The New York Giants are expecting last year’s first-round pick to take a big jump in his second season. Cornerback Deonte Banks is stepping into a larger role as the team’s primary cornerback in 2024 and head coach Brian Daboll expects him to rise to the occasion.
Giants HC Brian Daboll envisions a big second season from Deonte Banks
Daboll spoke highly of Banks while talking with the media at OTAs, setting high expectations for his upcoming second season in the league:
“It’s always a big difference between year one and year two,” Daboll said of Banks via Giants.com. “Obviously he’s done it for a whole year in terms of how we do things here, learning some new things of what we’re putting in defensively, but he has the right mindset. He’s working extremely hard and trying to do as good as he can do.”
As a former first-round pick, Banks has the potential to develop into a high-level starter. He had his ups and downs as a rookie, but there are plenty of factors that could lead to his breakout in 2024.
Banks could have a major breakout in new defensive scheme
Banks will lead New York’s secondary this upcoming season as their No. 1 cornerback. Opposite him will likely be third-year cornerback Cor’Dale Flott, though, that position will be ironed out in training camp.
As a rookie last season, Banks posted some decent stats, totaling 64 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, 11 pass defenses, and two interceptions. However, he did surrender 606 yards and four touchdowns in coverage with a 55.2% completion rate.
But Banks was playing in a historically difficult defensive scheme under defensive coordinator Wink Martindale that deploys a heavy amount of man coverage, leaving little room for the defensive backs to make errors. That will change in 2024, however, as new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen plans to implement a more conservative, zone-coverage-heavy defensive scheme that will better position Banks to make plays in coverage.
The change of the defensive scheme and the added experience under Banks’s belt should aid in his development this season. The potential has flashed but now Banks could break out into a star in 2024.
