The New York Giants will have several critical needs heading into the NFL offseason, and while most are focused on wide receiver (perhaps deservedly so), there is another position the Giants must prioritize after 2025 concludes: cornerback.

The Giants attempted to address their secondary last spring by signing cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland in free agency, but both players have dealt with injuries and have been rather disappointing overall.

I'm expecting bigger things from Adebo and Holland in 2026, but with Deonte Banks looking more and more like an absolute bust and Cor'Dale Flott hitting the open market, New York must look at adding more defensive backs, particularly at the cornerback position (although another safety wouldn't hurt, either).

The Giants may very well end up with a top-five pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and my stance on the pick has been very clear: trade down. That way, New York can pick up some more draft picks to more adequately fill out the roster.

It would also give the Giants the opportunity to nab Mississippi State cornerback Kelley Jones, who may very well be the best corner — or at least the one with the highest ceiling — in this upcoming draft class.

There is a lot to like about Jones. He stands 6-foot-4 and is an absolutely freakish athlete, possessing both physicality and elite speed at the position. In 2025, he has logged 27 tackles, a couple of interceptions and leads the SEC with 11 passes defended.

New York absolutely needs a dominant presence like that in its defensive backfield, and if the Giants are able to re-sign Flott, too, the addition of Jones would actually give them a fearsome cornerback unit provided that Adebo improves in 2026.

Yes, I understand the need for a wide receiver, and I would be perfectly fine with a wide receiver pick in the first round, as well. But you can generally find good receivers littered throughout the NFL Draft, and New York may be able to pick up someone like Denzel Boston, Chris Bell or Chris Brazzell in the second round. And there are plenty of more options, too.

Of course, much of this also depends on what the Giants decide to do with Wan'Dale Robinson, who is slated to become a free agent, but it's really hard to ignore the glaring need in Big Blue's secondary. It's been a problem for quite some time, too.

Jones is just the example here. Tennessee's Jermod McCoy is another possibility, although him missing all of 2025 with a torn ACL scares me. You also have Clemson's Avieon Terrell, LSU's Mansoor Delane, etc.

It's clear that New York needs plenty of help defensively, and the biggest problem for the team lies within the back end. That's why cornerback should be a top position on the Giants' draft board.