Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen says second-year player has “battled”
The New York Giants had lofty expectations for Deonte Banks, their 2022 first-round pick, as he stepped into the demanding role of the team’s No. 1 cornerback this season. Banks’ first year as CB1 has been a struggle.
Banks’ effort was questioned in a Week 4 game against the Dallas Cowboys and again in a Week 7 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. In Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Banks was benched in the second quarter and did not return to the game. Banks’ effort issues have drawn the ire of defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson.
Since this Week 8 benching, Banks has started five games at his customary cornerback spot, missing three due to a rib injury.
How has the 23-year-old, the Giants’ first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, responded?
“I thought he came back and he battled,” defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said this week. “He has been everything we’ve expected him to be week in and week out just from a work perspective here over these past five or six weeks.
“He’s a young player. This is year two for him. He’s just continuing to grow week in, day in, day out… He comes to work every day. Obviously, he would like to have a little bit more production than what he’s had. Hopefully, we can get there, and he can continue to progress.”
Banks committed two defensive pass interference penalties totaling 63 yards and helping the Indianapolis Colts score 10 points on Sunday. He was also victimized for a 49-yard completion.
“You’re running 4.4, 4.3 speed, whatever it might be down the field, and all of a sudden, you’ve got to be able to locate the ball and have confidence,” Bowen said. “You learn by fire sometimes. That’s the NFL. You’re going up against—they get paid, too.”
Bowen wants accountability not only from Banks, but from all of his defensive players.
“We’re not going to get things fixed until we know it’s wrong, until we accept that it’s wrong,” Bowen said. “Let’s make sure that, as a group and as an individual player, we’re doing everything on our end. Let’s not give them anything.”
Banks’ continued growth will be critical for the Giants’ defense. For the Giants, the hope is that these growing pains will pay dividends in the seasons to come.
