Deonte Banks Ready to Get to Work with Giants

Deonte Banks, the Giants' first round pick, can't wait to get started with his new team.

New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks no doubt gets a rush every time he's come up with a big hit or a play during his football career.

But these days, that doesn't come close to the euphoria Banks felt when he learned the Giants traded up one spot to get him in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.  

“I couldn't even tell you how much it means to me,” Banks told the media during a conference call after his selection. “I can't even express how good this feels.”

He'll soon get a chance to start showing that euphoria when the rookies come in for next week's minicamp, but for the time being, the 22-year-old will bask in the satisfaction of knowing his hard work paid off.

Banks, who watched the first round of the NFL draft unfold, had a feeling that Blue was in his NFL future when he saw the mini run on four receivers in a row coming off the board.

“I already knew if I made it to (pick) 25, it would be the Giants,” Banks said.

That feeling may have come from his interactions with the Giants organization leading up to the draft.

“I met with them a bunch of times,” Banks said. “They took me out to dinner when I went out for a visit. I met with all the coaches when I was there, and I also met with the DB coach (Jerome Henderson) a week after that; he came to me, and we went out to eat. We also met in the meeting room.”

Being familiar with defensive coordinator Wink Martindale certainly helped matters, especially being a Baltimore native.

“I’m very familiar with Wink’s defense,” Banks said. “I watched a lot of Ravens games when Wink was DC there. They also talked to me when I was down there for the meeting, so I got a feel for that. I love it.”

When Banks had those dinners, the Giants coach staff must have done a phenomenal job convincing Banks that he’d be a fit, as he already referred to the team as “family.”

“When I came out here, it felt like it was my home,” Banks said.

Knowing his role on the team, Banks has plenty of confidence that he’ll fill it well. Time will tell whether he has a Sauce Gardner-type rookie season, but he believes he can do something special immediately.

“I’m just ready to get to work,” Banks said.

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