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The New York Giants appear fully aware they need to address cornerback during the 2023 NFL draft. They are showing “interest” in Cam Smith, already “hosting him on a facility visit after dining with him before South Carolina’s Pro Day,” according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.
Smith is an intriguing prospect in a class loaded at the position. He’s been compared favorably to Sean Murphy-Bunting, who won Super Bowl LV with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to cap the 2020 season by Bleacher Report’s Cory Giddings.
There have been other notable comparisons made, including the Draft Network’s Joe Marino likening Smith to Atlanta Falcons’ shutdown star A.J. Terrell. Smith making good on either comparison would suit the Giants, who need an effective corner to pair with veteran Adoree’ Jackson and add a spark to a secondary short on turnovers last season.
South Carolina Ace Becoming Common Name in Giants’ Draft Rumors
This isn’t the first time the Giants’ keenness on Smith has been revealed. A similar report in March noted how the Giants were performing due diligence by researching Smith’s game and intangibles.
The interest appears genuine and make sense based on Smith’s scheme fit for the Giants’ defense. Coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale calls a blitz-heavy game that requires cornerbacks to play one-on-one on the outside more often.
Smith suits this style, per Marino, who described the former Gamecocks’ star as a “twitchy athlete with good speed, loose hips, and quick feet that lead to sticky reps in man coverage.” Giddings also believes Smith “is regarded as one of the best man cover guys in this draft.”
These descriptions are endorsed by the player himself, who told reporters at the Scouting Combine “press man” is his preferred method of coverage, per Andrew Wilbar of SB Nation’s Behind The Steel Curtain:
Sticking to receivers helped Smith post six interceptions and 18 pass breakups during his collegiate career. Playing in the SEC often put Smith up against some of the best wide receivers in the country, giving him a fair chance to be pro ready ahead of schedule.
At 6’1″ and 187 pounds, Smith has a similar physical profile to 6’0″, 195-pounder Smith-Bunting and 6’1″, 195-pound Terrell. Both veterans are able to lockup receivers at the line and stay plastered as routes develop.
Smith showed off the same traits on this play highlighted by Predominantly Orange contributor Patrick Chiotti:
Corners who can cover like this know how to handle the pressure of being isolated in one-on-one matchups. They are essential to defensive coordinators who send pressure as often as Martindale.
He can manufacture the rush with sophisticated blitz designs, but there’s no substitute for talent on the back end.
Giants Worryingly Thin at Corner
Nobody blitzed at a higher rate than the Giants’ 39.7 percent last season, but the number will be hard to repeat in front of a defensive backfield thin on the outside. Jackson can be stellar, but he’s hardly supported by a batch of unconvincing potential partners.
Amani Oruwariye was signed during free agency following a down year with the Detroit Lions. He doesn’t look like starter-material at this stage, while the same complaint can be levied against Nick McCloud, Darnay Holmes and Cor’Dale Flott.
A lack of elite-level talent at the position explains why Martindale’s secondary tallied a mere six interceptions last season, tied for fewest in the NFL with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The defensive backfield has already taken a hit after free safety Julian Love bolted to the Seattle Seahawks. Bobby McCain arrived from the Washington Commanders to plug the gap, but the situation remains far from as straightforward at cornerback.
It’s an issue the Giants should have little trouble solving during a draft offering more than a few ball hawks capable of starting on day one next season.
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