The New York Giants have a diamond in the rough.
The New York Giants went just 4-13 this past season, but that doesn't mean there weren't any bright spots.
In fact, the Giants displayed a plethora of reasons to be excited about the future, and now that John Harbaugh is leading the charge, New York could be back in the playoffs sooner than anyone anticipated.
While Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, Brian Burns and Abdul Carter are the biggest names, the Giants also have some lesser-known players who flashed serious skill in 2025, and one of them is cornerback Cor'Dale Flott.
In fact, Zach Tantillo of Pro Football Focus has listed Flott among his "secret superstars" from this past season.
"It is hard to be a secret in New York, but the Giants’ 4-13 record made Cor’Dale Flott’s 2025 season underappreciated," Tantillo wrote. "He was arguably New York’s best coverage defender, allowing a team-low 51.6% completion rate and giving up just one touchdown. When targeting Flott, opposing quarterbacks posted a 71.0 passer rating, the best mark among Giants defenders."
Flott registered 38 tackles, an interception and 11 passes defended in 14 games this past season, managing a respectable 69.6 coverage grade at PFF.
Here's the problem: the 24-year-old is slated to hit free agency, and Spotrac is projecting him to land a four-year, $38 million contract.
Cor'Dale Flott. Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images.While that isn't major money, New York has very limited financial flexibility at the moment. Big Blue has just $7.9 million in cap space, and while the Giants can open up more money via various avenues, re-signing Flott could prove difficult.
It's important to remember that wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson is also hitting the open market, so New York may ultimately have to decide between Flott and Robinson ... if it is able to keep either player at all.
Flott seems to be the more important piece to retain given the fact that the Giants do have a No. 1 receiver in Nabers, and they could always just select Carnell Tate with the No. 5 pick of the NFL Draft.
The cornerback position is trickier. New York doesn't have another truly reliable corner on the roster (unless Paulson Adebo bounces back in 2026), and there may not be any cornerbacks worth taking with a top-five selection.
Plus, Flott will certainly come cheaper than Robinson, so re-signing him and allowing the latter to walk would retain some financial wiggle room.
A former third-round pick, there is no doubt that Flott has established himself as one of the most underrated defensive backs in all of football.
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