New York Giants rookie cornerback Deonte Banks, the No. 24 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, had his ups and downs on the field this spring. He was working with the second-team defense at the first organized team activities open to the media, but that quickly changed. The Giants were impressed with the way he worked and moved and promoted him to the starting defense the rest of the spring. "He lives life like a goldfish. He's got a short memory when things don't go right," defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said. The Giants traded up within the first round to select the 22-year-old, and he's expected to start at outside cornerback in his first NFL season in 2023. Banks will surely have his ups and downs during the regular season, but the Giants are going to throw him into the fire right away.
New York Giants rookie cornerback Deonte Banks worked with the first-team defense during mandatory minicamp this week as a perimeter cornerback. He had his ups and downs, but the talent is clearly visible, which is why the Giants traded up into the first round of this year's NFL draft to take the 22-year-old defensive back. New York doesn't plan on taking it slow with Banks in his first year in the league, so he's fully expected to start at some point in 2023 in the Giants' secondary. How quickly Banks is able to adjust in his first NFL season could be a big factor in how well the Giants' defense fares this year.
On Friday, the Giants signed cornerback Deonte Banks to a four-year, $13.6 million, fully guaranteed contract. After playing at Maryland, the rookie was selected in the first round, No. 24 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. In his four seasons as a Terrapin, he totaled 61 tackles and two interceptions. However, Banks' experience should get him on the field plenty this season, potentially even starting immediately opposite Adoree' Jackson.
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll constantly reiterates that training camp this summer will be a competition for starting spots, but rookie cornerback Deonte Banks could have the biggest impact from Day 1. The first-rounder will likely be the starter opposite top corner Adoree' Jackson. Jackson isn't signed beyond next year, though, so Banks could quickly become the face of the position group in New York. He will compete with Cor'Dale Flott, Aaron Robinson and Nick McCloud this summer. Given the team's first-round investment and Banks' man-coverage abilities, it's expected that he will be starting right away in his first NFL campaign.
The New York Giants selected University of Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Thursday night. The Giants originally held the No. 25 pick in the first round, but they traded up with the Jacksonville Jaguars to take Banks and bolster their secondary. Banks is the fourth cornerback taken so far in this year's first round. The 22-year-old defensive back has excellent speed and turned heads at the scouting combine while measuring in at 6-foot and 197 pounds. He has plenty of experience covering NFL-caliber receivers as a four-year starter and could become a very good player at the next level for the G-Men. Banks will need to work on his coverage skills, but he should be an immediate contributor for the Giants.
Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks has been projected inside the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft for a few months, but former NFL general manager and current NFL insider Michael Lombardi said teams value him higher than most mock drafts currently indicate. Banks is the consensus 20th overall prospect per MockDraftDataBase.com, but Lombardi said there's a real chance he goes inside the top-15 picks. The Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, and Detroit Lions all have picks before or right after pick 15, so those could be possible destinations for the 6'1", 197-pound corner with 4.35 speed. Banks had one interception and eight pass deflections in his final season at Maryland.
