NFL Draft Round 1 Grades: Giants trade up to land star CB at No. 24 overall

Minnesota v Maryland
Minnesota v Maryland | Mitchell Layton/GettyImages

The pick is officially in for the NY Giants and general manager Joe Schoen. For months now, there's been an unreal amount of speculation around who Schoen and Co. might decide to go with. Was it going to be a wideout, cornerback, lineman or something else?

Luckily, we now have our answer, as the Giants just traded up with the Jaguars and selected cornerback Deonte Banks from Maryland with the No. 24 overall pick. From the moment this selection was announced by commissioner Roger Goodell, Giants fans have taken to Twitter to share how jacked up they are. This kid is the real deal and he's a great fit for Wink Martindale.

The NY Giants have selected Deonte Banks with the No. 24 overall pick in the NFL Draft

Banks has long been linked with the G-Men. Banks is a 6-1, 200 pounder who has great speed and defensive abilities. CB was 100 percent a priority for Schoen and Co. on Thursday. People were hoping for either Banks or Joey Porter Jr.

In his second season as GM of the Giants, Schoen continues to win over more and more fans with some of his brilliant decisions. Already this offseason, he signed star linebacker Bobby Okereke to a four-year deal, traded a third-rounder for Darren Waller, signed Paris Campbell and much more.

Everyone was waiting to see who the Giants would take late in the first round, and Schoen has most certainly filled a major position of need. The excitement surrounding this team right now is quite high. After stunning so many people last season, there's now going to be incredibly high expectations for 2023.

For now, though, G-Men supporters can celebrate the fact that Banks is coming to town. He's got loads of potential and we're giving Schoen and Co. an NFL Draft grade of an A- for this one. They surely nailed it at No. 24 overall.

READ MORE: 3 best-case scenarios for the NY Giants in the NFL Draft

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