A gap needs to be filled in the secondary for the New York Giants opposite second-year cornerback Deonte Banks. Since it’s unlikely that seasoned CB Adoree’ Jackson will return in 2024, the Giants will need to look for a replacement this offseason.
Fortunately, Big Blue has access to a strong pool of seasoned cornerbacks in free agency. The Giants will have a few experienced corners at their disposal to attack.
Giants and the newly released Jaguars cornerback are already meeting.
The experienced cornerback position in free agency has already attracted the attention of the Giants. On Sunday, CB Darious Williams will be visiting them as a free agent, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Williams spent two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars before being waived.
Williams had the finest season of his career in 2023, recording 53 combined tackles, 19 pass defenses, and four interceptions. He received an overall season grade of 79.5 from Pro Football Focus, good for fourth place among all NFL defensive backs, and an 85.3 coverage grade.
Although Williams will be 31 years old this season, he is still an excellent player who, in 2024, might provide some consistency to New York’s secondary. In each of the last three seasons, he has played 900 snaps or more. The Giants might benefit from signing Williams, but doing so would require them to give up a big chunk of salary cap space. Spotrac projects Williams’ market value to be $12.8 million per season.
bringing a seasoned cornerback and the Giants’ new defensive coordinator back together
This season, the defense will be using a new strategy under the direction of new coordinator Shane Bowen. It might be easier for Bowen to deploy his system and have some continuity if he brings in familiar individuals. Bowen may be able to get back together with a defensive back who has played in his scheme by bringing in veteran CB Sean Murphy-Bunting.
The 2023 season saw 26-year-old cornerback Murphy-Bunting play for the Tennessee Titans, where Bowen served as the defensive coordinator. Among the Titans’ starting outside cornerbacks in 14 games, he recorded 57 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, eight passes defended, and two interceptions in 2023.
Murphy-Bunting might be a good choice for the Giants to target in free agency if they’re looking for something less expensive. Murphy-Bunting’s market value is estimated by Spotrac to be $6.7 million a season, which is a reasonable amount for the Giants, who presently have about $38 million in cap space.
enhancing the position of nickel cornerback
Kenny Moore II is one of the best nickel cornerbacks available in free agency if the Giants want to strengthen their coverage in the slot. This offseason, Moore, a seven-year veteran of the Indianapolis Colts, will be a highly sought-after free agency. After having a stellar season, he might be a desirable pick for the Giants, who want to use more nickel and dime packages in 2024 under Bowen.
Moore accumulated 93 total tackles in 2023, including eight stops for a loss, three interceptions, and six pass defenses. Two of those interceptions, both against the Carolina Panthers in Week 9, were returned for scores by him.
The Giants’ cornerback situation is still rather murky. Although Cor’Dale Flott is expected to start, the third-year cornerback has had difficulty securing the starting position thus far. Moore would take over as the Giants’ starting slot cornerback right away.
Moore is another cheap target, with PFF projecting a two-year deal costing $6.75 million per season in free agency. The Giants would still have a need at the boundary if Moore signed, but in the current NFL, one should never undervalue the importance of a shutdown nickel cornerback.
