The Giants believed Cordell Flott was worth more than a nickel, so they acquired a cornerback on the cheap in the offseason.
With a great need for a starting outside cornerback, the Giants chose not to re-sign three-year starter Adoree Jackson or turn to another expensive veteran free agent.
They didn’t draft a new starter in the second round.
They didn’t turn to versatile defensive back Nick McCloud, who commands double Flott’s salary at $2.9 million, as their first in-house solution.
The 6-foot-2, 177-pound Flott was ruled ineligible as a nickelback who played 83 percent of defensive snaps in the slot last season.
When the Giants practiced Thursday, the 2022 third-round draft pick lined up as the No. 2 cornerback opposite Deonte Banks.
“This young man is a hard-working, conscientious kid who wants to do the right thing and play well and is naturally tough,” defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson said. “If he weighed 200 pounds, he would have been a bad boy.”
Flott, who is looking to put on some more weight, is one of the players most affected by the change in defensive coordinator from Wink Martindale to Shane Bowen.
Despite his ideal elongated build, Flott lacked the lower-body strength to stay healthy while playing Martindale’s every-down perimeter-press coverage style.
He was moved to the slot, a decision not everyone in the organization agreed with, and he struggled in training camp.
Bowen’s scheme calls for a physical tackler in the slot, where rookie third-round pick Jrue Phillips will play, but the off-ball zone coverage principles could better suit Flott to read and react on the perimeter.
“I’m excited about this opportunity,” Flott said. “The confidence that the coaching staff has in me, the confidence that the team has in me, it gives me confidence. I just have to continue to be the best version of myself. … I’ll have my back to the sideline, I’ll be able to see the quarterback and get more opportunities to make plays and get the ball.”
At 22, Flott is entering his third season and is still younger than four of the Giants’ six 2024 draft picks.
With the 23-year-old Banks, the Giants have the youngest starting cornerback duo in the NFL.
“To be honest, we don’t think about that,” Flott says. “We just want to be the best duo we can be.”
The Giants’ only insurance if Flott fails are rookies David Long Jr. (12 career starts) and Tre Hawkins (three games), who were signed at the veteran minimum, and slot-first cornerbacks McCloud (11 games) and Darnay Holmes (11 games).
After missing nine career games, Flott added “massages, acupuncture and increased compression boots” to his routine to reduce his risk of injury.
“He’s been great this offseason, studying and working hard,” Henderson said. “We’re looking for Flott to have a really productive, good year for us. We’re looking for him to really take a big leap and he’s working really hard to make that leap.”
The Giants proved that even before manager Brian Daboll expressed his confidence in Flott earlier this month.
General manager Joe Sean traded the higher of his two second-round picks, No. 39, to the Panthers in a package to acquire edge rusher Brian Barnes, then watched as four straight cornerbacks were selected Nos. 40 through 43.
The Giants held pre-draft meetings at their facility with Beau Melton (Cardinals) and Kool-Aid McKinstry (Saints), but did not trade up, instead drafting safety Tyler Nubin with the 47th overall pick.
“From year one through year three, I tried to take advantage of every opportunity, and there’s still that same sense of urgency,” Flott says. “The most important thing is that everyone is on their own timeline and you can’t compare yourself to what other people are doing.”
“The best thing you can do is take tips from the veterans and find out what works for you. Just listening to what the players think, that’s something I’ve started working on and I’ve gotten better at.”
Flott had the tough task of going up against former LSU teammate Malik Neighbors on Thursday.
The highly-touted first-round draft pick beat Flott on a double move for a touchdown, testing his explosiveness on and off the break.
“He’s definitely quick, so a lot of DBs are going to have to deal with that,” Flott said. “I’ve got to deal with that myself, too. It’s good to go up against him.”
The Giants’ offseason quiet at cornerback was a gamble that Flott would be able to hold his own in many tough matchups going forward.
