The New York Giants traded up in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to select Tae Banks — so far, it has not worked out. New York attempted to rectify the mistake by signing Paulson Adebo to a three-year, $54-million contract last off-season. Adebo is fine, but the loss of Cor’Dale Flott to the Tennessee Titans in free agency puts the Giants right back into a position where they need assistance at cornerback. New York signed Greg Newsome III to a one-year contract as a stopgap, but depth and future
plans are needed for Dennard Wilson’s defense.Here are several options to consider on each day of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Day 1
Mansoor Delane, LSU
New York didn’t have Delane in for a Top-30 visit just for fun. Delane finished his college career with an insane 47.5% catch rate and he allowed a catch on just 40% of his passes at LSU – he only surrendered 14 catches! He only missed 10.6% of his tackles in college, and allowed ZERO touchdowns in 2025, but allowed 10 through his college career, including seven in 2024 – his final year at VA Tech. He also only committed seven penalties in his college career – ZERO in 2025.
Delane has more than enough athletic traits to thrive as a cornerback one in the National Football League. He is a sticky man coverage corner with good line of scrimmage skills and press ability, while also having the mental makeup to execute more complex pattern match principles. Delane possesses elite anticipation + short area burst to quickly restrict space and close width through receivers. He is a weapon vs. quick game and does an excellent job striding out and harassing downfield. Delane is a reliable run defender who isn’t afraid
Delane is a suffocating presence in man coverage and has the anticipation/eyes to thrive in zone, while being a willing and capable run defender. Overall, Mansoor Delane is a slightly undersized outside cornerback with excellent man coverage and press skills, while being a difference making – high processing – zone defender. Delane will be a cornerback one for a team, possibly as soon as year one.
Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
McCoy’s 2024 tape was exceptional, but the talented 6-foot, 188-pound cornerback tore his ACL in January of 2025, which forced him to miss his entire junior season. McCoy allowed just a 50% catch rate in 2024 with four interceptions and six passes defensed. McCoy is a loose-hipped cornerback who is sticky in man coverage. He’s physical, smart, with excellent ball skills and technique, while being sufficient in run support. His medicals will define how high he is drafted, and the Giants had him in for a Top-30 visit to possibly ascertain the clearest idea about the seriousness of his injury.
Day 2
Colton Hood, Tennessee
Another Tennessee Volunteer who played a dictating press-man brand of football using his 5-11, 193-pound frame:
Hood is a balanced and controlled mover with sufficient vertical speed and excellent explosiveness when triggering downhill. His transitions and movement skills are ideal for a starting NFL cornerback, and he does fit the run well. Hood started his college career at Auburn, then transferred to Colorado for the 2024 season before finishing at Tennessee. He allowed a 55% catch rate in college with three interceptions and 10 pass deflections.
Chris Johnson, San Diego State
Johnson is a high-processing cornerback with excellent recovery speed, anticipation, and physicality to fit the run. He’s not the thickest defensive back in the draft, nor is he the fastest, but he can read and bait better than most cornerbacks in college, while being a durable impact special teams asset.
An elite 41.9% catch rate was accomplished by Johnson in 2025. He allowed jsut 18 catches on 43 targets and he missed just 5.4% of his tackles through his college career — elite! Johnson also recorded four interceptions and five passes defensed in 2025, while finishing his career with six and ten, respectively.
Johnson is more than just a special teamer; of course, he has the upside to be a very good starting number one cornerback, who excels with technique, footwork, fluid hips, which allow him to be naturally sticky in coverage, while thriving with his eyes and discernment in zone coverage. He met with the Giants at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State
A tall, long, cornerback with good speed and athletic ability to be a starting outside cornerback in the NFL. Igbinosun, too, met with the Giants at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
Igbinosun posted a 47.8% catch rate in 2025 and finished his college career with a 53% catch rate. He knocked down 19 passes and picked off 4, but his 30 penalties were maddening and a problem on his profile.
Igbinosun played mostly in Matt Patricia’s Cover-3 defense but executed plenty of man coverage assignments. While he is grabby in coverage, he does offer solid line of scrimmage and press-man skills. Joe Schoen stated that he watched A LOT of Ohio State film — which makes a ton of sense given the amount of talent on that defense — so it’s plausible that he may explore Igbinosun somewhere on day two, and the former Buckeye would compete with Banks and Newsome for a starting spot next to Adebo.
Day 3
Will Lee III, Texas A&M
Lee started every game for the Aggies over two seasons. He allowed an impressive 47.2% catch rate in 2024 and a 54.2% catch rate this season. He committed six penalties in 2025 and five in 2024. Will Lee III had just an 11.6% missed tackle rate in college. Lee played both boundary and field side corner for the Aggies, with just 55 total snaps over the slot.
Lee has an excellent blend of athletic ability, length, and smoothness, which allows him to thrive as a man coverage defender; these skills are coupled with excellent football IQ and a disruptive nature that allows him to effectively harass opposing receivers.
He’s a controlled mover in coverage with excellent man coverage upside and he’s solid in zone; he could stand to be less grabby in man coverage when it’s unnecessary. Lee is not a liability in run defense, but there were instances where he took questionable angles downhill and he’s a big throw my shoulder low into you type of tackler, which led to missed attempts, albeit he is aggressive when he attacks downhill. Overall, Lee has the requisite coverage skills, athletic upside, mentality, and technique to start in the NFL
Thaddeus Dixon, North Carolina
The Washington transfer started seven games for the Tar Heels in 2025, but an upper-body injury forced him to miss half the season. Still, the Giants have brought him in for a visit.
He allowed a 61.5% catch rate with North Carolina, but just a 47.1% rate in 2024 with Washington. He has mostly played outside cornerback in his career. He has just 2 interceptions in his career, but he has knocked down 20 balls. While not dominant in one specific area of his game, he is adequate and reliable in many aspects of playing cornerback. He could be a nice option for the Giants late in the 2026 NFL Draft.
