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Jun 18, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo (21) participates in a drill during minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. John Jones-Imagn Images

Paulson Adebo Named NY Giants' Best Offseason Move

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Stephen Lebitsch | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 12:13 PM ET

For each passing offseason that New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has had a chance to retool the team’s roster and get it closer to displaying competency in the NFL, he seems to be growing wiser with the additional experience.

As the 2025 installment draws to a close, the young executive has been earning kudos for the newest pieces assembled for the impending season. He has demonstrated proficiency in managing the franchise’s cap space, which has fluctuated over the years, and in maneuvering to bring in top-level talent that will benefit both sides of the ball immensely.

Beyond the new quarterback room that was destined for an upgrade as the focal point of the Giants offseason, the major plays made by Schoen have been heavily featured on defense.

The Giants defensive line figures to be their toughest asset with a slew of new interior weapons who can get after the quarterback in different ways, including rookie edge rusher and No. 3 pick Abdul Carter.

However, there is one entirely different member of the defensive unit who is gaining significant attention as the best player to be poached from the open market by New York.

In their new analysis of the best offseason moves by every NFC team, CBS Sports’s Cody Benjamin labeled Giants veteran cornerback Paulson Adebo as their best catch in the organization who could leave an immediate impact on the young secondary.

“The G-Men will ultimately sink or swim depending on what Brian Daboll can squeeze out of Joe Schoen's entirely rebooted quarterback room,” Benjamin said.

“And taking a first-round flyer on Jaxson Dart's dual-threat potential could pay off, even with Russell Wilson in place as the passing placeholder. For now, Adebo looks like the best bet to make an immediate impact as a proven ballhawk at cornerback.”

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Paulson Adebo will help fortify the Giants’ coverage game

No longer will the Giants defensive secondary be a total launching pad for the opposing offense every week of the season, at least if new Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo has something to say about it.

By bringing in the former Saints ballhawks in free agency, the Giants have prioritized having a capable No. 1 cornerback in their fleet who has shown he can stick with some of the elite pass catchers throughout the NFL and is one of the best at getting his hands on the football and taking it away.

Since 2023, Adebo, a former third-round pick out of Stanford, has averaged a 72.2 PFF coverage grade while playing in 1,384 snaps for New Orleans. He has been quite a pesky matchup for any receiver, allowing under a 59.6% reception percentage and just two touchdowns in that span.

More often than not, Adebo flashes the keen field vision and play anticipation to get in front of the pass and take it in the other direction. He has led the league over the past two seasons with 18 total pass deflections and notched seven interceptions to keep his passer rating below 70.0% when he’s targeted.

Adebo has also grown in the area of tackling, which is critical for him in limiting the extra damage created by opposing receivers. Those areas were often a major problem for the Giants' secondary, which ranked 28th in the NFL, and have been well presented by very young players who haven’t fully grasped all the fundamentals of being an excellent cornerback in the pros.

At least with the veteran locking down one side of the field, the Giants should see an improvement in their one-on-one matchups while they try to discern this summer who is going to be his partner in the No. 2 perimeter cornerback role.

That will likely come down between Deonte Banks and Cor’Dale Flott, who’ve both had to earn their stripes early on but have dealt with their struggles in the deep field.

Flott was the better of the two competitors, with a 61.7 coverage grade in 358 snaps last season, including five forced incompletions and an interception. However, he often struggled with his tackling form, holding a 13.5% missed tackle rate.

Banks, who came in with expectations to eventually be a franchise piece at the No. 1 corner spot, hasn't lived up to his draft hype and has dealt with questions regarding his effort at certain points in his first two campaigns. He improved on his tackling but gave up catches on 67.1% of his targets for 689 yards (202 after the catch) and six touchdowns.

The hope is that Adebo’s presence will not only strengthen the entire secondary as currently constructed but also work in favor of mentoring the younger pieces and getting them to step up their games so that the whole results won’t be as ugly on the coverage element this season.