New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks, the team’s first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, fell off as a sophomore and has spent the summer battling Cor’Dale Flott for the CB2 role.
On their unofficial depth chart, released on Tuesday, the Giants listed Banks and Flott as co-starters alongside Paulson Adebo with just days remaining until their Week 1 clash with the Washington Commanders.
No matter how well Flott plays, the Giants are still relying on Banks to provide a return on their investment and live up to his potential. He showed up this offseason seemingly more committed to his craft, but several of his issues (locating the ball in the air) persisted throughout the preseason.
At least one Giants staffer, speaking to the Washington Post on the condition of anonymity, questioned Banks’ maturity and his ability to accept responsibility.
“Does the player even feel responsible for people losing their jobs? A lot of people got burned by him. The kid really needs to grow up,” the staffer told Jason La Canfora.
The same staffer also cautioned that the Giants don’t have a true No. 1 at quarterback and must be prepared to play all three QBs this season.
“We have to mix and match and have game plans for different guys at different points of the season,” the staffer said. “You can’t just throw your hands up when you don’t have a true No. 1 (quarterback); you have to be constantly developing the second and third quarterback now more than ever.”
Another Giants staffer questioned the team’s ability to win a shootout if the defense doesn’t hold up.
“We aren’t winning many games 28-27,” they told The Post.
That feels like an abundance of inward criticism after a summer in which the overall vibe seemed positive around East Rutherford. Even those on the outside believe the Giants may finally be seeing the tides change.
“I really like what they’re building through the first two levels (of the defense),” an anonymous NFC evaluator told The Post. “It can be one of the better groups in the league, and it’s deep enough to sustain an injury or two, I think. Dexter Lawrence is as good as they come, but they need to cut down his snaps some and find alternatives for inside rush.
“They need (Bobby) Okereke to play like he did in 2023 and not 2024. I don’t know what the hell happened there. But they have a lot of interesting pieces to play with, and I like how they can fit and the versatility they should have. I have some serious concerns about the back end, but could this group keep them in games? I think so.”
If Banks could live up to his first-round pedigree and Okereke returns to health, it would go a long way in helping the Giants establish themselves as one of the elite defenses in the NFL.