Let’s be honest; it has been a long time since the Giants took a quality cornerback in the NFL Draft. In 2019, it was Deandre Baker. After a year of poor play and an arrest for an armed robbery later, that experience was over. Before that, it was Eli Apple.
While Apple was not as much of a disaster as Baker, this was still a poor pick, something that came to be expected from the Giants after Super Bowl 46. Their last quality drafted cornerback was likely Prince Amukamara, who was solid with the Giants and for a few years with the Bears but nothing special.
That may have all changed this year.
After trading up with the Jaguars to ensure they got him, the Giants selected Deonte Banks out of Maryland. Finally, the years of plug-and-play at the second cornerback position may be behind us. No more Fabian Moreau or Isaac Yiadam starts.
This is a massive selection for a Wink Martindale defense that was obviously missing a quality piece opposite of Adoree Jackson. Banks fits perfectly into the blitz-heavy Martindale’s defense that relies heavily on man-to-man coverage.
Banks is a 6-foot tall, 197-pound, physical corner who excels in man-to-man and is fantastic with his press at the line of scrimmage. The result of this pick? Just watch this reaction by Wink Martindale:
MOOOOOOOOOOOD pic.twitter.com/bupcKPC39i
— New York Giants (@Giants) April 28, 2023
Unless the Giants make a splash move with a trade or free agency signing, Banks will likely line up across from Adoree Jackson in Week 1.
While there will most certainly be growing pains with the rookie corner, Banks is a very experienced college player, with 30 games played and 21 starts in his 4 years at Maryland; however he missed a large portion of his junior year due to injury.
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