The New York Giants invested a first-round pick into the secondary this offseason, drafting Maryland CB Deonte Banks. While Banks may be an exciting new addition, there is still cause for concern surrounding the rest of the defensive backfield.
The Giants’ secondary could be a cause for concern this season
Following the departure of veteran safety Julian Love in free agency, New York did not do much to reinforce the position. They signed Bobby McCain who has stood out at offseason programming, however, the 29-year-old is a short-term solution at best.
Banks joins Adoree’ Jackson as the duo mans the boundary. On the inside, however, a position battle is brewing for the nickel corner job. In all, there is a lack of depth at the cornerback position to match the lack of a clear starter alongside Xavier McKinney at safety.
Pro Football Focus recently listed the Giants’ back seven on defense as the team’s biggest weakness in 2023.
The Giants have a talented defensive line, but their back seven leaves a lot to be desired. Their linebackers finished as the fourth-lowest-graded group in the NFL, while their safeties were second worst. The cornerbacks were a little better at 22nd, with Adoree’ Jackson being a bright spot. New York’s end result masked the low-grading profile of this unit, so the team will need to be better on the back end to avoid regression to the mean in close games.
Pro Football Focus
Despite the lack of depth, defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has plenty of confidence in his unit. In particular, Martindale is excited by the potential of the rookie Banks. “He’s highly intuitive,” Martindale said of the Giants’ first-round pick.
McKinney stands out as the star of the secondary for Big Blue. As co-captain of the defense, he will need to help keep things together and propel the defensive backfield to exceed expectations in 2023.