Joe Schoen started rattling off the names of his draft picks or big-money investments.
Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and at least four rookies — Malik Nabers, Tyler Nubin, Theo Johnson and Tyrone Tracy Jr. — all are foundational pieces for the Giants in Schoen’s eyes. Wan’Dale Robinson and Cor’Dale Flott have carved out important roles, he said.
But what about Deonte Banks?
Was it a simple oversight by the general manager to not name the 2023 first-round draft pick?
After all, Andrew Thomas and Dru Phillips weren’t listed either.
Or has Banks’ discouraging second season — marred by two plays on which his effort was questioned by coaches, a third instance when his performance warranted an in-game benching, and an NFL-high six touchdowns allowed in coverage — changed how the Giants view him?
“We’re not going to give up on Tae,” Schoen said Tuesday in his annual bye-week state of the team address. “He works hard. He wants it. And I still believe he has a bright future.”
Schoen sounded willing to excuse Banks, 23, for slowing up about 20 yards from the end zone against Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb in Week 4 because it was a “hard play” — even though defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson and Banks himself admitted that he could’ve done more to get a tackle.
The more egregious error was avoiding scrambling Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on the sideline in Week 7.
“It’s not just Tae that would like to have some plays back. There are other people as well,” Schoen said. “But we’re not giving up on Tae. He’s got the physical traits. He’s shown the ability to match the top receivers on other teams. And corner is a tough position to play. There are balls that are going to be caught on you. And he’s been in really good position on some of them.”
Yes, in fact, one of Banks’ issues has been ball recognition as throws fit into tight windows against him. Quarterbacks have a 139.7 passer rating on 50 times targeting the Maryland product.
The Giants (2-8) have the best odds (17.3 percent chance) of landing the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. The highest-ranked players on many draft analysts’ boards are Michigan cornerback Will Johnson and Colorado two-way cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter, while Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison was near the top before an injury.
Schoen, who expressed confidence about his job security, could prioritize drafting a quarterback.
But, if the Giants win enough down the stretch to slide down the order and others among the 11 current two- and three-win teams in the NFL take the top quarterbacks, another first-round cornerback might allow Banks to fall into the No. 2 cornerback role where he showed promise as a rookie.
“Played well a year ago [but we] changed the scheme,” Schoen said. “We’re the youngest defense in the league.”
One of Schoen’s often-cited primary drafting principles is not picking to fit a specific scheme because of potential coaching changes, so it’s concerning that Banks hasn’t played as well under coordinator Shane Bowen as he did in press man-to-man coverage under Wink Martindale.
The Commanders already have cooled on cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, who was drafted eight spots higher than Banks. The Steelers have their own issues with cornerback Joey Porter Jr. — who was drafted six spots after Banks — being too handsy for the officials’ liking.
“Nobody’s going to be harder on [evaluating] the decision-making process or on me than me,” Schoen said. “And that’s what keeps you up at night … but you can’t put it back. These decisions aren’t quick fixes, and they can be impactful either way. So, again, a lot of confidence in my staff and our process and where we’re heading.”
Schoen’s commitment to Banks is notable because he has shown a willingness to sign over a potential draft bust.
The Giants relegated 2022 first-round pick Evan Neal (No. 7 overall as compared to Banks at No. 24 in 2023) to the bench for the first nine games when he was coming off of two poor seasons and a foot injury that lingered into training camp. Jermaine Eluemunor was allowed to win the right-tackle job before Neal got his chance after Thomas’ injury.
“A premium pick like that,” Schoen said, “you always want to bat 1.000.”
