Giants Cornerback Deonte Banks Looking for Breakout Game

Giants' second-year cornerback Deonte Banks is off to a somewhat sluggish start. Damian Parson turns to the film to find out why.

Sep 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) makes a touchdown reception under coverage by New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (3) during the first quarter at Huntington Bank Field. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

In 2023, the New York Giants, determined to rebuild their cornerback position, traded up one spot in the draft to select Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks with the 24th overall pick, hoping Banks might develop into a CB1 lockdown defender.

So far, however, that hasn’t happened. Banks’ rookie season can be described as "Okay" statistically. According to NextGen Stats, he was targeted 93 times, allowing 52 receptions for 551 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. 

Now in his second season and working under his second defensive coordinator in as many seasons, Banks has started the 2024 season slower than expected. 

Through three games, he has been targeted 24 times, allowing 14 receptions for 171 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions, and an NFL coverage rating of 120. His coverage skills have flashed throughout the first three weeks, but the impact plays have not been made. 

The hope is that Banks will improve the level of consistency within his play as the season progresses. The question is, what is causing the inconsistent play from him this season?

We can start with the defensive concepts. Banks went from a predominately press-man defensive system to playing more off-coverage. This has been a mixed bag of results for the second-year cornerback. 

Entering the NFL Draft, his work in press alignment allowed him to dictate the action at the line of scrimmage and disrupt the timing between wide receiver and quarterback. Banks thrives in the contact window when he can jam the receiver and slow down their release to enter the route. 

Banks has been in more off-coverage and side-saddle bail techniques this year under Shane Bowen than in his rookie season.

If the Giants truly want to get the most out of Banks’s skillset, Bowen might want to consider letting Banks play his style of football. 

When Stephon Gilmore initially arrived in New England, Bill Belichick’s scheme hamstrung what he did best, and Gilmore requested to be allowed to play press-man coverage and follow the opposing team's top receiver. 

When the Patriots made that adjustment, Gilmore went on to win the DPOY during his time there. 

This isn’t to suggest that the same will happen with Banks (though how nice would it be for Giants fans if it did?). The point is that putting him in more advantageous positions can increase his effectiveness and efficiency in coverage.

This isn’t to say that this change alone will be the magic potion to unlocking the team’s next No. 1 cornerback. Banks himself still has some work to do in his game, starting with improving his ability to locate the ball down the field. 

Against the Cleveland Browns, he was in a great position carrying a vertical route by receiver Amari Cooper but never turned to locate the ball and gave up a touchdown. 

On Cooper’s second touchdown, Banks had good pre-snap leverage aligned inside in man coverage, and the issue previously mentioned about playing off-coverage reared its ugly head again. 

Instead of allowing Banks to press/jam Cooper to dictate the action, the cornerback was made to wait patiently for one of the best route runners to manipulate the action on his terms. 

With a sudden jab step and crossing face, Cooper forced Banks outside and won inside leverage for the score. In my opinion, Banks’ change of direction is better suited for close alignment rather than playing off-coverage.

Amari Cooper lulling the DB to sleep pic.twitter.com/QKGEplYlMg

— Receiver School (@ReceiverSchool) September 22, 2024

In short, Banks is a talented player who can and should be a part of this defense for a long time. While he has work to do on his game, the Giants need to put him in a position to thrive based on his skill set, which, through three games, we can’t honestly say has been the case. 

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