As Joe Schoen and John Harbaugh look to rebuild the Giants’ secondary this offseason, they could turn to the free-agent market yet again to find an unexpected upgrade.
Nahshon Wright, fresh off a spectacular Pro Bowl campaign with the Chicago Bears, has emerged as a high-upside cornerback the Giants could target to solidify their defensive backfield. Standing at a towering 6’4″, Wright represents the exact physical profile Harbaugh coveted in Baltimore—a long, instinctive ball-hawk who can disrupt passing lanes and excel in the press-coverage schemes the Giants are looking to implement in 2026.
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The Breakout of a Turnover Machine
Nahshon Wright’s 2025 season was a statistical anomaly that saw him transform from a special teams ace into an All-Pro caliber starter. Playing on a one-year prove-it deal in Chicago, Wright exploded for 5 interceptions (tied for 1st among CBs), 11 pass deflections, and a league-leading 8 total takeaways when accounting for his three fumble recoveries.
| Season | Team | GP | Tackles | PDEF | INT | TD | FR | FF | Notes |
| 2021 | DAL | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Primarily Special Teams. |
| 2022 | DAL | 7 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | First career INT vs. Titans. |
| 2023 | DAL | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Limited by ankle injury. |
| 2024 | MIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Spent year on practice squad. |
| 2025 | CHI | 17 | 80 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | Pro Bowl Selection |
| Career | 50 | 111 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — |
His Week 1 74-yard pick-six against the Vikings set the tone for a year where he allowed a meager 94.7 passer rating despite being targeted 83 times. For a Giants defense that struggled to generate turnovers last season, adding a player with Wright’s nose for the ball should be a priority.
Wright Could be a Fit for Giants’ New Defensive Scheme
What makes Wright a particularly interesting target is his ability to thrive in a press-heavy coverage scheme, just like the one new DC Dennard Wilson is looking to implement. Wright’s length and 4.49 speed allow him to play the bully ball style of coverage that Harbaugh and Wilson are building.
At 6’4″, he has the rare wingspan to match up with the NFC East’s elite vertical threats like CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown. While critics point to his Week 17 struggles against the 49ers as a sign of inconsistency, his overall PFF grade of 65.1 (48th out of 114 CBs) suggests a player who provides high-end starting production with the ceiling to become a true shutdown corner in a scheme that prioritizes his length at the line of scrimmage.
Sign Wright or Extend Cor’Dale Flott?
Securing Wright won’t come cheap. After breaking out this season on a veteran-minimum salary, Wright’s market value has skyrocketed. Spotrac projects a three-year, $50 million contract (roughly $16.7M APY) as the starting point for his services. This contract projection is similar to the deal that the Giants’ impending free-agent CB Cor’Dale Flott could get this offseason.
Flott similarly broke out in a contract year this season and is set to get paid on the open market. The Giants might prefer to extend Flott over signing an outside addition like Wright, as the former is a home-grown talent with familiarity with the organization.
However, Wright might be a better schematic fit for Harbaugh and Wilson’s new defensive system, which will rely on height, physicality, and press-coverage skills to cover wide receivers. These are Wright’s strengths and arguably Flott’s weaknesses.
While the Giants are navigating a tight cap situation, Wright’s age (27) and durability (17 games played in 2025) make him a safer long-term investment than some other aging veterans on the open market. If Joe Schoen can structure a deal that keeps the team cap healthy, Wright could be an exciting addition to help transition the Giants’ secondary to play to the strengths of their new DC’s scheme in 2026.
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