The Giants have an opening in the starting lineup as a perimeter cornerback who can play opposite Deonte Banks, and they appear to be the favorites to take the position, at least early in the spring.
“We’re looking forward to Phase 3 and the work we do in training camp,” coach Brian Daboll said Saturday during the second day of rookie minicamp. “But I have a lot of confidence in Flotto.”
That would be Cordale Flott, who is in his third year with the Giants.
Daboll rarely, if ever, brings up a player’s name unilaterally when the question is about the depth chart.
So Daboll is clearly keeping an eye on what Flott can bring to the defense.
Flott, a third-round pick out of LSU in 2022, started 13 games and played in 25 games in his first two seasons.
He has primarily played in the slot, but it looks like he will be groomed as an outside corner going forward.
Other options include Nick McLeod and Tre Hawkins.
Rookie Jrue Phillips, a third-round pick out of Kentucky, could use the inside track as a slot corner.
TE Teo Johnson, a fourth-round pick from Penn State, said he’s “hearing things” about Darren Waller’s possible retirement.
If Waller is indeed quitting football, which is a strong sign, Johnson has a direct path to significant playing time in his first season.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” Johnson said. “Let’s see how that changes.
More than 50 players are participating in this rookie camp in a tryout format.
That’s a big group.
“We don’t want anyone to fall through the cracks, so we invite as many people as possible and give them an opportunity,” Daboll said. “Maybe they sign one, maybe they sign two, maybe they don’t sign anything. I think it’s good for them to get a chance and if we I think it’s good to look at those guys who are doing it. If there’s someone we think is worth picking up and signing, we’ll do it.”
Asked if he remembers a tryout player having a big impact, Daboll quickly brought up the name of undrafted cornerback Malcolm Butler, who became the Patriots’ starter.
This is not a promising update. Per Daboll, cornerback Aaron Robinson is “still working with the rehabilitation team” during his voluntary training program.
Robinson, a third-round pick in 2021, played in just 11 games in his first two seasons and spent all of 2023 on injured reserve after undergoing knee surgery.
The two rookies participating in this camp as tryouts are relatives of players on the Giants’ roster. Chaz Neal, a 6-foot-9, 315-pound offensive tackle from Florida A&T, is the cousin of OT Evan Neal.
Defensive tackle Isaac Hodgins from Oregon State University is the younger brother of WR Isaiah Hodgins.
