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Proposed Trade of Struggling CB Would Give Giants Added Draft Capital
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- Proposed Trade of Struggling CB Would Give Giants Added Draft Capital
The Deonte Banks experiment has not worked out for the New York Giants , and now is the time to turn the first-round pick into additional draft capital.
The Giants could cut bait and land a Day 3 draft pick, which was floated by Bleacher Report .
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Banks, the 24th pick of the 2023 NFL Draft , already had his fifth-year option declined by the Giants before he was graded 112th out of 114 qualifying cornerbacks by Pro-Football Focus.
Banks had 31 tackles and five passes defended in 16 games, and six starts, before he lost his starting job last year. He was further buried on the Giants' depth chart by free-agent signing Greg Newsome II and second-round pick Colton Hood.
Giants Urged to Trade Deonte Banks
GM Joe Schoen is undoubtedly working phones to try and find a taker for Banks, who could at least use a change of scenery while trying to regain his first-round pedigree.
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There is a compelling sales pitch too, since Banks is valuable on special teams and can still provide outside depth at a minimal price tag of about $2.6 million.
"Last offseason, Banks lost a starting job on the boundary and played a bigger role on special teams," B/R's Moe Moton wrote. "As the Giants turn the page on his days as a starter, another team may show interest in giving him a second opportunity to compete for a lead position."
The Giants are More Likely to cut Deonte Banks
Every year we hear rumors of a team trying to trade a player only to see him inevitably released at some point during the preseason.
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So Deonte Banks seems likely to be one of those this season.
The Giants would certainly rather save $2.6 million in cap space by trading him, since they won't save any of his $4-plus-million cap hit by releasing him. But most teams don't just part with valuable draft capital for a player who has fallen to third on the cornerback depth chart -- especially to bail out a team like the Giants.
The Giants could also hang onto Banks and see if first-year defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson can work some magic with Banks' 6-2, 200-pound frame.
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"He has the physical traits to be a quality corner. The problem is he hasn't shown any of the other necessary traits during his first three seasons," Dan Duggan of The Athletic wrote of Banks . "The challenge for Banks will be consistency and physicality when the real football starts in training camp after performing well during a glorified passing camp in the spring."
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
