The New York Giants are officially five days away from roster cut day. While the high-profile wide receiver battle -- specifically, whether Odell Beckham Jr. has done enough to secure a spot -- and the kicking drama surrounding undrafted rookie phenom Dominic Zvada are hogging the headlines, a quiet firestorm has been brewing in the secondary.
The cornerback competition has turned into one of the hottest battlegrounds of the preseason, and Friday’s finale against the Jets is about to decide everything.
It is anyone’s guess as to who will survive when Sunday cut day rolls around. But Giants insider Jordan Raanan just gave fans an inside track on what to expect in his latest 53-man roster projections. He expects the G-Men to carry six corners entering 2026: Greg Newsome II, Deonte Banks, Paulson Adebo, Colton Hood, Dru Phillips, and (the biggest surprise of them all) Korie Black.
To say the cornerback room is underwhelming as a whole would be a major understatement. Seeing Korie Black's name on this list is a shocker, but he and the rest of the group are sitting on incredibly thin ice. As Raanan bluntly stated: "This could get shaken up if the Giants find an upgrade. It's a group filled with questions from top to bottom. Might be the weakest position group on the roster."
Korie Black could actually stick with the Giants this time
Black's journey to Big Blue's 53-man roster is an interesting one.
New York selected the 24-year-old out of Oklahoma State in the seventh round of the 2025 Draft. They signed him in May, and he went through an entire offseason program in Giants blue before ultimately landing with the Jets.
General manager Joe Schoen thought he was going to get away with some slick you-know-what, but the thing about roster gymnastics is that they don't always work out as planned.
Black surprisingly made the Giants' 53-man roster after New York trimmed the team down from its offseason 90-man roster. However, Schoen got cute the very next day, cutting the rookie corner to clear room for defensive back Rico Payton, who was stashed on the Saints' IR list. The plan was to bring Black right back on the practice squad (no harm, no foul), but Gang Green had other ideas.
Big Blue's little brother swept in right under their noses and stole him from them. The rookie corner bounced around between their active roster and practice squad before ultimately getting waived and reuniting with the G-Men in October.
The 6-foot corner played nine games for the Giants, posting an underwhelming 46.4 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus. So it’s definitely surprising he’s projected to make this year’s 53-man roster, seeing as though he hasn’t necessarily been lighting it up at training camp or in the preseason.
If Raanan’s projection is right, Black is about to make the Giants’ initial 53-man roster for the second straight year. Hopefully, this time it lasts longer than 24 hours and doesn't require somersaults or a floor routine. The Giants already lost him to the Jets once, trying to get cute with the bottom of the roster. There’s no need for Round 2.
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