The New York Giants rebuilt their secondary in free agency this offseason with a pair of marquee signings in CB Paulson Adebo and S Jevon Holland. But those moves didn’t stop them from adding more high-upside depth to the defensive backfield in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Giants took a chance on Oklahoma State CB Korie Black in the seventh round of the draft, adding another young talent with elite speed to the unit.
Giants landed a cornerback with elite speed in Round 7
Black is an intriguing prospect with plenty of tools and traits to develop into a solid contributor at the next level. The 6-foot, 192-pound defensive back has the requisite size and athleticism for the position. He was a three-year starter at the collegiate level who turned in his best performance as a senior. In 2024, Black totaled three interceptions and nine pass defenses.
NFL.com projected Black as a fifth-round pick, indicating the Giants got excellent value out of their seventh-round draft choice. In Lance Zierlein’s scouting report, he described Black as having “good size and showed elite speed at his pro day.” He ran a 4.35s 40-yard dash at his pro day, earning an 8.42 relative athletic score.
Depth is crucial in the secondary — a lesson the Giants have learned the hard way in recent years as injuries have taken their toll on the unit. Adding a prospect such as Black with plenty of experience and projectable physical tools and traits should help them hedge their bets on the defensive backfield.
Black played five years at the collegiate level, appearing in 62 games and making 38 starts. In addition to his ability to add depth in the secondary, Black could also be an impact player on special teams. He was a gunner on the Oklahoma State special teams unit in 2021. The Giants will likely get him involved in that facet of the game early in Black’s career.
