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New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks has had a rough season in 2024, which led to his benching on Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8. The former first-round pick lasted just a handful of series and recorded no stats before Brian Daboll pulled him from the game in favor of practice squad signee Greg Stroman Jr.
But while Banks was inefficient in the game, his official benching resulted from weeks of inadequate performances. It is not that he does not have the skill set to be a starting cornerback in the NFL, but more about his effort, which has continued to be questioned in recent weeks. In Week 8, Banks' effort frustrated the coaching staff yet again when he missed a tackle on Najee Harris and failed to make a play on the ball against George Pickens in the first half.
Banks' potential lack of effort first came into question when a clip of him seemingly giving up after getting burned by CeeDee Lamb in Week 4 went viral. Three games later, a similar situation occurred when fans took note of him pulling the same move when failing to track down Jalen Hurts on a scramble.
This is the play in question for Deonte Banks. You can see him just jog past Hurts near the sideline at the end, right in front of his position coach Jerome Henderson.
Banks told @PLeonardNYDN it was a “bad effort.” Emotions got the best of him. #Giants https://t.co/nRTcosPsdG pic.twitter.com/WLRuZj4vaw
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) October 21, 2024
After the game, Daboll was non-committal on whether he would keep Banks on the bench in Week 9. The 23-year-old said he was “alright” with the decision.
Through eight games, Banks has a 56.4 coverage grade from PFF, which makes him one of the lowest-ranked starting cornerbacks on the site. He has given up 27 receptions, including four touchdowns, in the year, with 32 total tackles.
Giants' thin depth in their secondary
If Daboll and the Giants do choose to keep Banks on the bench in Week 9, it would purely be to make a point. New York is struggling with injuries all around but has no positional group thinner than their secondary, with just five healthy cornerbacks.
Opposite of Banks is fourth-year veteran Nick McCloud, whose struggles have been even worse than Banks' on the year. The Giants' most experienced defensive back, Adoree' Jackson, has dealt with injuries all year long and remains questionable, along with third-year former starter Cor'Dale Flott.
The Giants do have one bright spot at corner in rookie Dru Phillips, who has been one of the best young defensive players in the league. Phillips, a third-round pick out of Kentucky, has locked down the slot for New York with an 86 percent man coverage success rate, the third-highest of any cornerback by PlayerProfiler. His tackling skills have been even better, as his 36 total tackles are fifth on the team despite missing one game.
New York will return home in Week 9 for a rematch against the Washington Commanders. The Giants lost to the Commanders in Week 2, 21-18, in a game in which they infamously did not have a kicker after Graham Gano pulled his hamstring on the opening kickoff.
