Another day of New York Giants training camp, and another day of Deonte Banks frustration. Just turn your head. Please, just turn your head around. Banks has the athletic ability and size to be an elite corner in this league, if he would just learn to turn his head around.
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In a matchup with what looked like Beaux Collins, Banks got sent to the sideline on a deep route. Russell Wilson threw the ball his way, and at no point did Banks even try to locate it. Instead, he resorted to bear-hugging Collins and holding on for dear life well before the ball ever arrived — a clear desperation move to break up the play.
If Russ wasn’t sacked, this would have been an obvious pass interference call, with the ball then spotted at the one-yard line. It was just a lazy play. There’s no fight there. It’s just read and react. No anticipation, no effort to play the ball, no growth. He looks stuck.
One would think it’d be effort level on a million in his fight for the starting cornerback spot opposite Paulson Adebo, but this clip suggests anything but. And for Giants fans, it’s a scene all too familiar.
Not only did he never try to turn his head around, but the struggles continued throughout practice. He accounted for two defensive pass interference calls, per Giants on SI’s Patricia Traina:
It’s just unacceptable at this point. It’s training camp. These reps aren’t against Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase. No offense to Collins, who’s having a strong camp in his own right, but this should be the easy time for a player of Banks’ caliber.
DPI calls usually don’t happen accidentally. They’re often just lazy plays wrapped in yellow fabric. It comes down to discipline. Sure, there are the rare suspect flags or unavoidable tangles, but most of the time, DPI is the result of poor technique and bad habits. Not great for a guy locked in a heated training camp battle.
This isn’t the first time Banks has faced effort concerns. Last season, the second-year corner was repeatedly called out for what looked like minimal pursuit, including a whiffed tackle on CeeDee Lamb in Week 3 and a blown containment on Jalen Hurts in Week 7. By Week 8, he was benched after pulling up on a Najee Harris run, a play he later admitted he “could’ve done more” on.
How are we sitting here in late July, heading into Year 3, still addressing Banks’ lack of effort and growth? It’s crazy.
He just has to figure it out. With Cor’Dale Flott breathing down his neck for the starting CB2 spot, he can’t afford more reps like what we saw Tuesday. Because talking about Banks being in good position, yet refusing to turn his head around is becoming a boring narrative. All it takes is a little more effort.
