Giants banking on their prototype first-round pick
As a Baltimore native, Deonte Banks grew up watching Ravens games and Wink Martindale’s defense. Next season he’ll try to stabilize the cornerback position for Baltimore's old defensive coordinator.
The Giants started eight different cornerbacks in 2022 and were looking for someone to start opposite Adoree Jackson. Pro Football Focus ranked Banks as their third-best cornerback prospect, behind Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon and Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez. Both players were off the board by the Giants’ pick in the first round, as were any wide receiver the team would have considered.
So general manager Joe Schoen traded up one spot to get who he sees as a model for modern NFL cornerbacks. After the draft, Schoen described Banks as a prototype.
"He's athletic. He's physical. He can run.” Schoen told the media. “He ran 4.32 at the combine. He has arm length, big hands. He's been a four-year starter. He was hurt a year ago, but he has played a lot of ball at Maryland and schematically, he's a good fit."
At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, Banks is roughly the same size as Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr., but coach Brian Daboll believes his ability to play press and man-to-man coverage make him an ideal fit in Martindale’s scheme. Porter is still available by the way.
Banks had 21 starts as a Terrapin but missed most of 2021 with a shoulder injury. Schoen believes some teams forgot about Banks after his injury but credits his scouts for keeping tabs on Banks throughout his college career.
Last season, Banks played in 12 games and established career highs in tackles (38), solo tackles (25) and passes defended (eight). He joins a team that was average against the pass last year, giving up 214 yards per game.
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