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New York Giants cornerbacks Deonte Banks (3) and Cor'Dale Flott Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

NY Giants DC Shane Bowen Mum on CB2 for Week 1 Game

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Patricia Traina | Last updated Sep 4, 2025 6:00 PM ET

Cor’Dale Flott or Deonte Banks?

That’s the big question on the New York Giants' defensive side of the ball, especially after the team’s unofficial depth chart listed both Flott and Banks as CB2, opposite of CB1 Paulson Adebo.

Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, doing his best Brian Daboll imitation, declined to say which of the two would be starting or at least playing most of the game on Sunday when the Giants visit the Washington Commanders to open the regular season. Still, unlike Daboll, Bowen was at least willing to discuss that competition.

“I know they both missed a little bit of time, but there were a lot of reps throughout,” he said on Thursday before practice. “They both have done a really good job when they were out there. So I think there was enough to go off of.”

“Again, I look back to last year and kind of what we went through in that position, going into week one, and the moving parts. At least it was a little bit earlier than what it was last year at this time.”

According to Pro Football Focus, Flott had the best grade among the team’s cornerbacks this summer in man coverage snaps, posting a 91.3 mark. But Banks wasn’t too far behind him, finishing third among the ten corners on the 90-man roster.

Zone coverage was another story. Again, Flott finished with the best grade of the Giants' cornerbacks (85.3) while Banks finished seventh among the Giants' corners (53.8).

Bowen declined to say if he would consider playing both on a rotation, but did admit to not having done so in his prior stops where he’s been a defensive coordinator. But he did sound more open to the possibility of changing up guys based on the weekly opponent.

“It's a matchup league,” he said. “I think every week you're trying to do that, whether it's positionally, corner, front-wise, whatever that might be, trying to find the best matchups that work for us and put these guys in favorable positions. So, yeah, absolutely. I think week-to-week, it's something you look at.”

Still, it goes without saying that whatever direction Bowen does decide to pursue, the showing has to be better on the back end, particularly given the improvements made to a pass rush that is expected to create more opportunities for the guys on the back end to make more plays.

“Going into Week 1, I think it's to make the plays you're supposed to make,” Bowen said when asked about his expectations. “Let's make sure we're in the right spots, we know what to do, we're playing fast, playing physical, and when we get an opportunity, let's make those plays.

“When we get a one-on-one block, let's find a way to win our one-on-ones. Don't be anything spectacular. Again, we don't know how they're going to play us, how things are going to change based on our personnel as well, so that's a little bit of the chess game in-game, just how they're attacking us based on how we're defending them.

“But don't feel a need to go outside the framework. You're going to have your opportunities. Make sure we're making our plays when we have our opportunities and continue to improve week in and week out.”

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This article first appeared on New York Giants on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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