Top Three Cornerbacks the Giants Can Target in Free Agency

One of the glaring issues of the New York Giants is their gaping hole at CB1 in the secondary. While fans were pleased with the production of 2023 first-round pick, cornerback Tae Banks, in his rookie year, subpar performances marred his sophomore season. With the Giants needing to improve their secondary quickly, here are three cornerbacks I think the Giants should target in the 2025 NFL Free Agency.
- Carlton Davis
The former CB1 in Tampa Bay is expected to be in high demand this offseason if available. While Davis only played 13 games due to sustaining a fractured jaw in Week 15, his statistics (according to PFF*) rank above the average NFL cornerback. First, Davis is ranked 29th for CBs with an above-average grade of 74.5. Notably, his run defense grade (77.7) ranks 26th on the same scale. With a Giants defense that ranked 27th in rush defense according to Fox Sports, having a reliable rush-defending corner should be a distinct characteristic for a corner that the Giants target.
Finally, his overall coverage grade is 72.1, which places him 38th among corners to round out the overall grade. In terms of statistics, Davis had two interceptions, one forced fumble, and six pass breakups. Davis’ experience stands out because he is a seven-year veteran and a Super Bowl Champion (LV). Being the top corner of the market, Davis will be pricey for the Giants.
Given that Davis received a one-year, $14 million contract from the Lions this past offseason, I expect him to receive offers of around $18-19 million for four years. It is up to the Giants, though, to decide whether they want to spend almost half of their projected cap space this season on one player.
- Byron Murphy Jr.
The second corner the Giants could target is sixth-year veteran Byron Murphy Jr. Coming off his best season at age 27, Murphy seems to be hitting his stride as he enters his seventh season. His PFF grade of 72.8 is only four spots behind the aforementioned Davis, placing him 33rd among all CBs. Additionally, his coverage grade (72.6) is better than Davis’ but his run defense grade (68.0) is worse. Statistically, Murphy was one of the best corners in the NFL this season, with six interceptions (tied for 3rd in the NFL), 69 solo tackles (6th among all CBs), and 76 receptions allowed (3rd least for all corners). Murphy’s reward for all of this is that he’s a Pro Bowler for the first time in his career. Murphy’s play could not have come at a better time for the Giants who are trying to find a high-end cornerback who might not cost too much. Murphy’s average annual value (AAV) for his current contract is only $8.75 million, which favors the Giants in providing a respectable salary.

Due to the risk of Murphy’s play being good only because he is in a contract year, the Giants should aim for around $13-14 million and offer only three to four years. In this case, I view Murphy Jr. as coming in not to mentor Banks but to take the CB1 spot for himself, dropping Banks to CB2 on the depth chart. If the Giants keep Banks at CB1, they would have one of the premier CB2s in the NFL with Murphy Jr. Overall, signing Murphy Jr. is a win-win scenario in my book for the Giants and their secondary depth.
- Shaquill Griffin
The final CB the Giants could target is Murphy’s teammate Shaquill Griffin. Griffin, a Pro Bowler in 2019, is potentially looking at being on his fifth team in five seasons since he started his career in Seattle. One thing to note about Griffin is that he is not a ballhawk. Ever since his career-high three interceptions in 2020, Griffin has accumulated the same number in the past four seasons. His stats aren’t as eye-popping either, other than that his run defense grade is in the top 50 for all corners at 71.3. His overall and coverage grades of 64.3 and 62.4, respectively, just hover above the average for CBs in the NFL this past season.
In my opinion, Griffin’s skills translate best to being a quality CB2 for Banks, who can also mentor him along the way. Additionally, Griffin’s cap hit would most likely be very cap-friendly, given that his AAV was only $4.55 million this past season. Based on his age and previous contract value, I can see the Giants offering Griffin a two-year contract in the $5-6 million range, which is comparable to his current deal. With the signing of Griffin, the Giants will still have more than enough money to allocate cap space to other positions while filling a glaring hole in the secondary.
*= Any stat provided by PFF is out of 223 available CB