The New York Giants immediately made it clear what their priority was as soon as the free agency market opened in March.
The first splash move the Giants made this offseason came in the form of signing former New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo to a three-year deal worth $54 million, bolstering the cornerback position with a potential No. 1 option to lead the room.
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That decision by general manager Joe Schoen was recently praised by Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports, who named it the best move of the offseason for Big Blue.
The G-Men will ultimately sink or swim depending on what Brian Daboll can squeeze out of Joe Schoen’s entirely rebooted quarterback room. And taking a first-round flyer on Jaxson Dart’s dual-threat potential could pay off, even with Russell Wilson in place as the passing placeholder. For now, Adebo looks like the best bet to make an immediate impact as a proven ballhawk at cornerback.
As a former first-round pick, Deonte Banks has yet to live up to the billing of his draft capital and the Giants needed to find a viable running mate on the opposite side of the defensive formation in Shane Bowen’s scheme. Coming in at $18 million per season may be a bit steep for a player coming off an injury, but it’s still tied for 15th at the position.
Abedo, 25, was originally a third-round pick with the Saints in the 2021 NFL draft out of Stanford. At 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds, Adebo has appeared in 52 games (51 starts) since entering the league. He was limited to just seven games in 2024 after suffering a broken femur in October, which ended his season immediately.
Throughout his career, Adebo has recorded 10 interceptions, seven of which have come over the course of the last two seasons. He’s also added 43 passes defensed along with an 85.4 passer rating and 7.8 yards per target, per Pro Football Reference.
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The pass rush will carry the Giants’ defense, but the addition of Adebo could help increase the ceiling of the entire unit.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants’ $54 million signing named team’s best offseason move