While the NFL world all but broke after the shocking Micah Parsons trade, the New York Giants quietly lost one of their 2025 draft picks to the Jets. Not to injury. Not to a waiver claim. But to proximity and a little bit of practice-squad poaching.
Seventh-round rookie Korie Black made the Giants’ initial 53-man roster. Then they got cute. They cut him a day later to make room for a banged-up corner in Rico Payton, who had been stashed on the Saints’ IR list. The plan was to re-sign the 23-year-old back on the practice squad, no harm, no foul. But Big Blue's little brother — who got a sneak peek up close during joint practices and the second preseason game — saw the opportunity and moved in.
Roster gymnastics don’t always turn out as planned. The Giants kept seventh-round pick Korie Black on their initial 53-man roster then cut him yesterday with the intention of signing him back to their practice squad.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) August 29, 2025
Instead, Black is signing with the Jets’ practice squad, per…
Now, Black is changing colors from blue to green. He's the first Joe Schoen draft pick to be cut and lost before ever playing a snap. And just like that, the G-Men turned a draft asset into nothing but a procedural misfire.
Giants lose rookie CB Korie Black to Jets after risky roster shuffle
Let’s call it what it is: a small gamble that backfired. New York wanted to keep Black on the team. They saw a temporary opening and figured he’d sit tight until his name popped back up. But before anything could materialize, the Jets offered him a practice squad spot, and he said, "Giants, who?"
It’s not a great look considering the context. Cornerback is still one of the shakiest spots on the roster. No one's sitting here saying the former Oklahoma State Cowboy was going to solve any of that this season, but he could have been a nice long-term play.
The front office reportedly had its eye on Payton for over a year. So Schoen pounced, although Payton is dealing with an injury that could sideline him for a while. Black was supposed to return once Payton hit IR. But once a player clears waivers, they’re fair game — and the handshake deals that usually bring them back don’t always hold up (just ask the Dallas Cowboys).
That’s the cost of doing business. That’s the risk of assuming a plan will go exactly as planned. Now, instead of bringing the rookie back, Big Blue has to live with letting a seventh-round pick walk across town and suit up for a rival. It’s a frustrating and avoidable loss, even if it’s not exactly the biggest one.
But you know what? In a season where Schoen is under the microscope, every misstep matters. And losing a draft pick for nothing, especially to the Jets, is the kind of thing fans remember if the depth chart gets thin again and if/when he starts to make noise for the J-E-T-S. Look for Korie Black to be public enemy No. 1 when these teams meet again.