The New York Giants spent most of their money and a lot of their time this offseason upgrading their secondary. General manager Joe Schoen understood the assignment.
After a disappointing second season from Deonte Banks and no real progress from anyone else on the roster outside of Dru Phillips, cornerback was always going to be a focus. Schoen brought in Paulson Adebo on a multi-year deal and used late-round picks and undrafted signings to raise the rest of the floor. Korie Black was one of those picks.
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With new secondary coach Marquand Manuel now leading the room, it’s a fresh slate for guys like Black to make an impression. But with training camp underway Wednesday, he’s already in danger of getting left behind.
Black started 38 games over five seasons at Oklahoma State. He was a two-time All-Big 12 honorable mention, served as a team captain, and appeared in over 60 career games. At his pro day, he ran a 4.35 40, posted a 39-inch vertical, and measured in with a 77.5-inch wingspan. The athleticism and size are there. So is the college production. But that might mean a whopping nothing when it's all said and done.
Korie Black’s training camp performance will make or break him
The G-Men have a relatively deep cornerback group — no one's confusing depth with being competitive, but it's got more bodies. There's competition on the team, but this is not some world-renowned CB unit.
Black is competing with multiple players who have already seen playing time. Art Green is entering his second season after playing in eight games last season. Tre Hawkins III has been in the system now three years and is coming off a strong spring. Even the real depth guys like Nic Jones and Dee Williams have NFL experience.
Black... does not. That puts pressure on every rep.
There’s also no clear argument for Black getting the edge. His coverage technique needs some refining. He’s had lapses in positioning. And while he’s aggressive in run support, his tackling form isn’t consistent. Big Blue hasn't had a seventh-round pick stick since 2007, when they selected Ahmad Bradshaw out of Marshall. Needless to say, history certainly isn't exactly in the 23-year-old's corner (pun intended).
Special teams will almost certainly be his best chance to make the team. He worked as a punt gunner earlier in his career and has shown physicality when closing. But he’ll need more than effort plays to hang around. The Giants will be watching closely when the first media-access practice kicks off Wednesday. If Black doesn’t make his presence felt early and often, his camp could quietly shift toward a practice squad push.
But even that won’t be a lock given how many players are in the mix. Black has a window. But it’s getting tighter.