New York Giants UDFA Scouting Report: RB Damon Bankston, New Mexico

Is NY Giants UDFA Damon Bankston a threat to make the roster in 2026?

May 9, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants running back Damon Bankston (37) participates in a drill during rookie minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

Damon Bankston, RB

Height: 5’ 10 ⅜”
Weight: 196 lbs
Class: Fifth-year Senior
School: New Mexico
Hands: 9 ½”
Arm Length: 30 ⅞”
Wingspan: 72 ⅝”
40-Yard Dash: 4.44 seconds
Bench Press: 21 reps
Vertical: 33”
Broad Jump: 10’ 3”
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.32 seconds
3-Cone: 6.89  seconds
STATS

Damon Bankston was an unranked running back recruit from Katy Paetow in Katy, Texas, who enrolled at Weber State, an FCS school in Ogden, Utah.

Bankston would stay at Weber State from 2021 to 2024 before transferring to New Mexico for his final season of college football in 2025.

As a redshirt senior, Bankston would rack up 635 rushing yards, 397 receiving yards, and 8 scrimmage touchdowns, as well as another 434 kick return yards and two touchdowns on just 12 returns.

Strengths

• Explosive athlete with elite acceleration
• Soft, natural hands as a pass-catcher out of the backfield 
• Solid vision when operating in zone run schemes
• Usually a patient runner before accelerating through gaps
• Plays very quick as a runner with a bit of a choppy style
• Eliminates tackle angles with acceleration
• Can make defenders miss in space with a solid juke move
• Kick return specialist with two return touchdowns in 2025
• Willing as a pass protector in the backfield

Weaknesses

• Likely won’t be able to survive through contact often against NFL-caliber defenders
• Questionable ability to run between the tackles at the next level
• Not necessarily a weakness but only one year of FBS film, not sure how he’ll adapt to NFL game speed
• Questionable size to succeed in pass protection
• Ball security was an issue for him in 2025, including two fumbles in one game against Colorado State
• Play strength is a concern with contact balance, ball security, pass protection, and the ability to be an all-around back

Summary

Bankston will at best be a change-of-pace back in the NFL who never handles a significant workload.

Carving out a role as a return specialist should be the goal for Bankston to make the roster in 2026, which will also be a tall task for him to solidify with Deonte Banks back for the Giants in 2026.

Bankston, who at this point is probably more of a practice squad candidate, can definitely provide some juice on special teams as a kickoff returner. In college he averaged 36.2 yards per return and had two returns for touchdown, showing some explosiveness.

The step up in competition from the FCS to FBS for Bankston caused him to be less consistent with creating yards after contact and making defenders miss.

It’s fair to estimate that with another step up in competition, Bankston could once again see a decrease in that ability to create.

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