The New York Giants may have reached a conclusion to the battle for the starting cornerback role opposite Paulson Adebo.
Dan Duggan of The Athletic is reporting that Cor’Dale Flott is projected to start against the Washington Commanders, with Deonte Banks coming onto the field on third downs.
In his report, Duggan cites the time Banks lost to an unspecified injury in camp — as well as his inconsistent play — as the deciding factor in how the two will be deployed to start the season. Banks flashed improvement in camp and when on the field in preseason. He has all the physical and athletic traits to be a good cornerback in the NFL and is good at forcing tight window receptions. However, he remains inconsistent at the catch-point and struggles to locate the ball when the situation allows.
Banks’ effort has been questioned in the past, as well as more recent criticisms of his maturity.
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Flott, on the other hand, has improved pretty consistently over the last year. He became a regular starter in 2024 thanks to injury, and the extra reps seemingly did him well. He also has experience playing both the slot and outside cornerback positions, which could help the Giants field all three of their “starting” corners.
Giants’ head coach Brian Daboll has mentioned in the past that Dru Phillips’ role as the slot corner can involve being “part linebacker” at times. It’s possible that he could shift to more of a STAR (linebacker/defensive back hybrid) while Flott moves into the slot.
It’s also possible that this is a temporary solution and not a true conclusion to the roster battle. The Giants will likely assess and reassess the two as the season progresses, and Banks could regain the starting job if his play improves. The team could also be eyeing weekly match-ups and will start whichever corner they feel provides the more advantageous matchup based on that week’s opponent.
Either way, the situation continues to bear watching.
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