When the New York Giants traded up one spot to select cornerback Deonte Banks in the first round of the 2023 draft, they hoped that they had found themselves a young cornerback who could be a part of their defensive backfield for the next decade.
They might still have found that in Banks, assuming that he can put an end to the competition that has existed since the spring between himself and Cor’Dale Flott.
"I think they're both doing a really good job," said Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. "I think competition's been good for both of them. I really do."
On Saturday, Banks has a golden opportunity to take the lead in this competition as Flott, who once again has been dealing with an injury, isn’t a lock to play.
Banks, for his part, didn’t have much to say when meeting with reporters about the competition other than to reiterate how he was focused on getting better.
Following a promising rookie season, in which he held opponents to a 55.2% completion rate and recorded 11 pass deflections and two interceptions, Banks regressed.
He struggled to adapt to Bowen's new defensive scheme, which focused on zone coverage rather than man-to-man. His completion percentage when targeted rose to 70.3% and he allowed a career-worst 648 yards and six touchdowns.
Through his first two seasons, Banks has a 46.4 PFF coverage grade, which ranks in the bottom 10 among eligible cornerbacks. To make matters worse, Banks was benched for multiple games due to low-effort performances in favor of Flott.
However, his coaches have noticed a different attitude from him this season. The 24-year-old has had his ups and downs going up against the explosive Malik Nabers during camp, but has still found ways to make plays in the secondary.
"He's been able to get his hands on footballs more, I feel like, this early on in training camp, we're ten days in, but early on, more so than what it was last year. He's working. He's working. He's competing for the job," said Bowen.
Flott fared much better than Banks last season after receiving the starting nod. Flott allowed 359 yards, one touchdown, and a 66.7% completion rate while also recording an interception and seven pass deflections.
During the spring, the 23-year-old was making a strong case for the starting position, but suffered an injury early in training camp that has kept him sidelined for multiple practices.
"I thought Flott was doing a really good job. From the spring to now, he was probably one of the guys who had the most pass breakups. So just continue that competition."
Even if Flott loses out on the starting cornerback position across from Paulson Adebo, he will see playing time in multiple positions in the secondary. Not only will he rotate in with Banks on the boundary, but he will also appear on the inside as a nickel corner.
In 2023, Flott logged 432 snaps at the nickel position before mainly being used as a wide corner last season.
"The versatility is no different than all these other positions. There's going to be a time and place where the numbers kind of shrink, and we've got to figure out ways of how we fit based on who's available and who's not."
The Giants have two of their starting cornerback positions locked in. Adebo, who was signed to a three-year, $54 million contract this offseason, is the first cornerback on the depth chart. Andru Phillips is the nickel corner.
Banks has a golden opportunity before him starting this weekend against Buffalo. How he responds will tell a lot about how much he’s grown in the face of adversity.
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