The New York Giants took Deonte Banks in the first round of the 2023 draft to be a long-term building block in the secondary. His rookie season didn’t disappoint. He started 15 games, held his own against some tough assignments, and finished with two interceptions and 11 passes defended.
It looked like the team finally had a corner they could develop.
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Then 2024 happened. Banks followed up a promising rookie campaign with a full-on regression. He got beat in coverage, flagged repeatedly, and was even benched midseason for effort concerns. The flashes that showed up his first year all but disappeared, and a corner the Giants drafted to stick suddenly looked like a liability in the middle of a rebuild.
This offseason, the front office didn’t sit around and hope things would fix themselves. They brought in Paulson Adebo to lock down one side of the field, with the slot already being occupied by second-year standout Dru Phillips. That leaves just one spot left. And if Banks wants to keep it, he’s going to have to outplay Cor’Dale Flott. That won’t be easy.
Deonte Banks has a Cor’Dale Flott-sized problem at training camp
Flott might’ve entered the league a year before Banks, but his path to a regular starting role hasn't been as seamless. That’s changed. He’s settling in as a true outside corner. Flott had a strong spring, working alongside Banks at practice opposite Adebo, clearly pushing the former first-rounder for the CB2 role. Reps were split for a reason — there’s a real battle brewing.
The athletic profile’s never been the issue for Banks. But when the ball’s in the air, it all falls apart. He was constantly in phase last season and still got beat because he never turned his head or fought at the catch point. He just drew too many flags and gave up too many big plays.
Quarterbacks posted a 124.7 rating targeting Banks in 2024. His coverage grade sat at 50.3, ranking 177th out of 222 corners. He was drafted to play man coverage and couldn’t do it. The Giants started using him more in zone, and the numbers were better, but even then, it wasn’t enough to erase the penalties, lapses, and blown assignments. Add in the body language, and it’s not hard to see why he’s in a fight to even stay on the field.
Another year under defensive coordinator Shane Bowen might help. Banks was drafted to play press-man, but his best reps last season actually came in zone. That’s a small silver lining. But none of it matters if he doesn’t show up in camp. He’s no longer locked into a starting job, and Flott has clearly earned a shot to take it.
Get your popcorn because first practice is Wednesday — this might just be one of the spiciest battles of training camp.