Following a struggling past three seasons with the team, the New York Giants decided to decline the fifth-year option for backup cornerback Deonte Banks. This move comes as no surprise, as the former first-round pick has struggled to make an impact in the secondary. Last offseason, the Giants signed Paulson Adebo to a three-year contract, and now, with the signing of Greg Newsome and drafting Colton Hood, the team is building a future without Banks. Per Football Reference, Banks has allowed 62.3 percent of passes to be completed in his direction for 1,561 yards (12.1 yards per completion) and 14 touchdowns.
New York truly had one of the worst cornerback units last season, allowing an average of 214.2 passing yards per game. Despite Banks starting all 29 games in 2023 and 2024, he lost his spot to Cor’Dale Flott, who didn’t do much of anything in this atrocious secondary. The cornerback had some excitement, but it wasn’t enough for the Giants to give him a new deal. With this decision, Banks will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2026 season.
Although he could revitalize his career with the Giants, it will be hard to do that while you have the likes of Adebo, Newsome and now Hood. The Giants should have one of the more upgraded cornerback rooms, but will the team try to get something out of Banks? It might be the right move to trade him and try to get at least a sixth-round pick. Banks won’t start on his new team, but it will give him a fresh start to see if he can turn into a reliable cornerback.
Giants Decline Fifth-Year Option for Deonte Banks; Trade Likely
Possible Fits
Dallas Cowboys
Deonte Banks joining the Dallas Cowboys makes perfect sense, but the team won’t be trading for him. The last time the Cowboys negotiated with a rival was during the NFL Draft, when the Eagles selected Makai Lemon with the No. 20 overall pick. Nobody should expect to see that again, but the team has selected Caleb Downs to become the main contributor of this cornerback unit. Downs’ versatility and elusiveness should get this room back to its old self, much like the former Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland duo era.
However, the team would benefit from the depth. Dallas lost several cornerbacks to injuries, including Bland and Diggs, so Banks serving as a backup would be sensible. Banks isn’t starting, but he could provide some insurance policy behind Derion Kendrick and Cobie Durant.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have prioritized defense this offseason, signing Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips to massively boost the unit. However, they haven’t made much noise to provide help for Jaycee Horn and Michael Jackson. While there isn’t much to worry about, they could use the depth boost for Robert Rochell. Banks is a perfect fit for a defense that is evolving by the year and could be an enormous help in backup duties.
Kansas City Chiefs
After losing Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, it was a no-brainer why the Kansas City Chiefs selected Mansoor Delane in the first round of this year’s draft. While he’ll get the start, the Chiefs still need depth. Banks isn’t going to turn this secondary to gold, but he’d be a perfect fit behind Nohl Williams, and the Chiefs could switch the cornerbacks around for the entire 2026 season.
