Deonte Banks, New York Giants
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It wasn’t all that long ago that New York Giants fans had completely given up on 2023 first-round draft pick Deonte Banks.
After a stellar rookie season under Wink Martindale, Banks regressed under Shane Bowen and was essentially an afterthought coming into training camp. Heck, the Giants even declined his fifth-year option.
Competing with the likes of Greg Newsome, Paulson Adebo, and Colton Hood, fans probably assumed there was a chance Banks wouldn’t even make the roster.
Instead, under the guidance of John Harbaugh and Dennard Wilson, Banks has re-found himself, and has stepped into the role as one of New York’s starting cornerbacks, and performed quite well.
He gives all the credit to his coaches, though, for believing in his ability and allowing him to play the way he knows best.
Deonte Banks Praises Giants Coaching Staff
Speaking with reporters at his locker on Victory Monday after the New York Giants’ win over the Houston Texans, Banks spoke about what this season has meant for him and how he feels the total support of his coaches.
“Like I was saying before, I just try to keep being better every game, every snap. I just try to lock in every snap, that’s really it,” Banks said about his play.
Then he was asked about what it’s like being given the assignment to guard every Giants’ opponent’s best receiver, and that’s when the praise for the staff came out.
“Excited about the opportunity. My coaches trust me to go out there and do that. They let me be aggressive. Be who I am.”
It’s not hard to see the difference in Banks’ play when he feels like he has the support of his coaching staff.
Last season, Banks graded out as Pro Football Focus’s 112th-ranked cornerback out of 114 qualified players in 2025, meaning there were only two players who PFF felt were worse than him at his own position.
This year, he’s taken a massive leap. PFF currently has him ranked as their 30th-best cornerback in the NFL, with a coverage grade of 69.0, 24th-best among his peers.
If Banks is able to keep playing like this, he may earn himself an extension at some point over the next year.
John Harbaugh on Relationships With Players
Speaking with reporters before the New York Giants head into their bye week, Harbaugh was asked about how important it is to build relationships with players while trying to get the most out of them on the field, and his response was insightful.
“Our guys understand that we have to confront everything that has to do with our football. And if we do that, that comes from a place of love because what we’re trying to do is we care enough, you know, we all care enough, and we need to hear it too as coaches. And we did from our players,” Harbaugh said to the media.
“If we have that kind of relationship, partnership, coaches and players…you build trust that way”
John Harbaugh on the openness in communication between the Giants’ coaching staff and their players:
“There’s plenty of things that our players talk to us about that they want to see done better from a coaching perspective. And if we have that kind of a relationship, that kind of partnership, coaches and players, to me, you just have a chance to be successful because you build trust that way.”
Clearly, things between the Giants coaching staff and their players are in an incredible spot. And you can see how that translates on the field.
Their crosstown rival, the New York Jets, could take a note or two from what’s happening with Big Blue.
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