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Defensive back Korie Black has had the need, and he'll need the need for speed after the New York Giants helped him complete the first part of his NFL journey. Black was the Giants' seventh and final pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, hearing his name called as the 246th selection out of Oklahoma State. The five-year man had 14 pass breakups and four interceptions in the final two Stillwater seasons and was the eighth defensive back chosen by the Giants in the draft since the Joe Schoen era kicked off in 2022.
"Just being [in New York] ...
for the first time was really eye-opening. You always see New York in movies and stuff like that, but my first time just seeing it was amazing," Black recalled of his top 30 visit to the Giants facility. "I wanted to get picked a little bit earlier, but like one thing was just as long as I'm picked, especially by the Giants, because I took a top 30 visit there so it means a lot.
" Any seventh-round pick faces an obvious, if not unspoken, uphill battle to make his team's opening roster. Black's getting drafted was its battle won: not only was his 6-0, 190-lb. frame a concern in the eyes of defensive scouts, but he didn't land an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Undeterred, Black was impressed at OSU's pro day, posting a 40 time of 4.3, which placed him back on the Day 3 radar. The snub from Indianapolis, Black said, provided "fuel for the fire" and paved a more straightforward path to East Rutherford.
"[The pro day] was just me wanting to show that I was good enough to be invited to those things and stuff like that," Black said. "Being able to play as far as the corner, just being able to have makeup speed if needed and stuff like that ..
. I've always been the fastest on my team. It's been fun.
It's been good for sure." Should it linger on the roster come Week 1, Black's speed could also help the Giants' special teams live up to its name again, as he was lauded for his punt coverage with the Cowboys. The incoming seventh-rounder mentioned how playing both sides of the kick and punt return games helped him make a name for himself at OSU, which listed him at 160 lbs.
during his freshman campaign. Without that work, Black theorized that he might not be preparing for the coveted challenge of making an NFL roster as one of the final selections of the draft. It'd only be appropriate to leave a Big Blue mark similarly.
"During my earlier years, I wasn't as heavy, so like playing kick return and stuff like that, having to block was just kind of where I lacked at just because of my weight and stuff like that [was big]," Black explained. "Being able to play gunner and doing things like that was where I could really showcase just me being a good football player coming in. Because I wasn't playing as much defense, so just being able to show that I'm a good player using my speed and making plays really I feel like helped me with the rest of my career.
" Black is the first Oklahoma State alum the Giants have selected since 2021's sixth round, when they selected Cowboys defender Rodarius Williams. JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! Follow and like us on Facebook . Don't forget to check out our YouTube channel .
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