Three Giants Who Need a Strong Finish to 2024 Season

If these three players can finish the season on a high note, that will be a big boost to the Giants' depth for next year.

New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (3) walks out of the tunnel prior to the start of the game between the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. / Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New York Giants are 2-8 at their bye week, as the reality of another lost season has arrived. Their 20-17 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Germany last week signaled that this year has gone extremely off the rails. 

The Panthers were seen as the worst team in the league coming in, allowing over 30 points per game. The Giants became the only team this season to not throw for a touchdown and score at least 20 points against the Panthers.

It was an embarrassing loss, one that will require many to look in the mirror and assess the situation. General manager Joe Schoen was adamant in his bye week press conference that the Giants "aren't far off," but their record and play on the field indicates otherwise.

With seven games left, the Giants aren't bound to win many, if any more games. At this point, they have to look for traits such as improvements on individual players. That's why these three specific Giants players need to finish the 2024 season out strong for their own sakes.

CB Deonte Banks

Banks has had a rough sophomore season. He was deemed the No.1 cornerback this offseason, as the Giants hoped he'd take the leap and become a shutdown defender on the outside. That hasn't happened, as Banks has been torched all season long.

He has 37 tackles, six passes defended and one forced fumble. In coverage, Banks has allowed 38 catches for 460 yards and six touchdowns. Quarterbacks have a 73.1 completion percentage and a 138.3 QB rating when throwing at Banks. The Giants secondary as a whole has struggled all season, but Banks' lack of development and ball skills is concerning.

The one main concern was his effort. He was seen jogging after CeeDee Lamb's touchdown in Week 4, then decided to avoid tackling Jalen Hurts in Week 7. Banks was benched for the second half of the game in Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which was odd as he seemed to be giving effort on every play.

The Giants aren't giving up on Banks by any means, but he'll need to prove he can be a viable cornerback option for the future in these last seven games.

WR Jalin Hyatt

Another player from the 2023 draft class, Hyatt has had a disappointing season thus far. He flashed as a rookie, catching 23 passes for 373 yards. After a spring and summer filled with hype that Hyatt could develop and turn into the No.2 option behind rookie Malik Nabers, anything but that happened.

He hasn't received opportunities due to his lack of development and Darius Slayton continuing to be a reliable option. So far this year, Hyatt has just five catches for 45 yards, a far cry from what many expected his production to be. Slayton missed Week 10 with a concussion, allowing Hyatt to step in. He was solid, catching four passes for 39 yards.

It may have not been much, but Hyatt needs to take that performance and build off of it. Even with Slayton returning at some point, the former Biletnikoff winner needs to prove he belongs on the field more often than not.

RT Evan Neal

It took 10 weeks, but Neal finally started a game for the Giants this year. Jermaine Eluemunor shifted to left tackle in order for Neal to slide back in on the other side and he played well. He allowed just one pressure on 41 pass blocking snaps against the Panthers, showing signs of improvement.

While it was just one game out of many uninspiring performances in his career, this is a good step in the right direction for Neal, who is trying to shake off the "bust" label given by many fans. If he can at least hold his own for the rest of the season, the Giants will have to feel a lot better about their tackle situation heading into 2025.

Next. Draft Class Matches Giants Needs. How 2025 Draft Class' Strengths Match Up to Giants' Emerging Needs. dark

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