Did Deonte Banks Do Enough to Earn a Starting Role at Cornerback?

John Harbaugh says the competition between Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome II and Deonte Banks "stands where it stands" heading into Week 1.

New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

One of the most intriguing battles of New York Giants training camp is still unresolved.

Or maybe it is, and head coach John Harbaugh doesn’t want to say, but the competition for the starting cornerback role between Paulson Adebo, Greg Newsome II, and Deonte Banks has certainly been a fun one to watch.

“It stands where it stands,” Harbaugh said regarding the competition. “And we'll be moving forward with it and see where it goes.”

Where it’s likely going is a duo of Paulson Adebo and Greg Newsome II, the latter of whom Harbaugh said  has been “very consistent every single day—played at a high level.”

Might Adebo, who got off to a rocky start that wasn’t helped by a knee issue that cost him some early practice time in camp, be looking at a rotation with Banks?

“It could be that way,” Harbaugh said, declining to shed light on his thought process for competitive reasons. “Or it could be two guys out there the whole time.”

The X-factor is Banks, now in his fourth season. The team’s 2023 first-round pick has been a disappointment, so much so that the team declined his option year.

But going back to this past offseason and through the summer, Banks has looked like a new man out there. Banks played a total of 52 defensive snaps across three games, and after a rough preseason opener, the arrow started pointing in the right direction for him.

Banks finished with a 39.6 coverage rating after allowing just one pass target against him to be completed for two yards, and he also broke up the other pass target.

“He's had a really good camp,” general manager Joe Schoen said about Banks. “Hopefully can continue to build on the camp that he's had.”

Schoen said that, as he sees it, the key for Banks is to continue stacking good days amid increased competition.

“He's working really hard. And again, hopefully he can continue on that trend. But I'm proud of Tae – corner's not an easy position. Your confidence can go up and down, and he's continued to battle and fight. He's taken advantage of the opportunity that he had this year.”

Whether that leads to a starting job or, at the very least, a sizable chunk of snaps is still to be determined. Still, there’s no question that Banks has finally put everything together and has started to show the team’s brass that he can be the type of cornerback they envisioned when they drafted him.

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