New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks, a 2023 first-round pick, is being relied upon to anchor a young secondary as the team enters a new era under coordinator Shane Bowen.
Banks has gone through a gauntlet of some of the NFL’s top receivers over the first four weeks of the season and has basically held his own.
None of the studs Banks has been charged with shadowing (Justin Jefferson, Terry McLaurin, Amari Cooper, and CeeDee Lamb) have had a 100-yard receiving day.
But they’ve come close. Banks has allowed 16 of the 26 passes targeted at him to go for completions and has permitted a league-high four touchdowns.
“I think this league is a ‘murderer’s row’ every week,” Bowen told reporters on Thursday. “Every team has got number one receivers that are good players. So, every week you’re going to find that. . . This week they got three really talented receivers.”
Bowen is referring to the Seattle Seahawks’ trio of D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Banks and the other Giants’ defensive backs will have their hands full with that group.
With a group like that, it’s no wonder Seattle, behind quarterback Geno Smith, is throwing the ball on 65 percent of the offensive plays.
Bowen believes that Banks is still a work in progress. Iron sharpens iron. Some of his stats have been ugly but to the naked eye, he appears to be rounding into a top NFL corner.
Of the top 25 defensive backs targeted over the first four weeks, Banks has the lowest coverage grade (47.5) per Pro Football Focus. The Giants are not concerned.
“I think he’s done a good job. He’s challenged,” said Bowen. “We’ve got to work on the finish piece. He’s been in good positions down the field for the most part. Again, those 50-50 balls, some of them are really good throws, really good catches, and other times we’ve got to do a better job finding the ball, locating it, being able to play through the hands, understanding what situation you’re in as that ball is in the air down the field.
“The low red, slant stuff, we’ve got to force the hard throw. We’ve got to eliminate those in-breakers, force the hard throw. They’re going to have their phase. They’re going to have their back shoulders. A big part of what they do this week is going to show up. But understand the leverage. Take away the easy throws. Make them throw the hard ones. The lesser of the two evils in terms of completion percentage and how those things play out.”
This week will be even more of a challenge. With slot man Dru Phillips and veteran cover corner Adoree’ Jackson still hurting, it will be on Banks to hold the fort.
