Giants News: Surprise team nearly traded up for Deonte Banks right before NY

If you needed further proof that NY Giants general manager Joe Schoen was 100 percent in the right to trade up for Deonte Banks, it has come in. Banks was a wanted man late in the first round and there were several teams hoping to land him.

Luckily, Schoen traded up and got his guy at No. 24 overall. However, according to ESPN insider Jordan Raanan, the Kansas City Chiefs and Brett Veach were eyeing Banks too and they almost beat the G-Men to the punch here. Thank goodness they didn't.

The Giants actually tried to trade up earlier for Deonte Banks. Eventually, they landed at 24 because the Chiefs were trying to trade up and the thought was that it was for Banks.

That and much more on the Giants draft in this week’s Breaking Big Blue.https://t.co/lL4XaZrDuj
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) May 1, 2023

The Kansas City Chiefs nearly landed Deonte Banks ahead of the NY Giants

This could have really changed things up for the Giants if Kansas City moved up to get Banks. Schoen said that the reason he traded up was that things were getting 'depleted' in terms of first-round targets the front office had on their board.

By the time the Giants were getting ready to pick, Jordan Addison, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Quentin Johnston and Zay Flowers were all taken by different teams. Per The Athletic's Dan Duggan, Schoen also tried moving up even further to try and go after Flowers, but things didn't get done.

Instead, he made his move with the Jaguars and sent in Banks' name. The Chiefs ended up going with defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Things really ended up working out for Schoen, as he drafted John Michael Schmitz in the second round and then got a steal in Jalin Hyatt in the third round.

However, if Veach and Andy Reid would have had their way, Banks would be in the AFC West next season instead of the NFC East. Well, the Maryland playmaker will be donning a Big Blue jersey and Wink Martindale, plus the fanbase, can't wait to see him in action once Week 1 rolls around.