This New York Giants former first-round bust is proving anything is possible this summer.
Last season, you couldn't find a single New York Giants fan that wanted to see Deonte Banks on the field. And clearly, the Giants themselves didn't really want him on the gridiron, either, as he played in just 44 percent of the team's defensive snaps.
Fast forward to 2026, and a whole lot has changed.
New York has a brand new coaching staff led by John Harbaugh, and for some reason, Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson expressed extreme belief in Banks from the get-go.
And you know what? It's working.
A player who was viewed as a colossal first-round bust less than six months ago now has a chance to win the No. 1 cornerback job heading into the season, and it stands to reason that Banks may have already locked up the role even before the Giants' final preseason game against the New York Jets on Friday night.
How exactly did this happen?
Well, it wasn't just because Banks has looked good throughout the offseason program. Don't get me wrong: he has, but it's also due to the fact that the rest of the Giants' cornerback room is in dire straits.
New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks. Credit: USA TODAY Network.Paulson Adebo has been a massive disappointment since signing a three-year, $54 million contract with New York in March 2025 and might not start at all this season. Greg Newsome II is a former first-round disappointment himself. Colton Hood is very talented, but he's just a rookie.
Those variables opened the door for a former pariah in Banks to step in and re-establish himself as a critical piece moving forward, proving anything is possible.
Although it isn't incredibly common, we have seen Giants cornerbacks rewrite their story before.
One name that immediately comes to mind is Corey Webster, New York's 2005 second-round pick who couldn't cover a punter over his first couple of years, but then suddenly morphed into a legitimate shutdown corner during the Giants' Super Bowl run during the 2007-08 campaign. The next year, in fact, Webster led the NFL with 24 passes defended.
Am I saying Banks will become as good as Webster, who was seriously one of the best corners in the league during his prime? Absolutely not, but I am saying that Webster proved it is technically possible to completely change your narrative.
Banks looked outstanding in the Giants' exhibition win over the Miami Dolphins last week, and he has certainly looked the part of a starter in training camp.
Whether or not that translates into the regular season — especially against CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens in Week 1 — is anyone's guess, but there is no question that the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Banks has the physical tools to be effective.
We'll see if Banks can complete his unexpected turnaround this fall.
