NFL free agency: CB options for the Giants this offseason

The Giants need to find a starter opposite Deonte Banks

The New York Giants selected cornerback Deonte Banks in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. New York still has concerns about their cornerback position despite the Banks’ investment and the third-round selection of Cor’Dale Flott in the previous draft.

Veteran cornerbackss Adoree’ Jackson and Darnay Holmes are both set to be free agents. Aaron Robinson, Tre Hawkins III, and Nick McCloud are the only other cornerbacks on the roster. Robinson was missing in action last season, while Hawkins III had a humbling experience early in the season. I appreciate McCloud’s game and believe he may have been underutilized throughout the 2023 season.

Still, the Giants have uncertainty in their secondary, with Shane Bowen looking to install his defense. The cornerback room needs depth and possibly still needs a reliable starting cornerback two, depending on Flott’s development through the offseason.

The elephant in the room is money. OverTheCap.com says the Giants will enter the 2024 season with $32.862 million in cap space. New York would have to get creative to out-bid some of the top cornerbacks on the market, who still have a chance to be franchise-tagged by their respective teams.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at five cornerbacks that may fit what the Giants are looking for in free agency.

L’Jarius Sneed

Can the Giants afford Sneed? Perhaps not, but the 27-year-old is exactly what the Giants could use opposite Banks. Spotrac.com calculated Sneed’s market value at $16.3 million per year, putting him just north of J.C. Jackson of the Patriots and under Tre’Davious White of the Bills. I believe Sneed, if not franchise-tagged, will earn closer to Marlon Humphrey (Ravens) and Trevon Diggs (Cowboys) money ($19.5 million a year).

Sneed has 303 career tackles in four seasons, with 19 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles, 40 passes defended, and 10 interceptions. He also has 6.5 sacks and 43 pressures. Former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has relied on Sneed as a number-one cornerback and has not been disappointed. It seems like a pipe dream, but Sneed would be an excellent addition.

Sean Murphy-Bunting

Shane Bowen had Murphy-Bunting last season, where the 26-year-old cornerback played 840 snaps, mostly at left cornerback. Murphy-Bunting won the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who selected him in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Central Michigan. Spotrac.com is valued at $6.7 million annually, with a projected worth of $ 13.5 million over two years.

He has 245 career tackles, three for a loss, six forced fumbles, 29 passes defended, and eight career interceptions. He has 2,056 career snaps out wide at cornerback and 1,246 in the slot, which gives him extra value due to versatility. Murphy-Bunting allowed a 69.4% catch rate throughout his career but only a 65.2% rate last season. He could be a familiar option for the Giants in March.

Kristian Fulton

Yes, another Tennessee Titan. It’s easy to draw the connection, but Fulton is a player I liked dating back to his time at LSU. He was a sticky annoying coverage cornerback who thrived in coverage in the SEC, and he seemed to carry that play style into the NFL.

Fulton has allowed a 61.3% catch rate while mostly operating as an outside CB (1,915 career snaps on the outside). He has 150 career tackles, six for a loss, a sack, 25 passes defended, and four interceptions. Fulton does get grabby, and he has 17 career penalties, 11 in the past two seasons. He also had 11 missed tackles last season – a 20.4% missed tackle rate.

Spotrac.com has Fulton earning $ 6.7 million a year on a projected three-year, $20.3-million contract. The former second-round pick is only 25 years old and is 5-foot-11, 197 pounds, with 30⅝-inch ” arms. Fulton would be an upside familiar option for the Giants.

Dane Jackson

Joe Schoen helped identify Pitt rookie Dane Jackson in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Jackson joined the Bills and has played 2,276 defensive snaps over the last four years. He played over 2,000 snaps at outside cornerback, recording 28 career passes defended and three interceptions. Jackson also has 152 career tackles, two for a loss, two forced fumbles, and a catch rate of 60.9%.

Jackson is just 27 years old, and Spotrac.com has him earning an average annual salary of $3.1 million. I’m curious to see if Schoen attempts to add a familiar face he presumably trusts to a different defense under Shane Bowen.

Keisean Nixon

The 26-year-old 2019 undrafted veteran enters free agency after consecutive breakout seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Nixon was previously with the Raiders. Nixon only played 274 defensive snaps with the Raiders through three seasons. He was mostly a special teams player.

Nixon continued his special teams’ prowess in Green Bay, where he had 65 kick returns for a 26.4 yards per return average with one touchdown through two seasons. He was also an effective punt returner. He has 141 career tackles, four for a loss, nine passes defended, two interceptions, and a half sack in his career.

Nixon played 752 snaps in the slot through the 2023 season, with 60 snaps at outside cornerback. If the Giants choose to use Flott outside, Nixon could be a veteran option to replace Holmes in the slot. Spotrac.com has Nixon only earning $1.7 million per year.