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Why Landing with Giants is a Dream for CB Deonte Banks

New Giants cornerback Deonte Banks will start his NFL career with a unique advantage.
Patricia Traina|
Why Landing with Giants is a Dream for CB Deonte Banks
Why Landing with Giants is a Dream for CB Deonte Banks

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New York Giants

Cornerback Deonte Banks, the newest member of the New York Giants, couldn't have asked for a better way to launch his NFL career.

Banks, who hails from Baltimore, Maryland, grew up as a Baltimore Ravens fan. So it was only natural that as he got older, he'd spend his football Sundays watching those great Ravens defenses, which one Don "Wink" Martindale coordinated during the 2018-2021 seasons.

Martindale parted ways with the Ravens after the 2021 season and is now getting ready for his second season as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants. A fan of tall, lengthy cornerbacks with an affinity for press coverage, Martindale was captured on camera Thursday night following the team's selection of Banks in the first round giving general manager Joe Schoen a major bear hug of gratitude.

For Banks, getting a chance to play for the man who orchestrated his one-time favorite team's defense is a dream come true. And while the rookie will have to familiarize himself with the defensive terminology, having watched it all those years growing up should certainly go a long way toward helping him get a firm grip on his new responsibilities.

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"They send a lot of pressure and put man behind it," Banks said Friday during his first in-person appearance before the media. "I like that."

Banks admitted that he wasn't all that concerned about which team drafted him, instead focusing more on getting to the NFL, where he hopes t justify his draft pedigree. He expressed excitement over getting straight to work with his new team, something he and the still-to-be-determined Giants' 2023 draft class members will do a week from today when they report for the rookie minicamp.

"I'm here to play football," Banks said when asked what he was looking forward to doing most now that he's in New York.

That's an answer that would no doubt be music to Martindale's ears.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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