The New York Giants are hoping to see a breakout performer on the defensive side of the ball. Last year’s first-round pick CB Deonte Banks showed flashes but had growing pains during his rookie campaign last season. Going into his second season, the Giants are expecting Banks to emerge in a larger role as he potentially acts as the team’s “X-Factor.”
Deonte Banks named the Giants’ X-Factor for 2024-25 season
ESPN’s Ben Solak projected one “X-Factor” for each team in the NFL and singled out Banks for Big Blue:
“Banks is high on my list of players to take a sophomore leap,” Solak added. “I expect him to be the final Infinity Stone in an improved Giants defense.”
Solak detailed the differences in the Giants’ new defensive scheme that could allow Banks to play with more stability this season and take a leap as the team’s primary cornerback:
“The 2023 first-round pick took his rookie lumps last season, but the clear signs of belonging were there: speed, size, ball skills, recognition. He held his own, often in isolated man coverage as defensive coordinator Wink Martindale left him on an island. The Giants ranked second in man coverage last season, but new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen runs a more diverse blend of coverages. That will particularly help Banks, whose zone feel was impressive in college,” Solak wrote.
Last season, former Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale ran man coverage frequently and blitzed on 45.4% of defensive snaps. This often put the team’s defensive backs in a compromising position, as Solak pointed out.
Comparatively, the Tennessee Titans blitzed just 22.0% of the time under defensive coordinator Shane Bowen last season. With Bowen taking over as the G-Men’s new defensive coordinator, they are expected to run a far more conservative, zone coverage-heavy defensive scheme this season.
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Banks has the tools to be an elite cornerback
Banks is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound cornerback who plays with aggression and instincts. His athleticism is elite as he scored a 10.0 overall relative athletic score (RAS) at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine behind a 4.35s 40-yard dash and 42-inch vertical jump.
As a rookie, Banks had a decent statistical start to his career. He started 15 games, totaling 64 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, 11 pass defenses, and two interceptions.
In coverage, Banks was targeted 96 times, surrendering just 53 completions (55.2%) for 606 yards and four touchdowns. According to Pro Football Focus (h/t Giants.com), Banks also earned a passer rating against of 84.7, which ranked 24th out of 74 qualified cornerbacks.
Among his coverage assignments as a rookie were the likes of the NFL’s top wide receivers, including Cowboys and Eagles All-Pros CeeDee Lamb and A.J. Brown, respectively, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle of the Dolphins, D.K. Metcalf of the Seahawks, and Deebo Samuel of the 49ers, among other elite weapons.
The schedule will get no easier for Banks this season. He will still have to face the elite weapons within the NFC East this season and also match up against the likes of the Browns’ Amari Cooper, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Mike Evans of the Buccaneers, among others. The Minnesota Vikings’ elite receiving corps featuring Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison will be his first test in Week 1.
The Giants have a tough schedule and a long list of elite wide receivers to game plan for this season. They need Banks to step up and develop into a true primary cornerback this season.
