The New York Giants are depending on a young and inexperienced secondary to lead their defense this season. Numerous players with minimal experience will be stepping into starting roles in the defensive backfield.
Second-year cornerback, Deonte Banks will lead the secondary as he assumes his role as the team’s primary coverage man. However, opposite Banks is another young cornerback with the potential to boom or bust.
Cor’Dale Flott lands a spot on the CBS Sports All-Breakout Team
Cor’Dale Flott is the projected starter opposite Banks as he enters a crucial third season. Flott has spent the majority of his career so far playing nickel cornerback but is expected to take over on the boundary this year. While his inexperience in that role could be looked at as a potential weakness, some believe a breakout campaign is in store for Flott.
In a recent article crafting the NFL’s 2024 All-Breakout Team, CBS Sports writer Josh Edwards featured Flott as one of three cornerbacks he envisions taking a big step forward this season:
“Flott would have been a member of my better than team coming into the draft had I written one, so there is some bias at play here,” Edwards wrote, explaining that he has long been a fan of Flott’s game. “The reality is that a slot cornerback was needed for this team and the honorable mention cornerbacks and safety profiled more in other roles. Flott is worth a flier as he takes on an expanded role.”
Also listed along with Flott were New England Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez and Houston Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. Both Gonzalez and Stingley are former first-round picks. Meanwhile, Flott is a former third-round pick who entered the league with lower expectations than his peers on this All-Breakout Team. He could exceed all expectations with a solid third season in the league.
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The Giants are depending on Flott to break out this season
To this point in his career, Flott has played only 853 defensive snaps across two seasons. He appeared in 11 games with six starts as a rookie and followed that up with 14 games played and seven starts last season.
In 2023, Flott totaled 36 combined tackles, five pass defenses, one forced fumble, and one interception. According to Pro Football Focus, 432 of Flott’s defensive snaps last season came aligned as a slot cornerback. Meanwhile, he only spent 45 snaps on the year as a wide corner.
The Giants are taking a big risk projecting Flott as their second starting outside cornerback this season. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound cornerback has the skill set to compete on the boundary, but doesn’t have the experience just yet. He will have to win the starting job officially during training camp this summer. But Flott does have the potential to embark on a major breakout campaign for the Giants if he wins the job.
