Whether or not Paulson Adebo of the New York Giants is a No. 1 shutdown NFL cornerback is something we will find out this season.
Adebo, one of the Giants’ major offseason free-agent acquisitions, is undoubtedly a good player. Good enough, in fact, to crack the top 100 NFL players list being compiled by Doug Farrar of SB Nation.
Adebo checks in at No. 95. Farrar writes:
Over his last two seasons, the only thing that has kept Pauson Adebo from his rightful ranking as one of the NFL’s best outside cornerbacks
is health. In those two seasons for the New Orleans Saints, Adebo allowed 84 catches on 145 targets for 1,181 yards, 418 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, seven interceptions, 18 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 68.8.
That’s the good side. The unfortunate side is that Adebo lost time in 2023 due to a hamstring injury, and he suffered a broken femur in Week 7 last year, which cost him the rest of his season. The New York Giants still realized his value, giving him a three-year, $54 million contract with $38.5 million guaranteed, so Adebo’s contract year worked out in a positive sense.
What’s interesting about the fit with the Giants and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is that Bowen isn’t a big fan of press coverage – Big Blue played it on just 33% of their snaps in 2024, the third-lowest rate in the NFL – and Adebo is at his best when pressing opposing receivers. The Saints played press on 79% of their snaps last season, tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the NFL’s second-highest rate (behind only the Kansas City Chiefs). Last season when pressing his opponents, Adebo allowed seven catches on 17 targets for 92 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, three pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 34.2.
Adebo isn’t limited to press coverage, which bodes well for his new home, but the overriding point is that when healthy, he’s become one of the game’s best aggressive pass defenders.
The Giants have been pleasantly surprised by the leadership the 26-year-old Adebo has shown. “Leadership” was the first word cornerbacks coach Jeff Burris used when I asked him about Adebo in the spring.
“Every day he’s out here probably 30 minutes before just doing little small details,” Burris said. “Even when we’re watching film or doing drills, he’s doing technique stuff. Every day. Consistently.
“That’s what you need. That’s what young guys need to see is a true pro that’s working on the small details because at the end of the day those are the kinds of things that bring consistency.”
The Giants are counting on Adebo to be the No. 1 cornerback they have not truly had since James Bradberry had a Pro Bowl season for them in 2021. One concern, though, might be that Pro Football Focus shows Adebo staying on the left side on 94.4% of his snaps over his first four seasons. He has exclusively been at left cornerback this preseason.
Adebo thinks he can travel with a wide receiver and switch sides if needed.
“For me, it’s always no matter who you’re guarding. The job doesn’t change. Obviously, there are guys who are very skilled and maybe they can do certain things better than other receivers, but your approach to the game as far as knowing that this is going to be your assignment, this is what you have to do, I don’t think it changes too much.
With a new team, Adebo is proving himself all over again.
Adebo: “I think every time you come into training camp, you kind of look at what you did well from the past season, look at what you didn’t do well, and then you understand it’s a clean slate,” he said. “Regardless of what happened last year, you’ve got to show it again. That’s the thing about being consistent in this league. That’s what gets you the notoriety or whatever. So, I think you just wipe the clean slate, you look at what you did well, look at what you can improve on, and then you also understand that, ‘Hey, it’s a new team, it’s a new system,’ and you’ve got to come bring it every single day.‘”
What do you think, Giants fans? Is Adebo a top 100 NFL player?
