New York Giants: Cornerback prospects to target in the later rounds

The New York Giants are gearing up for the 2021 NFL Draft after a successful free agency period. The Giants made a few splash signings in free agency. One key signing that the Giants made was that of Adoree’ Jackson, a talented cornerback that could help make the Giants’ defense one of the top units in the NFL this season.

But the Jackson signing was a case where the Giants took a chance on a talented player with the potential for excellence, but the same amount of risk that brings the potential for disaster. Adoree’ has dealt with significant injuries over the past couple of years. But now he is healthy and the Giants are confident he can remain healthy and return to form.

Regardless, the Giants should look to add more depth to their secondary. It never hurts to have extra defensive backs on the roster. Cornerbacks and safeties are injured pretty frequently and New York knows all too well the struggles that can come from starting backup cornerbacks on Sundays. To prepare for that scenario, the Giants should target some solid cornerback prospects in the later rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Cornerback prospects to target in the later rounds

Tay Gowan

The Giants love tall, physical cornerbacks with the speed and length to matchup on the outside. Tay Gowan out of UCF fits that bill perfectly. At his Pro Day, Gowan was listed just under 6 feet 1 inch, 186 pounds, and flew in the 40-yard dash at 4.41 seconds.

Gowan’s speed and athleticism are noticeable on tape. However, there is not much tape to watch. This is why Gowan could be overlooked and fall to the later rounds of the draft. Tay Gowan opted out of the 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19 concerns. But in 2019, he was phenomenal. Tay has allowed the second-lowest passer rating allowed in single coverage since 2019 with a rating of 26.6 (PFF).

We had the opportunity to speak to Tay Gowan on Fireside Giants. Check out that exclusive interview here.

Thomas Graham Jr.

The Giants love drafting Senior Bowl standouts. Oregon cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. stood out as one of the best prospects at the Senior Bowl this year. Graham is a day two or three cornerback prospect for the Giants to target this month.

Graham Jr. is another prospect that opted out of the 2020 season. Mike Renner of PFF mentioned how many of the opt-out players at the Senior Bowl looked rusty. But according to Mike and every other talent evaluator in Mobile during the Senior Bowl, Thomas Graham Jr. was not one of those players. Graham did not look rusty at all.

Thomas Graham Jr. locked down all the top wide receiver prospects at the Senior Bowl. In his career at Oregon, Graham racked up 183 tackles, 40 Passes Defended, 8 Ints, and 10.5 TFL. He was an exceptional talent on Oregon’s defense.

Benjamin St-Juste

Benjamin St-Juste is another big-bodied outside cornerback that would make a nice addition to the Giants’ defense in the middle rounds. St-Juste is freakishly built for a cornerback, 6-foot-3, 205 pounds with an insane 80 1/4 wingspan.

This lengthy cornerback out of Minnesota has all the physical tools to be an elite press-man cornerback in the NFL. He has the size, length, and strength to succeed as a boundary cornerback. He is not an elite athlete, but he is a technical cornerback that the Giants could develop into a capable player outside.

Benjamin St-Juste is another player that stood out at the Senior Bowl. His 2019 season was an impressive campaign that saw Benjamin break up 10 passes and total 45 tackles. St-Juste is a physical cornerback and a textbook tackler. If he is available for the Giants in the later rounds, Benjamin St-Juste seems like a player that could fit nicely into Patrick Graham’s defensive scheme.