New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks is coming off a disappointing sophomore campaign in 2024 in his first season under defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.

As Banks approaches his third year in the NFL, his role has changed as the Giants have a new top cornerback on the roster after signing Paulson Adebo in free agency.

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Banks saw significant time in the team’s preseason-opening victory against the Buffalo Bills, both because the coaching staff felt he needed the time and because of their lack of available cornerbacks. In his self-assessment of that performance, Banks admitted he was a bit rusty.

“I missed a tackle out there — the running back bounced out to the right and I kept sliding down,” Banks told the New York Post. “But we haven’t tackled in a minute, so it’s a little rusty. But I did make a good tackle.”

Banks’ first two years in the league were on opposite sides of the spectrum. He thrived as a rookie in former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s system. However, last season, he received criticism for his lack of success in coverage and his effort in making tackles.

That begs the question: Is Banks the player we saw in his rookie year or the player we saw in his sophomore season? Could his success have been a product of Martindale’s defensive system?

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One persistent issue has been Banks’ inability to track the football, which reared its ugly head again against Buffalo.

“I feel like I squeezed him,” Banks told The Post. “I looked kind of early, saw the ball was coming this way, and then tried to play through the hands. I’ve been looking for the ball real good this camp. I looked at it like ‘I could’ve picked it’ if I turned the other way. I’ve been playing a lot of chest-to-chest, and he just happened to throw it to my blind spot.”

Banks is in the middle of a position battle with Cor’Dale Flott and will need to show more than he did in the preseason opener to win that battle. His performance was a mixed bag on Saturday. However, the Giants are counting on their former first-round pick to step up and take the No. 2 cornerback position ahead of the season.

This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants’ Deonte Banks admits he was a ‘little rusty’ vs. Bills