One former New York Giants starting cornerback has found a new NFL home.
“Vikings signing former Giants corner Tre Hawkins III, per a league source,” NFL reporter Aaron Wilson wrote on his official X account on Tuesday morning.
Hawkins, 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, was a 6th-round pick (No. 209 overall) by the Giants in the 2023 NFL Draft and played 2 seasons in New York, with 3 starts as a rookie.
He spent 2025 with the Washington Commanders, who released him on August 2.
“The Vikings have signed former Giants CB Tre Hawkins,” Giants reporter Doug Rush wrote on his official X account. “Hawkins was a 7th round pick of the Giants from the 2023 NFL Draft. Hawkins had an impressive camp that summer, but it didn’t translate to the games once he was on the field. Hawkins only played in 3 games for the Giants in 2024 and was cut before the 2025 season. Hawkins played in 1 game in 2025 with the Commanders and then after several workouts around the league this summer, Hawkins will now try to make the Vikings roster. Hawkins has 45 total tackles with an interception in 21 career games played.”
Tre Hawkins Took Unusual Path to NFL
Hawkins took an unusual path to becoming an NFL Draft pick — including 2 years at Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College followed by 3 seasons at Old Dominion.
He cemented his draft stock by running the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds at ODU’s Pro Day.
“Hawkins will be a project for teams interested in press corners with above-average athletic traits,” NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his 2023 pre-draft evaluation. “He’s given up a lot of touchdowns, but those issues were often due to a lack of awareness and ball skills at the finish line. He showed off speed, suddenness and explosive leaping ability at his pro day, but those elements don’t show up on tape often enough due to a lack of instincts as a playmaker. There are some tools to tinker with, but Hawkins will need to make significant strides in his development to make a team.”
Giants Could Still Make Trade for Starting CB
The Giants aren’t set up very well at cornerback right now, which means they are a popular target to entertain a trade for disgruntled Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay put the Giants at the top of his list of trade destinations for Porter, who is butting heads with his current team over a contract extension.
In Kay’s trade pitch, the Giants give up a 2027 2nd-round pick and 2027 6th-round pick for Porter.
“The New York Giants have had a transformational offseason and seem ready to emerge as a contender again after some lean years, but their cornerback position still appears to be a bit shaky,” Kay wrote on August 25. “Adding Joey Porter Jr. into the mix would massively improve the secondary and give Big Blue the elite defensive back it needs to contend with the talented NFC East wideouts it is set to come up against in 2026.”
Former New York Giants Starter Signs With Vikings