Who believes in second -- er, fourth chances? When general manager Joe Schoen traded up to the 24th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, he almost certainly didn't do it to land a special teams player. He did it to secure the New York Giants' next lockdown cornerback.
Instead, three years of regression culminated in a 2025 season where Deonte Banks officially lost his starting cornerback job to Cor'Dale Flott, transitioning into a glorified return man.
While Banks surprisingly excelled in the role -- turning into a legitimate third-phase weapon with 19 kick returns for 622 yards (32.7 yards-per-return average), including a 95-yard kick return touchdown -- it’s hard to justify a first-round price tag for a corner who only plays special teams.
Big Blue clearly expected more, signing Greg Newsome II on a one-year, $10 million deal earlier in free agency and drafting Tennessee corner Colton Hood at No. 37 overall -- a talent influx that made it an easy decision for the G-Men to decline Banks's $12.6 million fifth-year option.
Well, instead of waving the white flag, New York's coaching staff shakeup has provided the 25-year-old an unexpected lifeline, and one he's been quick to grab.
Deonte Banks might not be out of the picture just yet for the Giants
Banks watsed no time using OTAs to rwork his way back into the picture. Under the clean-slate philosophy of new head coach John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, the former CB1 is suddenly playing like a man determined to become a starter once again.
This comes down to Banks finally playing in a scheme that fits his traits. He faded away the past two seasons under then-DC Shane Bowen's passive zone system, but Wilson's defense wants corners to play physical, man coverage.
That aggressiveness was on full display during OTAs, where Banks put together a string of good plays.
It started with good coverage on Darnell Mooney on a deep pass up the sideline, where the young corner was able to force an incompletion. He then ran it back with another forced incompletion deep down the field in the final period of team drills. These came after he also locked up Odell Beckham Jr. on a go route.
By letting him play freely and more like himself, Wilson’s system is putting Banks in a spot where he can stop overthinking and just rely on the tools that got him here.
Harby didn't draft Banks -- he has no skin in the game here. It's strictly professional. The 63-year-old has previously backed Banks, telling the media: "He [Banks] hasn't played that great. He'd tell you that. But is he capable of playing a lot better? I think he is."
And what do you know -- here he is, playing a lot better... without pads, of course. But maybe it’s just a better fit for what he does.
The 2023 first-round pick will face an uphill battle when training camp comes in July, but a strong showing at OTAs is a good first step toward keeping himself in the mix.
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