New York Giants 2022 Training Camp Roster Preview: S Yusuf Corker

Undrafted free agent safety Yusuf Corker is someone to watch as the Giants look to add depth to their safety group this summer.

Yusuf Corker is one of the more decorated undrafted free agents from the 2022 NFL Draft class.

A two-time team captain (selected by his teammates), an All-SEC player, and a Lott IMPACT Trophy finalist, Corker is one of two Kentucky Wildcats joining the New York Giants this season alongside second-round draft pick Wan’Dale Robinson.

Corker joined the Wildcats following a successful high school career at Woodland High School in Stockbridge, Georgia. He redshirted his true freshman season at Kentucky and then appeared in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman, contributing in sub-packages and on special teams.

Corker became a starter in his redshirt sophomore season and led the team with 74 tackles on his way to all-SEC honors. The following year, he earned second-team All-SEC honors.

In his final season at Kentucky, he posted 81 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and eight pass breakups, his pass breakup total putting him seventh on the SEC stat leaderboard in that category.

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What He Brings

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Corker has a uniquely versatile skillset that few undrafted free agents offer. Not only has he played the deep safety spot, but he’s also lined up in the box and as the nickel defender. At Kentucky, Corker was indeed a chess piece whose position flexibility gave defensive coordinator Brad White various options in matching his personnel against opposing offenses.

Corker finished his time at the NFL Combine with a RAS (relative athletic score) of 6.44 out of 10. He doesn’t offer plus-athleticism, but he has a tremendous football IQ, which is not hard to see on tape as it makes up for his lack of top-flight athleticism.

Statistically, he’s one of the better players in coverage. Corker allowed a passer rating of 72.9 on 40 targets in 2021, which would rank in the top 20 lowest ratings allowed among NFL defensive backs.

In run defense, Corker had 21 stops (tackle for gain of 3 or less) in 2021. That would’ve been top-50 by a defensive back in the NFL last year and would have been eighth on the New York Giants defense in 2021, regardless of position.

Corker also contributed for Kentucky on kick and punt coverage and return teams, and field goal and extra point defense, making him a truly versatile player that can help a team in any number of ways.

His Contract

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Corker was to a three-year contract worth $2.575 million, which includes $95,000 guaranteed. Corker will have a salary of $705,000 in 2022, $870,000 in 2023, and $985,000 in 2024.

If the Giants were to release Yusuf Corker at this point, they would clear up $625,000 in cap space while taking a dead cap hit of just $85,000. Corker takes up just .34% of the salary cap for the Giants in 2022.

Roster Projection/Expectations

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Corker has a good chance of making the Giants roster if he delivers a strong camp and stays healthy. The Giants have lost talent in the secondary, and when a team is filling out the end of their roster, they tend to look for players that can fill multiple roles. 

With his versatility in the defensive secondary, special teams experience, and projected ability to play as a small linebacker in the nickel and dime packages, Corker sounds like he could be a Swiss Army knife for the Giants' defense. 

The Giants need depth at safety. Xavier McKinney and Julian Love are their only two safeties with NFL experience, and the Giants did draft Dane Belton out of Iowa. But it's worth noting that Love is in the final year of his contract, so there is a projected opening for Corker, who will compete with fellow undrafted free agent Trenton Thompson and veteran Henry Black for a roster spot.  

Corker's versatility is his most significant advantage, as is the fact that he does a lot of little things well. One might think he has the advantage of going into summer training camp ahead of Thompson and Black. However, it will boil down to staying healthy and what transpires on the field moving forward, not what happened in the past. 

  

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