New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks spent the summer accomplishing two clear missions: earning John Harbaugh’s favor and telling his critics to go kick rocks.
Granted, the two are essentially intertwined, but Banks nonetheless deserves immense credit for how quickly he turned things around. Not only was he coming off the bench during May’s offseason workouts, but we openly wondered whether the Giants would trade him ahead of Week 1.
Shows what we know. Banks had no problem cementing his place on the 53-man roster, and he’ll open this year as a backup. On its own, that doesn’t sound impressive, especially considering that he’s a former first-round pick who had his fifth-year option declined.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen nonetheless told reporters that he’s “proud” of how Banks has fought to revive his career under a new coaching staff.
“Corner’s not an easy position,” Schoen said. “Your confidence can go up and down. And he’s continued to battle and fight [and] he’s taken advantage of the opportunity that he had this year."
New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks cannot waste his shot at redemption
Schoen elected not to trade Banks or Kayvon Thibodeaux, the latter of whom has completely fallen under the radar in recent weeks. That in itself is its own conversation, though the Giants notably listed Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter as co-starters at the SAM linebacker spot.
As for Banks, all signs point to him receiving significant snaps against the Cowboys next Sunday. For as much criticism as Dak Prescott gets, there is no denying that Dallas has a potent passing game. Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Denard Wilson should want every healthy and capable defensive back on the field to stop CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
Even if he’s coming off the bench, Banks has an excellent chance to completely change the narrative about his career and his future. He’s still only 25 years old, and a solid season could easily net him a multi-year deal next spring. We just saw the Titans guarantee $14 million to Daniel Bellinger so he can be a blocking tight end.
Maybe we’re doing Banks a disservice by thinking so far ahead, but can you blame us? If Harbaugh and Schoen didn’t think that he could still contribute, they’d have sent him packing for a future Day 3 pick during final cuts if not earlier. But here he is, preparing to start his fourth season in New York — and much like Thibodeaux, we’re not hearing anything about his job security.
The ball is in Banks’ court, and we’ll see whether it’ll land in his hands for an interception for the first time since 2023.
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