The New York Giants could be making another position change ahead of their Week Two matchup against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, as Cor’Dale Flott is expected to move over to the outside CB2 spot with Nick McCloud out with a knee injury, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
Cor’Dale Flott expected to start at CB2 against the Commanders
Flott spent most of Week One against the Minnesota Vikings playing in the slot, recording two tackles and allowing one reception on as many targets as possible. Now, he will see the bulk of his time on the outside with Deonte Banks as the Giants look to slow down Commanders’ quarterback Jayden Daniels and their talented playmakers.
Flott, 23, will be up for a big task in this one, as he might see time defending wide receiver Terry McLaurin in coverage. The move back to the outside will be a different look for the third-year cornerback, as he played most of his snaps in the slot last season.
However, he does have some experience playing on the outside, as he played 94% of his 285 defensive snaps in that position during his rookie campaign. In that same year, he recorded two pass breakups, 17 solo tackles, and a quarterback hurry. He earned a strong 70.7 Pro Football Focus pass coverage grade in his rookie season.
Could Adoree’ Jackson be back in the slot?
One does have to wonder whether or not the Giants will move Adoree’ Jackson back to the slot for Week Two, as he started on the outside in Week One. Jackson made the move to the slot at the start of last season but struggled immensely, which caused him to lose playing time as the Giants’ secondary was struggling.
Dru Phillips is another potential candidate to play in the slot. He played just 16 defensive snaps in Week One but looked good, recording three tackles (one for a loss) and a forced fumble.
It is still unclear exactly who will be starting back in the slot, though it will be interesting to see who will be tasked with that position in Week Two, and how they perform could determine the Giants’ defensive model the rest of the way. The Giants are still looking for ways to solve their lack of depth at the cornerback positions, and the hope is that Flott can deliver a strong performance on the outside with a core member of their defense out with an injury.