New York Giants 2025 Training Camp Preview: Cornerbacks

The New York Giants cornerback room has a ton of potential for 2025 and should see multiple players take developmental jumps from last year.

After signing Paulson Adebo from the New Orleans Saints this past offseason, the expectation is that both Adebo and Deonte Banks will be starting on the outside this year.

Dru Phillips and Cor’Dale Flott are likely going to see the bulk of the snaps in the nickel. In the back half of the room, Tre Hawkins III is back from injury and joined by a plethora of young free agents as well as rookie seventh-round pick Korie Black.

Adebo is the oldest cornerback on the roster at just 26 years old, with the average age of the room being just 23.9 years old in 2025.

There’s no doubt that the cornerback room should be improved in 2025 with the addition of Adebo and the development of Banks and Phillips.

Rostered Players

Paulson Adebo: The Giants spent big money to bring in Adebo from the Saints to elevate their floor and ceiling at cornerback.

Deonte Banks: Banks has had a tumultuous first two years, but for the first time in his NFL career, he’ll have the same defensive coordinator in consecutive years.

Korie Black: Black was drafted in the seventh round of the NFL Draft this year and will likely be a bottom-of-the-roster or practice-squad candidate.

Cor’Dale Flott: Flott is a versatile defensive back entering the final year of his rookie contract.

O’Donnell Fortune: Fortune signed as an undrafted free agent who impressed at South Carolina but will need to prove he has the athleticism to last long-term.

Art Green: Green joined the Giants' practice squad after the preseason in 2024 and is back to try to be a more permanent fixture in the room.

Tre Hawkins III: Hawkins III had his season cut short in 2024, but looked promising before the injury and had a strong spring that he will look to build upon.

Nic Jones: Jones spent the 2024 season with the Kansas City Chiefs and worked as an outside cornerback and nickel during his first spring with the Giants.

TJ Moore: Moore signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent from Mercer this offseason with decent size and traits, but he will climb an uphill battle.

Dru Phillips: Phillips had a strong rookie season in 2024 and should be able to build upon it in year two.

Dee Williams: Williams will need to make his money on special teams for the most part, but that might not be enough.

Biggest Unanswered Question

Who is going to step up on the outside?

Behind Adebo and Banks, the rest of the cornerback rotation should be very open for competition to step up.

With Hawkins, Flott, Green, Jones, and Williams, the Giants have players with some experience while still being young with upside.

The Giants used day three and undrafted free agency to add Black, Fortune, and Moore to provide some more juice and raise the athletic floor of the cornerback room.

Hawkins is someone who needs to show a bit more now as he enters his third year. The physical traits are there to be an above-average starter in the NFL, but it’s time to prove he’s capable of reaching that ceiling.

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Training Camp Battle to Watch

Everybody for CB3 and beyond

It’s fair to assume that Adebo and Banks are the most likely starting candidates in 2025, although the expectation is that they still have to earn those roles definitively.

Behind them, though, this should be a wide-open competition to determine the rest of the rotation in the room.

Phillips had a great rookie season, and he should be able to build upon it for 2025. Flott has the experience to play inside long-term, solidifying the nickel position.

The rest of the room is filled with youth that can be developed, but remains unproven. Flott is entering year four and is still just 23 years old, the same age as rookies Black and Fortune.

The presence of so many young players in the room should ideally lead to at least one player taking a significant developmental step, but until that’s proven, this is a room with more questions than answers.

Comfort in the system will likely play a role in who stands out early on, but by the end of the summer, we should have definitive answers.

Camp Position Grade: C-

Early 53-man Roster Projections

With Adebo and Banks as the starters here on the outside, the Giants are in a better position there than they’ve been in years.

Phillips was very impressive in his rookie season and should take a solid jump in year two in the slot. A big jump for him could come from an underrated area: pass-rushing.

It’s tough for a rookie to pick up the entire playbook defensively, and that usually means operating more vanilla in some ways. Phillips has some pass-rush potential as a nickel blitzer in year two.

Flott and Hawkins should come back and provide valuable depth, now having decent experience while still being young enough to be viewed as developmental pieces.

Black had special-teams experience through his college career, and pairing that with his inside-out skillset and youth makes him a solid “last cornerback on the roster” candidate.

Moore has some intriguing physical traits that the Giants could look to build upon in the practice squad. Playing at Mercer meant he wasn’t receiving the best coaching, and he should have untapped potential.

Jones has special-teams experience throughout his career as well as inside-out versatility that could justify a practice-squad spot in case of injury.

Green, Fortune, and Williams are intriguing roster options, but aren’t as intriguing as Moore for a practice squad or Black for the final roster spot.