Big Blue View
John Harbaugh offered fresh starts to several underperforming New York Giants high draft picks when he became head coach this offseason. Perhaps none of those players has taken better advantage than Deonte Banks.
To this point in his career, the uber-athletic but enigmatic Banks has been another in a long line of early-round draft picks by GM Joe Schoen who have not met expectations.
Banks had a promising rookie season after Schoen traded up one spot in the 2023 NFL Draft to select Banks, getting then-defensive coordinator Wink Martindale a much-needed press-man cornerback. In 15 games and starts, Banks compiled a 79.6 passer rating against and surrendered completions on just 55.2% of passes targeting him.
Banks also intercepted two passes, had 11 passes defensed, and showed no signs of the effort/attitude issues that would plague him over the next two seasons.
Things have gone downhill since. Here are Banks’ three-year Pro Football and Sports Network Impact scores:
Here are Banks’ year-over-year passer ratings against, per Pro Football Reference:
Here are Banks’ year-over-year missed tackle rates, again per Pro Football Reference:
Banks’ downhill slide seems to have begun when the relationship between Martindale and head coach Brian Daboll blew up, and Shane Bowen became the Giants’ defensive coordinator. Bowen’s system relied much less on the aggressive press-man coverage Banks had been drafted to play. Because there was no one else capable, Banks was also asked to cover the opposition’s best receiver.
Banks did not handle the less aggressive, more complex scheme or the added responsibility well. His play declined, and his effort followed suit. He was called out by defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson for lack of hustle on plays against the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. The play against Dallas is below:
“Didn’t like it. Liked nothing about it,” Henderson said at the time. “When your man catches the ball, you have to break your legs, figuratively, to get him on the ground. And I thought there was room to do more. We expect that from him, and he expects that from himself, but in that moment he failed.”
Daboll then fired Henderson, who had gone to bat for the drafting of Banks and had been the most outspoken person trying to hold him accountable.
Banks’ play continued to decline in 2025.
Banks spent much of the season as a “use only in case of emergency” cornerback. He did not play any defensive snaps in two games, and played less than 10 in two others.
By season’s end, Banks’ most useful role was as a surprisingly effective kickoff returner.
When Harbaugh became coach, some wondered if he would empty the cupboard and get rid of underperforming players like Banks, Evan Neal, Josh...
