What Success Would Look Like For NY Giants Cornerback Deonte Banks

When the New York Giants used the 24th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft (trading up one spot) to take Deonte Banks, they believed they drafted their top cornerback. 

During his rookie season, he flashed the promise of living up to the hype. In his second season, he ran into consistency issues. Those issues were related to his technique, but more concerning were the inconsistencies in his effort.

This offseason, the team acquired two new starters for the defensive secondary, and the main acquisition was former New Orleans cornerback Paulson Adebo. His presence takes the pressure off Banks to be the top cornerback on the team, but the second-year cornerback’s athleticism will still make people believe that he has an elite cornerback ceiling. 

He should be able to work during training camp without the focus being on him as he prepares for his third year, which could be a critical year for him.

If it goes well, the team could decide to pick up his option or possibly even negotiate an extension. If things do not go well, they could decline that option and let him enter the final year of the contract, similar to what Evan Neal is currently working under. 

We seem to know what it looks like when Banks is struggling, but what will success look like for Banks in 2025?

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Banks has done a good job of getting his hands on passes over the first two seasons. What he has not done is take the football away. 

Last season, Banks was 22nd in passes defensed in 2025 despite his struggles. He did not record one interception. He only intercepted two passes during his rookie year. 

Interceptions are not random; they are based on trust and concentration. A player must trust their instincts, their research, and their ability.

Success for Banks this season and beyond will see him taking the ball away. His understanding of the opponent and receiver's will help him react quicker and give him the split second necessary to get both hands on a pass instead of just one to knock the ball away. 

His trust in his abilities and not thinking negatively if he attacks the ball is the next step for him. Not only will his interceptions increase, but his passes defensed will rise to the level of some of the best defensive backs in the league.

Another way Banks can demonstrate growth and success is through their run defense. As a rookie, Banks seemed to be locked into the run defense. He was a bigger part of the collective, but he was effective at tackling in space. 

In his second season, Banks was not as connected as he was during his rookie season. He missed more tackles and, at times, did not look like he was hustling to the ball carrier. As a rookie, he had 53 solo tackles, and in his second year, that number dropped to 39.

Success for Banks as a run defender should look like him being more involved in the run defense. If fans see his solo tackles numbers up, it means he is more connected to receivers when they catch the football. 

It also means you see him coming downhill to support in run defense. From his first to second season, his assisted tackles numbers were in the low teens. 

Not only will fans see him making more solo tackles, but they will also see him helping others bring ball carriers to the ground. This should allow his overall tackle numbers to increase exponentially.

There should still be a lot of hope for Banks. He is only 24 years old and in his third NFL season. He has also had to adapt from working primarily as a man corner to a corner who works in man and zone coverage. 

He has learned multiple defenses over the past few seasons, which can result in information overload, potentially shutting down a player's ability to read and react more slowly. His second season in this defense should allow things to slow down for him again, enabling him to play faster.