The New York Giants have a new leader in the locker room with John Harbaugh calling the shots. Each team in the NFC East has restructured its roster in hopes of success in the upcoming 2026 season. We began a position-by-position look at the division on Wednesday by reviewing how the teams rank at safety. Today, we move to cornerback.
The team with the best positional group is assigned four points, and the “worst” receives one point. I’m sure it will be well received by all fan bases, of course. With
that, let’s talk cornerbacks!
Washington Commanders
Trey Amos, Mike Sainristil, Ahkello Witherspoon, Amik Robertson, Antonion Hamilton Sr., Tre Hawikns III, Tyler Owens, Darius Rush, Fred Davis II, Car’lin Vigers
Washington selected Trey Amos in the second round last season, and the young, talented cornerback struggled, surrendering a 68% catch rate with a 20% missed tackle rate. Amos is competing to be the CB2 behind Mike Sainristil.
Witherspoon was brought in from the Rams for depth, and he has a shot to start on the outside alongside Amos when Sainristil is in the slot. Amik Robertson will also compete for slot snaps, but he’s coming off a tough season with Detroit last year. Overall, the Commanders have questions in their corner room. They underperformed last season and no longer have Marshon Lattimore. Washington gets one point coming off a tough season; let’s see if Dan Quinn can turn things around this year.
Points: 1
Dallas Cowboys
DaRon Bland, Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel Jr., Devin Moore, Carson Caelen, Reddy Steward, Derion Kendrick, Zion Childress, Trikweze Bridges, Ameer Speed
Dallas has a solid starting tandem of Bland and Durant, and I’m high on Revel Jr., who tore his ACL in his final season at ECU. He struggled in his 334 snaps last season, but he is a talented player. Steward played a lot of slot snaps last season, and he figures to see a reduction in that role with Downs on the roster. Still, he and Carson are solid depth pieces.
Overall, Dallas added Durant and Downs, who will upgrade the secondary. I expect more output from Revel Jr., but I do have Dallas slightly behind New York.
Points: 2
New York Giants
Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome II, Dru Phillips, Colton Hood, Ar’Darius Washington, Tae Banks, Korie Black, Art Green, Rico Payton, Jarrick Bernard-Converse, Nic Jones
The Giants and Cowboys are close in this exercise – call me biased! But I gave the Giants the edge because of Paulson Adebo, Dru Phillips, Greg Newsome II, and rookie Colton Hood. Adebo is a slightly above-average starter in the NFL, similar to Bland’s play from the 2025 season. Like many Giants, Phillips had a down year in Shane Bowen’s system last season, and the addition of defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson – with his background in defensive back play – should help Phillips.
I am high on Hood as someone who can push Greg Newsome II for the starting job. Newsome II had good years in Cleveland, but struggled last season in Jacksonville. Still, the second cornerback spot, behind Adebo, will be occupied by the most competent of the two (Newsome II or Hood).
The Giants put themselves into a solid position this offseason, taking the burden of responsibility off the shoulders of Tae Banks, who should not be relied on as a starting cornerback. Ar’Darius Washington is the backup to Phillips in the slot, with Art Green, Korie Black, Rico Payton, Jarrick Bernard-Converse, and Nic Jones as depth.
Points: 3
Philadelphia Eagles
Quinyon Mitchell, Riq Woolen, Cooper DeJean, Jonathan Jones, Jakorian Bennett, Ambry Thomas, Keele Ringo, Tariq Castro-Fields, Mac McWilliams
The critical vulnerability for the Eagles in 2025 was their second starting outside cornerback. For much of the season, it was Adoree’ Jackson and Kelee Ringo who aligned opposite Quinyon Mitchell, with Cooper DeJean manning the slot. Jackson and Ringo were often picked on, and Vic Fangio was forced to get creative with his defense to stop most passing attacks targeting them.
Howie Roseman signed Super Bowl champion Riq Woolen to a one-year, $12-million contract that can reach $15-million, with the deal fully guaranteed. Woolen helps the Eagles solidify an impressive cornerback room with depth pieces like Jakorian Bennett, Ambry Thomas, and veteran Jonathan Jones, to go along with Ringo. The starting trio of Mitchell, Woolen, and DeJean earns the Eagles four points in this grading model.
Points: 4
Final thoughts
The Eagles have a stout defense and competent starting talent at all three cornerback spots. The Giants and Dallas are close, but Joe Schoen adding both Newsome and Hood to the cornerback room gives New York more options, although I appreciate Dallas’s depth and Revel’s upside. The Commanders were an easy one-pointer for this position group, but plenty can change over the course of the season, as we see every year.
