Giants Country

New York Giants Cornerbacks Preview: The Youth Movement

The Giants have a lot of young, inexperienced corners on the roster that they hope can step up this summer.

Dylan Paciullo

New York Giants Cornerbacks Preview: The Youth Movement
New York Giants Cornerbacks Preview: The Youth Movement /
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The New York Giants cornerback group is undoubtedly one of the most intriguing units on the roster. Just a year ago, the corners, and secondary as a whole, were a huge strength for the team. An argument can be made that it is the biggest hole on the Giants’ defense. 

How did a once-formidable unit become such a question mark in New York? It all started with one move which created a domino effect: the release of James Bradberry. This loss is significant as is, as the Giants certainly will miss the presence of a player just one year removed from a Pro Bowl season. 

However, the implications it has on the rest of the roster is where you truly begin to see the full impact.

Adoree’ Jackson, a young and talented player that the Giants were eager to bring in to play alongside Bradberry, is now expected to take that next step and fill the shoes of the No. 1 corner. 

Behind him is a host of talented yet unproven players that lack experience on the outside. In simple terms, by the Giants releasing Bradberry without the addition of a clear replacement, they are essentially asking every player at the position to take the next step.

This is a tall task for any young core group of players. Still, considering the pressure put on the unit as a whole with the defensive playcalling of defensive coordinator Don Martindale, it's not unreasonable to have your fair share of doubts. 

Looking at things with a more positive outlook, however, the group does have a lot of potential. Is believing the cornerback unit is destined to fail too harsh, or should the Giants be worried about their future at the position? Let's have a closer look..

Rostered Players

Adoree’ Jackson (6 Years): A former first-round selection by the Titans, Jackson wasn’t entirely living up to his expectations in Tenessee. However, after a career year, he's starting to find his stride in New York. If he can unlock his full potential and continue to progress as a player, the Giants may have a lockdown corner in their hands.

Cor'Dale Flott (Rookie): With the 81st pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Giants selected Cor'Dale Flott. The selection made little sense to many, not because they coveted a corner in the first place, but the type of cornerback they set their eyes on. Flott has played almost entirely from the slot during his years at LSU, but Flott still is talented and can hopefully provide some nice value for the Giants’ new-look defense.

Darnay Holmes (3 Years): The young corner has quietly had a solid two seasons with the Giants playing primarily from the slot, at least until his season-ending injury last year. Holmes has recorded an interception in both seasons and racked up 59 tackles. That said, don't expect Holmes to be tried on the outside, as there are better-suited candidates for that job.

Aaron Robinson (2 Years): Speaking of better options, in my eyes, Aaron Robinson has the best shot of succeeding on the outside and will be who the Giants focus on transitioning to play alongside Jackson. The book on Robinson was always that he possessed the potential to be versatile in this way, and you'd have to imagine this is a factor that led the Giants to move up to grab him in last year's draft.

Rodarius Williams (2 Year): The sixth-round rookie participated in only five games before going down with an ACL tear and missing the rest of the season. Hopefully, Willams can bounce back and stay as healthy as possible so the Giants can adequately evaluate what they have in the player.

Michael Jacquet III (2 Years): Jacquet is probably a longshot for the 53-man roster, but with size and length that's hard not to like, it will be interesting to see how he does this summer.

Khalil Dorsey (3 Years): Similar to Canaday, Dorsey also has experience in Martindale's scheme, but just like Canaday, he has dealt with some injury issues.

Zyon Gilbert (Rookie): Signed as a rookie free agent on May 12th, 2022, Gilbert will compete for a practice squad position.

Darren Evans (Rookie): Signed as a rookie free agent on May 12th, 2022, he will likely compete for a practice squad position.

More Position Previews:

Positional Forecast

Best Case Scenario: With all the questions and concerns that could be brought up about the Giants' cornerback room, it is still hard to deny the talent and potential it possesses. Jackson was rated the 12th best corner in the league per PFF. If he can find his role in the new defense and continue fine-tuning his technique, it is not unrealistic to assume we can watch Jackson become one of the league's premier players at the position. This, combined with Aaron Robinson successfully making the transition to the outside, would solidify a more than serviceable unit for 2022 and an exciting future at the position for years to come.

Worst Case Scenario: On a defense that blitzes as much as the one Don Martindale is looking to bring to New York, having a group of corners that can hold up in coverage is crucially important. Knowing this, any major hole or poor play at the position would be attacked/exploited, and the scheme itself would fail. For an example, look no further than the 2021 Ravens, who, while running the same system, went from one of the NFL’s most efficient defenses to below-average after significant hits to the secondary via injuries. Although not for the same reasons, the Giants are in danger of facing a similar fate if they can't find a viable option to play alongside Adoree’ Jackson.

Sleeper: Michael Jacquet might not be the most experienced cornerback, having appeared in eight career games (seven for the Eagles) before joining the Giants, but he flashed some during the spring to where the team felt more comfortable retaining him over Maurice Canady in what should be the battle for the final projected roster spot at this position.

On the Bubble: Although just in his second season, Rodarius Williams has to prove that he can contribute to the team and make an impact on game day. He is coming off a season-ending knee injury, but with the Giants having added to the cornerbacks group, Williams is far from a lock for the 53-man roster.

Positional Unit Ranking: 2.5 out of 5

The Giants' cornerback room is not the most proven, but it is talented at the end of the day. If the unit can stay healthy and begin to develop chemistry with one another, the unit could become a formidable unit. For the time being, the overall lack of experience may prevent the group from reaching its full potential.

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Dylan Paciullo
DYLAN PACIULLO

Dylan Paciullo is a long-time lover of football who possesses a deep, intimate knowledge of the game and of the Giants. Dylan's work has appeared on Medium and Mike Farrell Sports.  

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