie Colton Hood.

Entering the 2026 season, Harbaugh's core of ballhawks is slightly older. It has more NFL skins on the wall, but many outsiders still see reasons for concern with a part of the Giants' defense that has tended to get picked apart by opposing offenses at the worst moments in games.

New veteran Greg Newsome II, who joined New York as one of their notable free-agent additions over the summer, doesn't share that mindset and is confident things will be different for his unit this fall.

"I think we’ve got the best cornerback room in the league," Newsome said about what he's seen from his teammates following one of the Giants' practices in East Rutherford last week.

"When you talk about depth and just guys having the ability to play, I feel like all of us can be out there week one and play at an elite level."

A New Scheme, A New Standard

New York Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson | Patricia Traina, New York Giants On SI

Playing at that high level wasn't the calling card for the Giants' secondary last season, as the group dealt with another tough round of injuries to starters Paulson Adebo and Cor'Dale Flott, who missed a combined eight games, and their inability to hold up in press coverage against the league’s top receivers.

While the team finished the 2025 campaign ranked 18th in coverage grade, they often ran into trouble when opponents keyed on certain players and attacked them in one-on-one matchups toward the end zone, resulting in the Giants defensive secondary allowing eight touchdowns.

The franchise's goal to fix those issues began with the hire of defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, who has ties to Harbaugh from his time as the Ravens defensive backs coach in 2023, when Baltimore held the No. 2 graded coverage unit in the NFL.

The process continued with the additions of Newsome and Hood, who fit the mold of the physical style of defense that Wilson desires.

Newsome, who has 180 career tackles, a 63.2% completion rate when targeted, and 29 pass deflections during his pro tenure, feels the scheme Wilson is implementing will fit right into his wheelhouse as a battle-tested cornerback.

"Aggressive, press coverage," Newsome said about what it's like playing under Wilson's leadership. "That's what I did in Cleveland. That's what I did very well, so I'm super excited to get back in a scheme that really shows my strong suits."

Week 1 Test

It's going to take much more than Newsome's talents to elevate the playmaking of the Giants' secondary into one of the peskiest units in the league. They're set to open up their schedule against two of the most productive offenses in the league: the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams.

Then there is the question of who the starters will be. Newsome appears to be a lock, but can the same be said of Adebo, or will the Giants instead turn to Deonte Banks as the starter when they host the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1?

Regardless of who gets the call, it's been a summer of intense competition among the top of the cornerback order.

The main names have been buying into the new system, helping each other improve their crafts, and getting ready to show that a tougher brand of defense is coming to MetLife Stadium this season starting on Sunday night.

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